Cant find a comfortable bra since having a whipples procedure.

Dear Bookworm47c77a

Thanks for getting in touch with us today.

My name is Helen and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

We can see that you are an active member of our online pancreatic cancer community.  We hope you are finding it a helpful and supportive place.

I am sorry to hear about your recent Whipple’s surgery. I hope that you are recovering well. It sounds like it’s a challenging time for you right now, and I am pleased you reached out to us for support. It’s important that you don’t feel alone. Here at Macmillan, we offer a range of support and services you can access. You may find this link helpful to look at. 

Macmillan Support Line can only give general information and support. We are a cancer charity, independent from the NHS and don’t have access to your medical records, so we can’t give personalised information or specifically advise/ endorse about which products to buy or use.

I am sorry that you are having difficulty finding a bra that is a comfortable fit for you. We would have suggested that you visit a specialist bra fitting shop, and I can see you have already been to M&S for this and tried and bought several bras. We would suggest you avoid an under wired bra and maybe try a softer, less tight option, especially if your wound is in this region. 

I hope the abdominal wound is fully healed and the area is not showing any signs of infection. We normally advise our customers that if they have a new symptom, a symptom that persists, gets worse, or is changing, then they must report this to their GP/ Hospital Consultant or Cancer Specialist Nurse, so they can assess you and best manage your symptoms

You might also want to contact pancreatic cancer uk , they have a wide range of resources, including recovering from surgery real life stories.

Sometimes it’s better to talk to one of our nurses on the phone, so we can gain a better understanding of the whole current situation and give you the best support and guidance. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like to talk things through. 

Best wishes

Helen

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.

Ref:  HW/ KE