Scar problems

Hi

It's still early days and it sounds about normal initially I couldn't wear bra all day . I'm a G cup so didn't use soft bra but got a post surgery from  M&S to give support for remaining boob . I also bought some bra extenders on line so I could expand by about 2" if I wanted lol 

Is your dog ear in centre ..mine is and I was told this gives you a more natural cleavage .

We're all different but for me ....

By six weeks there was a big improvement ( I do heal quickly ) and I progressed from softie to prosthetic which I find more comfortable ( no movement ) .

Seven months on I don't think about it at all thru the day it feels completely normal .

Be kind to yourself you've had major surgery and it does take some time to heal . Another couple of weeks and you'll see a big difference .

margaret x

Hi

When I had my Mx and implant reconstruction  I had terrible itchy soreness , was three years ago so can’t be exact, however I found wearing a vest with a support shelf in it was the only thing I could get relief with - so may be worth a try ? Should say I just had that on and no bra.

Jo x

Thanks Jo. Even a support vest has been digging in. Am currently lying on the sofa with a safety pin on the outside of my sweatshirt and a wonky softie . It’s not funny. Lol. 

Hi

I am just over four weeks after surgery (mastectomy and axillary node clearance), and also have a dog ear which is still a bit swollen and sore.  It is under the arm at the end of the scar where the lymph nodes were taken out and the drain went in, and my BCN said it would take longer to heal than the front part of the scar, which is nearly fully healed.   I bought a few bras from ASDA (post-surgery ones and mastectomy ones) and find that the front-fastening post-surgery ones (plus softie) are comfortable to wear, as they have a soft back plus a deep underband which does not rub on the underarm area.  I can’t wear the back-fastening mastectomy bras comfortably for very long yet, as they are just like normal bras and the strap rubs a bit on the underarm scar.

My BCN advised me to gently massage the dog ear (that sounds a bit weird, doesn’t it) with E45 or something like Udderly cream with urea, which helps with the healing.  I use the E45 in the morning and the Udderly at night (it’s a bit gloopy) and the dog ear is definitely going down each day.  THe BCN also told me to keep the post-surgery bra on all day as the compression it gives helps to bring down any swelling. 

My BCN gave me brochures on different bras and said that she could help if I was having any trouble with the fit of my post-surgery bras and the softie.  I needed to pull some of the stuffing out of the softie so that it looked right and was comfortable, and when I had my post-op review, the BCN checked how the bra and softie were fitting.  If you take in your uncomfortable bras plus softie, perhaps your BCN could have a look at where they are rubbing and suggest a solution?  I know that a lady in my unit was given some soft pads by the BCN to wear inside her bra where it was irritating her scar, so maybe that would be an option.

I hope that you find a solution very soon, and that you feel more comfortable.

Blackcat xx

Hi ,

yes I too was really sore where the drains were, and was dreading the appointment when BCN asked me to go in wearing my most comfy bra. But actually she padded the areas where it felt sore and gave me spare padding and after a few days it was more comfy wearing a bra with the padding in place than not. My scar is across my breast rather than underneath. 

Hope you soon find a solution

Hugs xxx

Blackcat

thank you for replying, excellent advice. I will do the massaging and see if that helps. I am also wearing the Asda front fastening bras but find they are rubbing on the drain bit. It’s all a bit yuck really isn’t it?

M x