Anybody had the experiences of wearing compression bras post surgery?

Hi! @celestebradham:

Thank you so much for sharing your inputs!

Have a curious question that I hope you don't mind my asking: but what is a "swell spot" and what shall we use it for?

Thanks again for your help!

I added a couple photos. Large one is when I had swelling in rib/back area and breast. Small one I used when just swelling in breast area. They fit in your compression bra. Ask your OT or lymphedema person or the person who fits you for a bra. Once you get everything under control- and you will, you may use them every so often.

Thanks for your thoughtfulness and explanation, @celestebradham!

I am overwhelmed, for I'd never known there are so many varieties of compression bras! It saddened me to know that so many of us suffering through such deeply painful experiences during this journey:((

Let's hope for a better day tomorrow, my dear comrades; best wishes to you all!

I had a double mastectomy a month ago. At the same time I was giving a compression bra and drains on both sides to eliminate the fluid within what used to be my breasts. It is extremely important that your drains are massage and move the accumulation of tissue etc down the drains. I had a nurse everyday in the morning to help with that and then I did it in the evening. There was a big problem though, one of the dreams was not maintaining suction which is necessary to move the fluid downward. I thought it was a faulty bowl at the end of the drain but no it was the actual drain getting air into it from coming out of where it was stitched. I had to have that breast fluid removed four times both in the emergency room and the doctor's office without a total of over 1 and 1/2 cups in one breast. Not only is this uncomfortable and painful but the longer the fluid stays in the breast the more chance there is of infection. So I was put on antibiotics and give an intravenous antibiotics as well. My breasts are still hard red and painful but not as large as they were when I first had them drained. It's very important that the connection area be checked and if it is not completely in your skin it needs to be changed. Yes all of this is a little bit overwhelming, maybe more than that, but for my procedure to remove the expansion that was put in my breast if I wanted to have reconstruction and now to remove that expander, it is necessary to have another surgery.
Yes it seems like this procedure can go on forever but all of the cancer hopefully was removed from both my breasts that had cancer and precancer. Hopefully it is life sparing and I will not have any future problems. Good luck with your experiences and be sure to check the drainage of your breasts as well as wearing your compression bra which I did do and slept in for about a month. Sincerely I do wish you the very very best and hope that we can share and being cancer-free - survivors. Good luck.

I wore the compression bra after my cancer surgery for 2 months after. Then I went without a bra. For a year and 1/2. Now I probably will just wear one like I used to wear. I am happy that I had a lumpectomy only. I have a dent on top of my breast at 12:30 6 inches from nipple and fading scar and a scar under my arm where the lymph nodes were taken. I am good for now. And grateful to be alive.

I was sent home wearing a compression bra after my lumpectomy and wore that one for 3 days. My Breast Care Support Group gave me their suggestions to get some soft cotton bras, Fruit of the Loom brand, that fasten in front. I ordered them from Amazon, very inexpensive, and they are so comfortable for me. I found them under compression bras post surgery front closure. I hope this will help you find something comfortable to wear. Best wishes to you and all our sisters on this journey.

Hi! Patrica:

Thank you so much for your kind suggestion and blessing! We are blessed to have you as our loving comrade on this journey.

Best wishes to you all!

Hi! @kstar077:

Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

I am so pleased to know that you've been recovering so well:) Yes, life is precious and I am grateful that tomorrow shall be a better day for us all!

Dear @cax75:

My thoughts and prayers are with you, my heart went out to you upon learning all these suffering that you went through in the past month!

I really appreciate you sacrificing yourself to share your experience with us! It touches my heart that you just went through a double mastectomy one month ago, and suffered so much, and yet you wrote to help me under such circumstances! Please take good care of yourself and I'll continue to pray for your full and speedy recovery.

Surely the gracious Lord will lead you safely step by step on the journey ahead! Best of luck!!

I went through 11 different bras before finding a brand called Amoena. It was the only one that didn’t hurt my incision which was under my breast. They sell them
at Macys but I found it on Amazon for much less money. Now, two years later, I’m wearing a brand I saw on instagram called Underoutfit. They’re great bras! Prayers for you and I hope this helps. 🌹