After my first surgery, I noticed my breast was a bit smaller than the other. It wasn't very noticeable in clothes and I didn't worry about it.
Then I had my second surgery and now I had one natural breast with a nipple and one breast mound. I found that a padded bra felt more comfortable for me. It hid any imperfections of my surgery and my one nipple.
The next bra scenario happened when I was pregnant. All of the pregnancy hormones were headed to my one breast and it grew and grew. The other did not. I finally sought out a local mastectomy boutique to see what my options were. They fitted me with a padded mastectomy bra and sold me a mini prosthesis. It was actually more of an enhancement designed to give someone with breasts a little boost.
Finally I am even bigger, full of milk on one side, and nursing. My bra options seem to dwindle even further. I would like a nursing bra, but I also like the pocket on the mastectomy bras for my "enhancement." I see what the mastectomy boutique has to offer. We find a couple stretchy bras that will work for nursing and have a pocket. In addition, I find some of my old nursing bras and sew in a pocket on the one side. These options seem to work well.
As the years pass, I wonder if I can just shop in a regular store. I know what seems to work and what doesn't. I find a great fit and figure I can cut near the lining seam a touch to allow me to slip in my prosthesis.
As my mini enhancement prosthesis starts to degrade and lose it's firmness, I head back to the mastectomy shop. Initially I was very much turned off by the full prosthesis. I went through reconstruction and have a bit of a cleavage, I don't want to hide all that with a prosthesis and a full bra. But I was curious about other options. I was happy to find a small prosthesis that is not a full one, and it has a small nipple. I was so tickled to try it on with my bra and shirt and notice through my shirt that I have two nipples again. My brain sees two and feels symmetrical again. What amazes me most is that they look identical.
At some point I may consider more surgery to even things up. I will have to wait until I am done nursing and my natural breast gets back to it's final size. I still am not thrilled with the idea of a artificial implant inside my body. And even less thrilled that I may need to replace it in my lifetime. Right now, I keep the prosthesis in my bra for a couple days at a time and just put the bra on and off. I do wear a different enhancement in my swim suit which is a mastectomy suit. But I am comfortable around my family with nothing and in my nightshirt.
