Since 1997
After having a mastectomy, women often experience significant discomfort, do not always feel their best or most feminine, and are still struggling with their recovery. However, having a mastectomy is a brave decision and should never make a woman feel less beautiful, and visiting a certified fitter in a breast form store for your post-mastectomy apparel can help you feel like your former self.
Each year, over 250,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Many of these women choose to have a mastectomy, which is the removal of the whole or part of the breast. The five types of mastectomy are “simple” or “total,” modified radical, radical, partial, and subcutaneous. In all these cases, women are left without a substantial part of their body and might feel nervous or scared about the next step towards recovery and getting their lives back.
While it initially may not seem essential to visit a certified fitter, it can make all the difference in your comfort and confidence. Whether your surgery was months or years ago, an accredited fitter at A Fitting Experience Mastectomy Shoppe can help you regain the natural shape of your breasts and ensure you experience as few discomforts in your post-surgery recovery as possible.
1. Build a Lifelong and Personal Relationship
Society has viewed breasts as sexual and feminine for thousands of years, and often, when women have a mastectomy, they feel they have lost an integral part of who they are and a sense of what makes them a woman. It can, therefore, be challenging to go into a store and purchase post-mastectomy apparel.
Similar to building a relationship with a doctor, a level of trust needs to be established. Post-mastectomy recovery is a very sensitive time, both bodily and psychologically for women, but when you go to a certified fitter in a breast form store, you can start to build a relationship with a professional who cares. It is essential to feel comfortable when shopping for your post-mastectomy apparel and building a relationship with a certified fitter can help you feel relaxed and more confident.
A large part of a custom fitter’s job is the emotional support they provide to their customers. The emotional trauma that is associated with fighting cancer as well as losing a breast can be burdensome, and custom fitters genuinely care about helping their patients. Many times, the mastectomy process moves so quickly that you don’t always have a chance to process what is going on, and by the time you find yourself in a breast form store, you are shaken and unnerved.
At A Fitting Experience Mastectomy Shoppe, establishing a trusting relationship is a top priority, and every customer is listened to and given a chance to express their concerns and wishes.
Whether you are looking to buy mastectomy bathing suits or a post-surgical bra, having a close and relaxed relationship with a professional fitter is a huge benefit to your recovery.
2. Customize Your Apparel
Not all women are the same, and not all mastectomies are the same. A “simple” or “total” mastectomy concentrates on the breast tissue, and the entire breast is removed, but the muscles beneath the breast remain. A modified radical mastectomy removes both the breast tissue and the lymph nodes. Radical mastectomy is the most extensive form of mastectomy, and it removes the entire breast, and levels I, II, and II of the underarm lymph nodes are removed. The muscles in the chest wall are also removed. A partial mastectomy is the removal of just the cancerous breast tissue and some normal tissue. A nipple-sparing mastectomy removes all the breast tissue, but the nipple is left alone.
The differences in mastectomy make finding a generic post-mastectomy bra challenging and can lead to distress. Some women are broad while others are narrow. Some women are tall, and some are short. Some want a bustier façade, while others want a more modest look. Bodies are different, and so are bras, swimsuits, and camisoles.
Customizing your post-mastectomy apparel shopping with a certified fitter at a breast form store can enable you to personalize your selections and make sure everything is the perfect fit. Whether you are looking for custom-made breast prosthesis by American Breast Care, top-quality bras, swimsuits, or just an initial consultation, the visit with a certified fitter at A Fitting Experience will be completely catered to you and your needs.
With 21 years of experience in serving South Florida’s breast cancer survivor community, customers at A Fitting Experience can explore hundreds of product options ranging from seamless padded bras to sports bras, underwire bras, strapless bras, leisure bras, pocketed swimwear, turbans, and lingerie.
No matter the type of mastectomy, size, shape, or style of you and your breast prostheses, a certified fitter can help you feel sexy, feminine, and comfortable in an array of personalized apparel.
3. Choose the Best Options for You
If you are shopping for your first post-mastectomy bra or you are searching for the perfect lingerie piece, a certified fitter can help you find the best options for your personal experience.
Strapless designs, lace patterns, animal prints, halter-top straps, wireless support, and all cotton fabrics are available features in post-mastectomy bras. Having a mastectomy should not slow you down from wearing that little black dress on a night out or wearing your favorite blouse.
Getting active after your mastectomy is very important, and there are many options now for women looking for a supportive sports bra. The Anita sports bras are a top seller and can be customized to fit your breast prostheses and get you jogging, climbing, and cycling in no time.
Mastectomy bathing suits that are personally fitted offer a much more natural look and feel when you want to relax in the sun or take a swim. Don’t slow down just because you don’t think you can wear a bathing suit. The days of being limited after a mastectomy are over. Bikinis, tankinis, and one-piece suits are all available to post-mastectomy patients at A Fitting Experience.
Having a mastectomy does not make you any less sexy, feminine, womanly, or less you. With styles such as the Almost U Bandeau Leopard Print Bra, the Anita Havanna Mastectomy Bra, or the Classique Post Mastectomy Fashion Bra, you can start to feel like your old self.
With quality products from brands such as Jodee, Still You, Nearly Me, Trulife, Anita, American Breast Care, Amoena, Classique, and many more, you will have a plethora of options when choosing your post-mastectomy apparel.
Certified fitters in a breast form store know how to customize your bra, swimsuit, lingerie, and more to your lifestyle and can help you on your journey to recovery.
4. Professionalism, Accountability, and Accreditation
Visiting a certified fitter at a breast form store, along with being important for finding top-quality products, is also essential in ensuring you are receiving the most professional and safe guidance.
Professionalism, accountability, and accreditation are top priorities for A Fitting Experience, and being certified by the American Board for Certification Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthis, Inc. (ABCOP) ensures that customers are provided with the best possible care.
To become ABCOP certified, a fitter must take a basic fitting course and complete between 125-250 hours of patient care experience, depending on the qualification. The training course covers breast cancer types, stages, surgeries, breast anatomy and pathophysiology, and how to measure, fit, and select products for patients. The training also covers billing and patient management.
ABCOP’s high standards are reviewed periodically to guarantee that effective communication is established with your referring physician, doctor, therapist, or other referral sources. A Fitting Experience also performs a diagnosis-specific clinical examination to confirm the need and appropriateness of the prescribed products.
Medical records are reviewed thoroughly to help the certified fitters to understand your unique current and future needs better.
Choosing an ABCOP certified fitter ensures you are receiving the most up-to-date, professional, and experienced quality care. To remain ABCOP certified, fitters must adapt to changing education requirements and stay current on technologies and new products. For such a personal and emotional experience as a mastectomy, having the comfort of knowing that your fitter is certified and specialized can ease any extra stress and insecurities about purchasing your post-mastectomy apparel.
5. Knowledgeable Guidance
Many women do not know precisely what they want or what options are available to them after a mastectomy. Visiting a certified fitter not only ensures you are receiving professional advice, but it also promises that you are receiving the most knowledgeable guidance.
Just as it is essential to have well-made prostheses and to have an extensive product selection, it is also important to be instructed on how to care for your prostheses and your post-mastectomy apparel.
Looking after your prostheses and mastectomy apparel properly will give them a longer lifespan and help to keep them looking natural. Certified fitters at A Fitting Experience are well versed in how to look after your apparel and will educate you on the best practices.
6. Privacy and Comfort
Depending on the situation, many times, the first person outside of your doctors to see your post-surgery scars are your custom fitter. Exposing yourself is a very personal experience and can be daunting and emotional.
At a Fitting Experience, the professional staff provides discreet fittings of post-mastectomy products and apparel. It has become a haven for women and allows customers to feel safe and at home. Your certified fitter is ready to provide emotional support, listen to your anxieties, and help you feel more self-assured.
Mastectomies are a substantial life-change and can leave emotional as well as physical scars. Maintaining privacy for customers as well as offering support is a significant benefit that certified fitters at a breast form store can provide.
7. On-Going Support
After your first consultation visit to a certified fitter, your personalized experience does not end there. Once measurements are taken and your options and preferences are discussed, the products are ordered. Final measurements and adjustments are made, and you are guaranteed to be pleased with the outcome. If you are not satisfied, then the process is not over.
Returning to the same certified fitter at a breast form store promises that you are receiving the same quality care on your tenth visit as you received on your first. Life is continually changing, and so can your personal preferences. You might not be ready for a post-mastectomy bathing suit so soon after your surgery, but down the road, you can change your mind. Once you build a relationship with a certified fitter at A Fitting Experience, that relationship is there to support you for as long as you need it.
Compassion, as well as retail sensibility, are attributes you will find in a custom fitter at A Fitting Experience.
8. Patient Bill of Rights
At A Fitting Experience, patients’ well-being is of utmost importance, and as the patient, you have the right to:
- Be treated fairly.
- Quality professional fittings in a comfortable environment.
- To ask any questions pertaining to your care.
- Receive information and education concerning your care.
- Participate in an open discussion about your treatment, goals, and expected outcomes of your fitting.
- Understand the charges you will be responsible for in whole or in part along with any insurance coverage.
- Be open about any dissatisfaction with the services.
It is crucial to be completely transparent with your certified fitter and to express any concerns, wishes, and issues you may have. This clarity will ensure you receive the highest quality care, services, and products possible.
Contact a Certified Fitter Today
Visiting a certified fitter offers the chance to build a life-long relationship and to customize your post-mastectomy apparel to your own needs while ensuring you are receiving the most professional quality care. Custom fitters are kindhearted, knowledgeable, experienced, and are the best people to speak to about your post-mastectomy apparel.
Recent advancements in post-mastectomy apparel include sexy lace bralettes, swimwear, lightweight styles for leisure, and sturdier styles for athletics and a more vigorous lifestyle. You have almost endless choices of post-mastectomy lines of breast forms, bras, clothing, and accessories at MastectomyShop.com, contact us today and let us help you feel your best!