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Helping Breast Cancer Survivors Feel Like Themselves Again

All too often, we encounter patients who, after undergoing a mastectomy, suffer the additional misfortune of a failed attempt at surgical reconstruction. The process can leave patients with uneven chest walls that rule out off-the-shelf prosthetic solutions. In these situations, women can sometimes go for years without being told that they might have other options.

When finding the right form, I always describe it as when a bride-to-be finds the perfect wedding dress and says, “This is it!” and they start crying. For many women, emotionally speaking, the arrival of a custom nipple or breast prosthetic is almost the same experience.

According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 200,000 women get breast cancer and more than 40,000 women die from the disease. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older, but about 10% of all new cases of breast cancer in the United states are found in women younger than 45.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and at Chambers’ Apothecary, we carry a variety of products and services that are designed to help breast cancer survivors reclaim their lives and feel like themselves again.

Pink Perfect Adhesive Nipple Prosthetics

For women who have undergone unilateral or bilateral mastectomies, we offer adhesive nipple prosthetics by Pink Perfect. Each prosthetic is custom made by an artist based on a cast of the patient’s nipple before the procedure, a cast of her remaining nipple or she can select one from a book that resembles what she had before in terms of shape, size, color and texture. The prosthetics have a surgical-grade adhesive that can be worn for up to three weeks. It is waterproof so it can be worn in the shower, ocean or swimming pool, and flexible enough to move with the person as she performs her daily activities.

ContourMed Breast Forms

ContourMed Breast Forms are, generally speaking, for women who have tried several other options, and they were either not a candidate for certain procedures or they unsatisfied with the results. Perhaps their reconstruction failed and trying again is no longer an option. In these cases where previous attempts at reconstruction have left her chest walls scarred or uneven so off-the-shelf prosthetics leave gaps, ContourMed Breast Forms are the best available solution to make her feel like herself again.

First, we scan the patient to create an image that we can send to ContourMed, and they make the form that uniquely fits that patient. The process typically takes three to four weeks from scan through delivery, and they are detail-focused to match skin color, nipple color and other qualities.

ContourMed Breast Forms are prescribed based on medical necessity, so patients who aren’t good candidates for an off-the-shelf solution, then this would be our next step. Most commercial insurances cover it as long as there is a medical necessity form, and as always, we take care of the paperwork to see if you are approved.

Lymphatic Drainage Massage

If you haven’t heard, Chambers’ Wellness Center – located upstairs from Chambers’ Apothecary – is now open and fully operational, and one of the services they provide is Lymphatic Drainage Massage. Many mastectomy patients have their lymph nodes removed, which can leave them susceptible to lymphedema. For this reason, we have always carried arm sleeves and gloves to help manage lymphedema, but now our own Randi Weist administer can show you how to perform a Lymphatic Drainage Massage to help keep it under control.

Don’t go another day without feeling like yourself. If you have any questions or would like to be fitted for a prosthetic, visit us in downtown Chambersburg or call us to discuss your options.

Nancy Mazariegos
DME Specialist and Mastectomy Fitter
Chambers’ Apothecary
278 Lincoln way East
Chambersburg, PA 17201
717.263.0747

Mastectomy Prosthetics Give Patients More Options, Control and Comfort

Custom Mastectomy Prosthetics Can Be a Less Invasive – and More Affordable – Alternative to Surgical Reconstruction

Hello and thank you for visiting the Chambers’ Apothecary blog! I hope that the information that you find here is useful to you and answers some of the questions that you may have, but if you need any more information or would like to discuss these issues in greater detail, please feel free to visit me at Chambers’ Apothecary.

I am pleased to announce that we offer a variety of off-the-shelf and custom-designed breast prosthetic solutions for patients seeking options that are less invasive – and more affordable – than surgical reconstruction. At Chamber’s Apothecary, we use Amoena breast forms that cover patients through every stage of treatment.

All too often I see:

  • Patients who have gone through costly, painful and emotionally draining reconstructions who say, ‘If I had known that prosthetics were an option, I wouldn’t have gone through all of this.’
  • Patients who spend years not feeling like themselves because they didn’t know they had options or how to follow up on them.
  • Patients using homemade prosthetics, ill-fitting compression sleeves and worn-out bras that should have been replaced years ago.

This shouldn’t happen. And it doesn’t have to.

Especially because Medicare currently allows you to get one prosthetic every two years and four bras per year. Additionally, patients wearing compression sleeves should be remeasured every two years (or any time there is a drastic weight change).

It is my goal to help you explore all of your options and help you choose the one that makes sense for you. Patient involvement is critical to any treatment plan, but too often it can feel like your health decisions are being dictated to you.

At Chambers’ Apothecary, we will help you find the solution that fits into your budget and puts you back in control so you can feel like yourself again. If the solution isn’t available off-the-shelf, then we’ll have one custom-made for you.

Feel free to visit us here for more information, and be sure to follow us on Facebook. You can also download our free app from iTunes or the Android store to stay up-to-date with the latest notifications from Chambers’ Apothecary.

Nancy Mazariegos
DME Specialist and Mastectomy Fitter
Chambers’ Apothecary
278 Lincoln Way East
Chambersburg, PA 17201
717.263.0747