I am a member of two breast cancer related Facebook groups. A question women frequently ask in those groups is, “What do I need to pack for my mastectomy surgery and what will I need when I get home?” I wanted to share the things that I found helpful as well as what I have seen other women recommend. For reference, I had a single mastectomy with latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction.
Hospital Stay
As far as the hospital stay, I needed very little. I stayed in my hospital gown the day of surgery and the following day. The only clothes I used were one pair of pajamas to wear home. You could pack more than one pair of pajamas or comfortable lounge clothes if you do not want to stay in the hospital gown. The most important clothing item to pack is a soft, comfortable button up shirt. While you have your drains, you will not be able to lift your arms above your head, making it hard to put on a shirt that you have to slide on over your head. It also makes it easier to change your surgical dressings by unbuttoning your shirt rather than lifting it up or taking it off completely. I also packed a small toiletry bag with toothbrush/toothpaste, face wash, and a razor (I shave my legs every day). I spent two nights at the hospital after surgery and took one shower during my stay. That’s really all that I used at the hospital.
Seat Belts
I did not know about this when I had surgery, but several women have recommended a post mastectomy pillow as shown below.
After my surgeries, I always just put the shoulder strap of the seat belt behind me, but using the pillow would be a safer option.
Sleep
After the mastectomy, you will have to sleep on your back and at an incline as long as you have drains. One option is to sleep upright in a recliner. If you are more comfortable sleeping in a bed, you can sleep on a wedge pillow. The hospital where I had my surgery provided me with a wedge pillow to take home, but if you are not given one when you are discharged, you can purchase one on Amazon (example shown below). I had a hard time getting comfortable because my wedge pillow was more firm than I prefer, so I put several folded fleece blankets on top to make it softer. See my “Neck Pillow” post for another post mastectomy sleep tip.
Bras
After surgery, you will be dressed in a surgical bra that provides support and holds the wound dressing. You will continue to wear a surgical bra when you get home and as long as you need the wound dressing. I recommend asking the hospital for an extra bra so that you can have one to wear while washing the other. If you are not happy with the bra provided by the hospital and want to purchase your own, look for a post mastectomy bra with a front closure. There are many different options on Amazon. The front closure options include zipper, hook and eye, and velcro. I found the zipper to be the easiest to open and close. You will continue to sleep in a bra for several weeks, even after you no longer need the would dressing. You can keep wearing the surgical bra or change to a sleep bra or soft sports bra.
Drains
One of the post mastectomy challenges is figuring out where to attach your drains to keep them out of your way. I just safety pinned my drain bulbs to the waistband of my pajama pants or the belt loops of my jeans, but I had to unpin them whenever I went to the restroom. I have since heard recommendations from other women on what they used. Here are a few suggestions:
- Use “pink pockets,” which are flannel peel and stick pockets that you attach to your clothes to hold your drains. You can purchase a set of 8 pockets for $19.99 at https://www.pink-pockets.com/.
- Wear a surgical bra with built-in rings to attach your drains. For one of my breast revision surgeries, the hospital provided me with the “Elizabeth Pink Surgical Bra” from Masthead (https://mastheadpink.com/product/Elizabeth-surgical-bra/). I did not have drains after that surgery, so I did not use the rings, but they would have been helpful after my mastectomy.
- Wear a special mastectomy shirt with built-in drain holders. Search for “mastectomy shirts with drain pockets” on Amazon for different options. These shirts are nice for recovery time at home.
Showering with drains poses additional challenges because the above options will not work in the shower. Here are options for drain holders to use while showering:
- The hospital where I had my surgery provided me with an elastic belt with velcro tabs to attach the drains. It worked well for me. For an example, see the “Drainage Bulb Holder II” at https://promedicsproducts.com/product/drainage-bulb-holder-ii/.
- The shower pockets drain bulb holder from Amazon can be worn around your neck and holds one bulb on each side (https://www.amazon.com/Shower-Pockets-Holder-Mastectomy-Surgery/dp/B07WJZZKLY/ref=sr_1_21?keywords=rainbowstar&qid=1574532582&sr=8-21).
- The post surgical shower bag from Amazon can also be worn around your neck and holds up to four bulbs in one bag (https://www.amazon.com/Post-Surgical-Shower-Bag-Accessory/dp/B07XZN7GWC/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=mastectomy+drain+lanyard&qid=1574529941&sr=8-5).
If you have been through a mastectomy and have other recommendations of what worked well for you, comment below.