Whether you’re preparing for a mastectomy or reconstructive surgery, there are certain items you can have on hand to make life easier at home. Two of the biggest hurdles in recovering from these surgeries are the drains and the inability to raise your elbows above your shoulders. Well, the weight limit is a bugger, too, but I can’t help you there.

(For realz on the drains, y’all. They are seriously the worst part of the procedure because they’re just so darn annoying.)

Not being able to lift your arms up means you’ll need shirts that open to the front. Even if you have a single mastectomy and so only one arm is restricted, that side will be sore for a couple of weeks and front-opening shirts just make life a little easier. My mastectomy took place in autumn, so I pretty much lived in zip-up hoodies and used a wide, pocketed band to hold my drains around my abdomen.

But for reconstruction, I needed something different. I was having DIEP flap reconstruction, which meant having a large abdominal incision. I was concerned that my pocketed band or the small apron my surgeon gave me would irritate my sensitive abdomen.

Rockin’ my HealinComfort shirt and surgical bra. You can also see my four drains and brand spankin’ new abdominal incision.

This is not a sponsored post; however, this page may contain affiliate links for the HealinComfort mastectomy shirt. At no extra cost to you, I may receive a slight commission should you decide to make a purchase through one of these links. 

The HealinComfort Mastectomy Shirt Specs

I first heard about the Healincomfort Mastectomy Shirt from Terri Coutee’s blog DIEP C Journey. (By the way, if you’re interested in DIEP flap reconstruction I highly recommend Terri’s blog and Facebook page as a resource for FAQs and tips!)

Drain Pockets

Breast cancer survivor Cherie Mathews designed the HealinComfort mastectomy shirt. After her double mastectomy, Cherie had difficulties managing her drains, which lead to the inspiration for the shirt’s design. The shirt has four large internal pockets, each one easily holding a “grenade” JP drain. Though I haven’t had the larger bulb drains, I’d imagine those would fit as well.

Front Opening

To be easy to put on, the mastectomy shirt is front opening with several Velcro squares for closures. Your chest and pectoral muscles will likely be pretty sore after surgery and further aggravated with abrupt movement. For that reason, I so appreciated the Velcro as opposed to snaps! The Velcro is quick to fasten or unfasten, and there’s no jolting or muscle strain trying to unfasten snaps.

Length

The length of the mastectomy shirt is generous, which is especially beneficial after DIEP flap when you’re initially walking hunched over. Goodness knows you have enough things to worry about. The last thing you need is a draft or being worried about mooning someone. With that delicate abdominal incision, I wore my sweatpants lower than normal for comfort’s sake. But it also meant I had a chronic case of plumber’s crack. But not to worry – this mastectomy shirt had my back. Literally.

No matter the weather, this shirt is ideal. It’s soft, thin, and breathable, perfect if your surgery is in warmer temperatures. But that also means it’s easily layered if you’re venturing outside in cooler temps or need an extra layer indoors.

Pros of Getting this Shirt

I’ve already mentioned a few of the pros – it’s lightweight, has a good length, and is easy to open and close.

Drain Pockets

The drain pockets are another HUGE plus! They’re pretty much the reason for the shirt’s creation, as well as the reason I bought it. As I said, drains are the most obnoxious part of the healing process, as voted on by myself and numerous other survivors I’ve talked to. They’re literal tethers sutured to your body, and you’re stuck with them for weeks. The skin where the drains are sutured is pretty sensitive to any tension from tugging on the drain. This means you’ll want to keep your drains close and protected where small children or excited puppies can’t accidentally yank one out. By having pockets on the inside, I could conceal the bulbs and tubes so my small pooches wouldn’t inadvertently catch a tube in their claws.

Why Pockets are Better than Pinning

Yes, there are alternatives for holding your drains, such as small pocketed aprons or pinning them to your clothes. The aprons could work for a mastectomy, but I imagine they would be rather uncomfortable after flap reconstruction. You’ll have to be sure the tie is secure enough not to fall, but a bit loose seeing as you’ll be living with it day and night for weeks. To be fair, though, I never tried the apron option, mainly because the logistics of it were so unappealing.

Safety pins are another option since there’s a plastic tab on each drain that you can poke through. This also means poking through your clothes. It’s a bit more time consuming than simply dropping the drain in a pocket. And you’ll have to unpin and pin each drain every time you change your shirt or have to empty the bulb.

Especially after my reconstruction, I was depleted of energy. I had to move slowly and gingerly since I was so sore, but that meant every action took five times longer than it normally would. Combine that with having very little energy and I needed to get through my morning routine, including emptying my drains, as quickly and efficiently as possible. If for no other reason than that, I was thankful to have a shirt with internal pockets rather than having to pin and unpin each drain!

Follow-up Appointments

But the shirt isn’t just convenient for getting around the house. It’s also perfect for the post-op doctor appointments or for radiation. Anyone else feel self-conscious and exposed in those paper examination gowns? This mastectomy shirt is modest enough to wear out of the house, and the front opening means you don’t have to strip down in order to flash your doctor for your exam.

And for those who are conscientious about how much waste you contribute to landfills, having this shirt means having a reusable gown as opposed to using a disposable paper gown each visit. Bonus!

One of my four JP drains. This gives you an idea as to its size. Some drain bulbs, however, are bigger than this.

Cons to the Shirt

I feel like if I have a section on the pros I should mention the cons. But really the only negative I could come up with was the price. Not even joking, that was the only negative. And the positives far outweigh the one negative!

Final Thoughts on the HealinComfort Mastectomy Shirt

I admit I was initially skeptical about getting my Healincomfort shirt. Yes, it sounds practical, but am I really going to get enough use out of it to justify the price tag? Even if it’s slightly less convenient, could I get away with the apron or safety pins and still make do? It’s only a few weeks with the drains, after all.

Not even joking, y’all, I was soooo thankful I had gotten that shirt even from my very first day home after reconstruction! I literally lived in it night and day from my ride home from the hospital until I got my last drain out.

I didn’t have this shirt for my single mastectomy and I got by. But if I had a double mastectomy (meaning more drains) I’m sure I would have wanted it, and this shirt was crucial after my reconstruction! Plus there’s the added bonus of having something reusable to wear to doctor appointments so I don’t have to strip every time. Had I had this top during radiation, I would’ve had a modest top I could wear to my daily treatments without having to change in the dressing room before and after.

Whether you’re planning for an upcoming mastectomy, radiation, or reconstruction, I would absolutely recommend the HealinComfort mastectomy shirt! No joke, it made my healing process easier when I had enough on my mind recovering from an intense surgery.

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