How Support Groups Help Recovering Patients Using Breast Prosthesis

The post-mastectomy recovery journey is usually very challenging for an individual to walk it alone. The main reason why most mastectomy recovering patients find the healing process difficult is the psychological trauma. Transitioning from a having a natural breast to wearing a custom breast prosthesis is a quite a traumatizing process.

Most recovering mastectomy patients are unable to adjust to the new life. As a result, the patients develop mental health issues such as depression and low self-esteem. In this article, we will discuss the role of support groups in helping recovering patients when they are using breast prosthesis.

Practical Advice

Support group meeting are rich sources of first-hand and practical informations since most members give real-life experiences. In essence, members of a support group share details about the best custom breast prosthesis for different activities. Additionally, you will get recommendations on where to get the best custom breast prosthesis Florida fitters.

With several members available in a support group, medical health practitioners in conjunction with breast prosthesis fitters in Florida may negotiate discounted offers. Hence, members of the support group are able to get access to quality custom breast form fits at affordable prices.

Emotional Support

The entire cancer battle—from diagnosis to mastectomy—is a very painful process and it often leaves the patient out of sync with her femininity. As such, support groups provide emotional support for the recovering mastectomy patient. 

Most support groups consist of other recovering patients, recovered patients, and health practitioners. Different categories of people provide insights on the recovery journey from different perspectives. 

For example, a health practitioner will recommend different breast forms such as the foam breast forms, depending on the recovery stage. Recovered mastectomy patients will attest to what mastectomy bras and prosthesis worked for them. Lastly, the other recovering mastectomy patients will offer encouragement, reaffirming the patient that they are not alone. 

The members may suggest different ways of handling anxiety such as journaling or taking nature walks. These techniques are handy for coping with stress and depression.

Adjusting to Life Changes

Most mastectomy patients find it very challenging to fit back into the society, going back to work, and engaging in social activities like sports. Hence, support groups equip recovering mastectomy patients with the necessary coping strategies that will ensure they blend seamlessly with other people.

For example, a mastectomy patient can wear a backless shoulder with the help of a backless strapless mastectomy bra and adhesive breast forms. The recovering patient can also engage in swimming activities thanks to the swimsuit breast prosthesis.

Furthermore, support groups teach mastectomy survivors different tactics of engaging in difficult conversations in a way that is comfortable for all parties.

Developing Essential Skills

A bigger part of the post-mastectomy recovery process relies heavily on how well you manage your scar(s). Primarily, your scar must have sufficient drainage to prevent swelling and reinfections. Additionally, you need proper exercise to help your body replenish your immune system, and proper diets to prompt the regeneration of the scar’s tissues.

Support groups offer soft skills such as proper drainage techniques and exercise routines. Additionally, healthcare experts and recovered mastectomy patients demonstrate on how to properly maintain custom breast forms. For example, a support group may organize a workshop in which new members are shown how to properly wear different breast prosthesis. Also, the new members are taught proper breast form maintenance and care practices like cleaning the custom breast prosthesis. 

Furthermore, the care and maintenance practices will extend to self-care practices that help prevent rashes and re-infections (especially with adhesive breast forms) in warm climates.

Creating Awareness

Breast cancer is a menace that most women have had to deal with for a while. Some women lose their lives in the treatment process, while others lose their body parts and vital pillars of their identity.

Most support groups, through awareness campaigns, educate the general public about breast cancer and mastectomy. These support groups advocate for the roles of breast prosthesis in breast-cancer recovery processes.

Other ways of raising public awareness include walk and marathons, breast-cancer awareness day, free cancer screening camps, and informational advertisements. Therefore, through creating public awareness, support groups help reduce stigmatization and foster togetherness in the battle against breast cancer.

Conclusion

With the help of support groups, the psychological burden of fighting cancer and adopting to the new lifestyle is alleviated. Evidently, joining a support group post-mastectomy ensures that you do not walk the recovery journey all alone.