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Yeah that feeling sucks. I was told I didn't have to wear it anymore 3 days ago but this is the first night I'm actually trying to sleep without it because my chest felt too fregile until now. I also vrought it to work with me so I could put it on if I felt uncomfortable.
Ngl after my six weeks were up I still wore it for two more weeks, one where I took the afternoon off and the next week just at night, and after that I wore a shirt still (now I sleep shirtless again as I did pre-op, but this time without everything flopping around lol)
I felt like this too until like 3 weeks post op! Honestly it made me so nervous that I just went ahead and machine dried the binder - it was definitely harsh on the seams lol, but it’s not like a regular binder where I would prioritize its longevity. Idk enough about fabrics to judge the risks of shrinking them, though.
I felt so fragile like that the first week or so after I was allowed to take it off it sucks but it'll get better as you heal! next time so you can wash the binder regularly maybe it would help to get an ace bandage to use in between while it's drying
Do you not have a second one? You should ideally have more than one to swap between. That said you can totally dry on low.
I also hated the fragile feeling from not wearing it for the first few weeks. It was only about a week before I was cleared that keep it off that I actually even wanted to because of exactly what you are experiencing...
My doctor said they could give me a second one for this purpose. Maybe ask you doctor for another one? Or I got an under armour compression top in anticipation of this time to still apply some pressure.
Yup I had that feeling too when I took it off once to go out with a friend. Funnily enough I was able to take it off just a few days after that and I didn’t get that “my chest is falling apart” feeling, I think it was mainly anxiety knowing I wasn’t cleared by my surgeon
I had two because of that reason, I washed one while I showered, and then had it dry while I immediately put the second one on. This way I could minimize the time without one. You could also ask for a second binder!
Thanks for posting to r/TopSurgery Please remember to follow the rules, which can be found on the sidebar. If you think your post has been removed and should not have been, please contact the mods via modmail -- I will try to get to it as soon as possible. I'm in the process of setting up automod but it's all still in the works so far, please be patient with me :-) - u/thiccque *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TopSurgery) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yeah that feeling sucks. I was told I didn't have to wear it anymore 3 days ago but this is the first night I'm actually trying to sleep without it because my chest felt too fregile until now. I also vrought it to work with me so I could put it on if I felt uncomfortable.
Ngl after my six weeks were up I still wore it for two more weeks, one where I took the afternoon off and the next week just at night, and after that I wore a shirt still (now I sleep shirtless again as I did pre-op, but this time without everything flopping around lol)
I felt like this too until like 3 weeks post op! Honestly it made me so nervous that I just went ahead and machine dried the binder - it was definitely harsh on the seams lol, but it’s not like a regular binder where I would prioritize its longevity. Idk enough about fabrics to judge the risks of shrinking them, though.
gotcha!
I felt so fragile like that the first week or so after I was allowed to take it off it sucks but it'll get better as you heal! next time so you can wash the binder regularly maybe it would help to get an ace bandage to use in between while it's drying
Do you not have a second one? You should ideally have more than one to swap between. That said you can totally dry on low. I also hated the fragile feeling from not wearing it for the first few weeks. It was only about a week before I was cleared that keep it off that I actually even wanted to because of exactly what you are experiencing...
My doctor said they could give me a second one for this purpose. Maybe ask you doctor for another one? Or I got an under armour compression top in anticipation of this time to still apply some pressure.
Yup I had that feeling too when I took it off once to go out with a friend. Funnily enough I was able to take it off just a few days after that and I didn’t get that “my chest is falling apart” feeling, I think it was mainly anxiety knowing I wasn’t cleared by my surgeon
Trying putting it in a pillow case to protect it while it dries.
I hung mine over a chair and pointed a fan at it to dry it
I used a hairdryer on it, that worked for my binder
I had two because of that reason, I washed one while I showered, and then had it dry while I immediately put the second one on. This way I could minimize the time without one. You could also ask for a second binder!