$16.99 at Target

Yesterday I did something I haven’t done in, well, maybe ever. And I’m REALLY giddy about it. On my way home from my first reconstruction “fill,” I decided to stop at Target and buy myself a bra: OFF THE RACK and WITHOUT TRYING IT ON. Yippee!!!

Seriously, I really am tickled about this. I try everything on before I buy it because I’m not an easy fit. I’m the girl that goes into the dressing room with 20 things and buys 1 or 2. I  always want to apologize to the poor stock girls who have to put everything back. My bras, in particular, have always had a JOB to do – underwire, full-coverage, padded straps, 4 hooks in back, minimizer… it was hard work, and not very glamorous. And the selection is very limited.

Last week I had my post-op appointments, and my general surgeon (who did my mastectomies) gave me a prescription for 6 bras. WOW! Thanks to the multitudes of women who have had breast cancer before me, I can actually get prescription bras for life. Crazy. The next day I saw my plastic surgeon (who put in my tissue expanders and “fills” them with a little more saline every couple weeks). I asked if she had any insights on bra selection. She looked puzzled and said, “You don’t need a bra any more!” Plus I’ll be changing sizes for the next few months. But a skin-sparing mastectomy takes all the breast tissue and leaves the skin, so my chest looks like a shar pei right now… not exactly the contour I want under a t-shirt! I’m thankful it’s still sweatshirt weather.

So I guess it’s up to me. I’ve needed a bra all my life, and I feel a little funny without one – and this is my first chance in years to have something pretty. And sexy. An accessory! And while I think prescription bras for life is completely unnecessary, I want to cash in on this first prescription. I want to enjoy this superfluous need for a bra.

I’ll go to Nordstrom in a couple weeks with my prescription, but for now, something cheap and fun from Target gives me a happy reprieve from my black and white mastectomy camisoles. If only I could get rid of my drains, but that’s another story.

I confess that I tried several bras on. And several shirts that begged to be considered. But I didn’t try on the "bandinis" I bought because they were in a two-pack, attached to each other AND the hanger. Grr. When I got home, we all tried them on. :) We don’t have kids, so we have to regress like this once in awhile. Which brings me to the pictures for this post:

Mike started it.

I wasn't quite as creative.

Poor Rayna. But isn't she cute?