Over the months, we’ve highlighted several companies that make products for breast cancer patients. I can barely remember them all off the top of my head. We hardly expect you to. Since we’re focusing on facing life after breast cancer for the month of April, we decided to revisit them. We’re including a few new additions that we thought you may want to know about.
Drain Dollies
Drain Dollies is a company based in the United Kingdom. As you may have guessed by the name, it creates and sells bags that carry and hide your surgical drains.
Through Drain Dollies, you can get a specially-designed bag that you can carry on your shoulder. These bags safely hold your surgical drains and allow you to go about your regular activities. They’re lightweight and can be easily covered by a jacket or cardigan.
Further, once your drains have been removed, the bags can still be used for shopping or as a bag for children.
It really is a fantastic product and company. And as if it wasn’t cool enough already, Drain Dollies donates 10 percent of all sales to Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention in the UK.
We previously highlighted Drain Dollies and its founder Charlotte “Charley” Wood. We encourage you to take a look at this previous post to learn about the company, its product, and its founder in more depth.
However, if you’re looking for an American store selling a similar product, here’s an Amazon listing (though we can’t personally attest to its quality).
The Radiant Wrap
Hospital gowns are pretty plain. They don’t look attractive and some are uncomfortable. Fortunately, the Radiant Wrap provides alternative gowns for individuals with breast cancer.
Maria Lucas, a breast cancer survivor, and Koray Lucas founded The Radiant Wrap. It’s designed to give breast cancer patients extra comfort during their radiation treatments. Not only that, but the wraps help women feel more secure, confident and pretty.
Physicians and radiation technician approve these stylish hospital gowns. They’re available in varying patterns and colors to match with each season. Plus, they’re easy to wear and come with a matching carry bag.
If you’d like to learn more about the Radiant Wrap, feel free to read our in-depth highlight about them. Since the highlight was published, the Radiant Wrap has continued growing. It’s now surpassed working with 50 centers since the company started. And it’s given more than 7,000 Radiant Wraps to breast cancer patients. The company’s new Spa Robes are especially popular for mammography and imaging procedures.
Always seeking to inspire, one of the Radiant Wrap’s co-founders, Koray Lucas, developed kids Superhero Capes. Radiant Wrap gives these capes to children in the pediatric cancer ward at the Benioff Children’s Hospital at UC San Francisco.
Other products you might be interested in:
- The Breast Cancer Recovery Robe by Brobe, a robe with drain pouches
- The Heal in Comfort Mastectomy Shirt with Drain Pockets
Knitted Knockers
We’ve said it before and I’m sure we’ll say it again: breast reconstruction is not the only option. And if you’ve decided not to get breast reconstruction, you may be looking into getting breast prosthetics. Some types of prosthetics are heavy, expensive and uncomfortable. Especially after you’ve had breast surgery. One that isn’t is Knitted Knockers.
Knitted Knockers are pretty much what they sound like. They’re knitted breast prosthetics. They comfortably fit into regular bras and recreate the look and feel of a real breast. Not to mention, the soft yarn and lighter-weight materials make them much easier to wear.
To make the product even better, Knitted Knockers are available for free to women who have had breast cancer. Volunteers knit these prosthetics in varying sizes and shapes to fit women’s different bodies. Further, women who request a Knitted Knocker can choose the color they want. The company also makes patterns available for women who want to crochet or knit their own Knitted Knockers for themselves or a loved one.
Over the years, the Knitted Knockers patterns have been downloaded over 325,000 times and the organization has grown to include more than 250 registered groups in 14 countries. Further, Knitted Knockers recently sent 100 knitted knockers to women in Rwanda. Breast reconstruction is not an option to most of the women in this country, but the organization is committed to providing them with the resources to make their own breast prosthetics in the future.
We have a much more in-depth article about Knitted Knockers here. It talks more about the company and product. And it even includes an interview with the founder.
Marla Hope Bra
Marla Hope Bra has had an interesting journey over the years.
Since our previous article, the Marla Hope Bra has become many women’s choice for an everyday bra. Plenty of women were finding the product appealing, even though they hadn’t had breast surgery. Once they tried it, they preferred its comfort over that of many other choices on the market. Meanwhile, women who had had breast surgery ended up wearing the Marla Hope Bra longer than most post-surgical bras. And many of them made the bra their everyday choice after surgery.
AnaOno
Many women with breast cancer are already familiar with AnaOno. But if you don’t know about their company, it offers a unique line of lingerie and lounge wear designed specially for women with breast cancer.
Since 2014, the company has created bras, underwear and apparel for women who’ve had breast surgery, breast reconstruction or any other condition that causes discomfort. The designs focus on providing comfort and beauty. As such, they do not include any wire, they have hidden seams, and they’re made with gentle materials. Further, AnaOno offers pocketed and non-pocketed bras for women with breast prosthetics.
Since our last article about AnaOno, the company has gone through several changes. They added a RecoveryWear line, which consists of comfortable ropes, wraps and even a romper. Further, they have a new Makemerry Collection for radiation therapy protection. AnaOno’s collections were also featured on the New York Fashion Week runway in February.
AeroForm Tissue Expander
You’re probably already familiar with tissue expansion. But if you aren’t, we’ll quickly review it. Tissue expansion is often required when women get delayed breast reconstruction. Since the skin used to hold the breast is removed, a tissue expander is used to gradually stretch out the remaining skin. This prepares the chest for the addition of an implant or for an autologous reconstruction procedure. You can read more about tissue expansion here.
Well, at the start of 2017, the first commercial AeroForm procedure was completed in the United States. Prior to this, the device had only been available in Australia. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted de novo clearance for the device at the end of 2016. In the coming months, the product will hopefully become available to women throughout the United States.
We have a fairly detailed article about the AeroForm Tissue Expander System and its availability in the US. If you would like to learn more, feel free to read through it.
Chemocessories
Although Chemocessories is a relatively new organization, it has been doing some amazing work. The organization’s mission is to help women stay strong and in touch with themselves during their chemotherapy treatment.
As you might know, going through chemotherapy is tough. You may lose yourself certain days. Or you may not feel like expressing yourself every time you visit the hospital. The great thing about Chemocessories is that it does some of the work for you. You fill out a request form with the organization and it will create a personalized set of accessories tailored just for you. These accessories include scarves, jewelry, and turbans.
Over the years, Chemocessories has sent more than 2,000 sets to four countries and all 50 states. Many of the organization’s sets can even be found in cancer care centers and hospitals in the Los Angeles, California area.
Alloro Collection
While the Marla Hope Bra and AnaOno offer some great lingerie options for women with breast cancer, the Alloro Collection offers clothes. The unique designs sold by Alloro were made specifically for women who experienced breast cancer.
The collection features 20 unique design elements that address everything from reduced arm range of motion to front pain and side sensitivity. The Alloro Collection designs also address bodice and neckline issues that many women face when they decide not to have reconstructive surgery.
Thanks to these special designs, you can find stylish clothing and accessories that fit your changing body. Plus, 25 percent of all profits from the Alloro Collection goes towards supporting underserved women and breast cancer research.
CureDiva
Where do I even start with CureDiva? The company sells, well, practically everything. Clothing, wigs, head scarves, bras, even books and calendars – CureDiva has it all. It’s a great one-stop shop for women with breast cancer.
CureDiva serves as an online lifestyle shop that’s been carefully structured for women with breast cancer. You can find products through the site for nearly all every stage of your breast cancer treatment. The company’s website features hard-to-find items alongside some staple products. You can even request the help of a CureDiva personal shopper, a woman who has also experienced breast cancer, to make sure you get the best products for you.
Beyond selling its range of products, CureDiva also maintains an online community platform where you can connect with other women with breast cancer.
Good Wishes
A charitable organization, Good Wishes provides free scarves to individuals who are dealing with a loss or thinning of their hair due to illness or treatment.
The program was created in 2006 by Laurie Erickson, a long-time owner of a hair accessories company. One day, one of Laurie’s loyal customers asked what her company had for someone who had lost their hair. It was at this time that Laurie realized she didn’t have anything.
Fortunately, she regularly had cotton and silk fabrics on hand. So, she designed and sent a scarf to her customer to help her during her treatment. Later that same week, the organization sent its first scarf out to another woman who was dealing with hair loss.
Since then, Good Wishes has sent over 50,000 of its Good Wishes or It’s a Wrap square scarf to women around the United States. These scarves as specially designed to help women feel comfortable and feminine during the difficult time of dealing with cancer or illness.
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