When a woman goes through the terrible trauma of breast cancer and mastectomy, fear of the unknown, fear of what lays ahead, is the worst enemy.
Knowledge can empower you
Knowledge gives hope and aid on the road to recovery. The diagnosis of breast cancer will have a powerful effect on a woman’s life and the lives of those close to her. No matter how strong the support and backup from others, each woman must deal with the loss in her own time and in her own way. However, the more information she has of how damage control can be done, the sooner she can resume a normal lifestyle. The purpose of this article is to give information about what you need to know.
Here are a few simple tips that will make life easier after mastectomy:
Directly after your mastectomy (single or bilateral) has been done you will find that your clothes do not fit well anymore, because a woman’s clothing was designed with space at the bust area. Now it doesn’t hang right and when you put on your bra it moves up at the side where your breast used to be and sits under your armpit. Don’t despair! There are products on the market specially designed to wear directly after surgery. The Naturalwear Post-Operative Featherweight is shaped like a breast, soft and washable and specifically designed for this purpose. It is important that you wait six to eight weeks before the more permanent external silicone breast prostheses are fitted. The reason for this is that the wounds have to be completely healed, with no scabs, leakage or swelling present. If there is swelling and the breast prosthesis is fitted, when the swelling goes down, the breast form will not match your remaining breast anymore.
If you have chosen not to have reconstruction or are in a transitional period before reconstruction is done, then you will need these external silicone breast prostheses. It is therefore wise to get a proper fitting by professional trained fitter. All Naturalwear External Breast Prostheses have a two-year guarantee and this is important, as most medical aids will allow for external breast prostheses only every second year. Depending on your medical plan and the funds available, your prostheses will be paid for, or part thereof, by your medical aid.
To get successful payment from the medical aid the following is required:
The person or business where you purchase your breast prosthesis must have a practice number. The product that you buy must have a Nappi Code and/or tariff code.
The ICD 10 Code must appear on the claim. A doctor’s referral or motivational letter must accompany the claim.
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Written by Natie Spangenberg.