Glenda Keohane has been cancer-free for 12 years.
One month after her 40th birthday, she was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer.
She had a lumpectomy to remove the affected breast tissue and chemotherapy and radiation to eradicate the rest that had spread to her lymph nodes.
Six months after treatment, she decided to be fitted for a breast prosthesis, also known as a breast form.
So when women came into the Sublime Swim and Sunwear store last year – where Keohane is a sales associate – looking for post-mastectomy swimsuits, she could empathize.
"As women, it is always a challenge to find a bathing suit, regardless of surgery. Women who have breast cancer have a little more to contend with," she says.
Breast cancer treatment often leaves scarring and sometimes radiation burns.
Three mastectomy swimwear lines were launched at Sublime at a breast cancer awareness month event Wednesday night.
All three swimwear lines – Jamu Australia, Penbrooke and TYR – are fitted with a sewn-in pocket into which breast prostheses are inserted.
Certain suits also have higher necklines and armholes to conceal scarring, which some women are self-conscious of, says Keohane.
"My main objective when they come is that we get them fit right, in a style they really feel comfortable in and they leave here feeling confident in that suit," she says.
The swimsuits in the post-mastectomy line are available in one-piece and tankini styles as well as one-piece athletic swimsuits. Sublime also takes private appointments for fittings.
The right fit
Post-mastectomy style has come a long way since Robin Molyneaux opened Midnight Magic Lingerie eight years ago.
"Just because you've had a mastectomy, doesn't mean you don't want to wear a tank top or lingerie," she says. "She is still a woman and she still has a lot of life left."
The expansion of mastectomy garment lines as well as the ever-growing selection of breast forms, is a reflection of a growing demographic of younger breast cancer survivors, she says.
Midnight Magic Lingerie is one of two breast prosthesis vendors in St. Albert – the other is Aspen Healthcare. Both stores have a breast prosthesis-certified fitter, certified through the Alberta Aids to Daily Living Program (AADL).
Forms are sold as partials – for women who have had a lumpectomy, where the tumour and surrounding tissue have been removed – in singles or in pairs.
They cost between $200 and $400. Under the program, Albertans pay 25 per cent of the AADL benefit cost.
Prostheses, which are typically made of silicone or form, can also be made specifically for leisure and swim.
"Everything she used to do, she can still do," says Barbara McMurray, account manager with Amoena, a company based out of Germany specializing in silicone breast forms. Amoena products are sold at Midnight Magic Lingerie.
McMurray says the demand for breast forms and post-mastectomy garments is increasing, in part due to early diagnosis. Many women are also still opting for mastectomy without reconstruction afterwards.
"It's not a death sentence anymore," she says.
The most recent data from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation indicates a five-year survival rate for breast cancer for both men and women is 88 per cent.
"For me it was a plan of attack. For me it was about getting the surgery. I wanted it out of me. I wanted it done and over with," adds Keohane.
"I got great care and my body responded well to the treatment. I feel blessed. There are a lot of people out there that have an amazing attitude and weren't so lucky."
"I feel I just got lucky."
