Bathing Suits after surgery

[leviwood]

Does anyone know where you can find a nice bathing suit that actually covers your whole back? I have been looking for a good bathing suit for my mother for weeks now and I can't find anything that covers the back. Her sergeon wants her to start to swim, but she needs to cover her entire scar. I am assuming that some of you have had the same problem and may have some good ideas. Thanks

[Snoopy]

My daughter is fused from T3-L2, so her scar is very long. We bought her a Speedo one piece swim suit and it was perfect! The Speedos usually have a piece of material that runs straight down the middle of your back and it is wide enough that you don't have to worry about it moving or not covering the scar. We usually buy our Speedo suits at Dick's Sporting Goods, but I also know for kids at least, that Boscov's carries Speedos. Good news is, they should all be on sale right now!

Mary Lou

[CHRIS WBS]

Levi,

Check out Landsend.com. Your mother sure is fortunate to have such a caring daughter like you.

Chris

[berta@aloha.net]

I've always bought high back BLACK bathing suits, just to help camoflauge my curvature. You can find them in many catalogs such as J.Crew, etc. It's just the basic tank suit that comes in many colors and differnent neck and strap styles. Just look for a high back one. Also, many department stores have them if you look for their missy styles, especially in the black sections!

[summer]

I just settled for a Tankini because I couldn't find a one piece that covered my scar either. It's a separate tank top and bottom
Good luck

[Cakedec]

Leviwood,

Why does she need to cover the entire scar? Is it to protect it from harm, or just to conceal it cosmetically?

Deb

[berta@aloha.net]

When I had open heart surgery, I was told to cover my scar to protect it from the sun so that it would fade nicer, and it did. Now I don't care that it is visible, but still use sunscreen on it. It's now thin and white. I imagine the same would be for the back scar.

[Snoopy]

We were told to protect my daughter's scar from the sun for the first year so that it would fade. It was easier on both of us if she wore a one piece because you know teenagers don't want mom stopping them every 1/2 hour or so to reapply sunscreen. Now 19 months post-op, I'm glad we did because it is a very fine white line and although you can still see her scar, she wears a bikini and tends to be proud of her scar.

Mary Lou

[sweetness514]

I always wear an open back one piece suit, b/c I don't like anything touching my scar, and feel more free and don't have annoying pain(or humidity setting in when the suit is wet) from the material that way. I went to indoor pools for the first six months after surgery(it wasn't hot enough outside anyways), and then put some sunblock for outside, but I didn't spend all day in the sun so I understand wanting to cover the scar.

[rachael]

Try a triathlon suit, or top. They are made for swimming, biking, and running, but a lot of times, I just swim in mine. Both of mine cover my entire scar (neck to waist line) and a comfortable to swim in. It is similar to a tankini, but I think it has more support and may cover more. You can get them with bikini bottoms or bike short style. Many bicycle shops carry them, as well as other sports stores.

[Suzy]

Hi All,

As a Calif. girl I am by or in a pool or out in the sun a lot so, what I did was buy an SPF 60. Waterproof sport stick. I dip a Q-tip in to the liquid and apply it down my scar. (It comes with a sponge applicatior that is about 1" wide, I popped it off to get to the liquid with a Q-tip since that would draw a thinner line.) It has worked FABULOUSLY! My Scar is very light and staying that way. It is made by "Ocean potion". I bought it at Wal-mart. I wear my bikini and show my scar with pride! I bought one for my friend who shattered T-4 and had surgery 1 week after me. He hasn't used it and his scar is DARK! (He is a tanner.) So we do need to keep our scars out of the sun.

[leviwood]

Thank you all for your advice. As many have you have mentioned, my mother's sergoen did tell her to make sure that the scar is covered when she goes in the sun if she wants it to fade nicely. Being that the scar starts almost at the top of her neck, this is not easy to do, but I will check out your suggestions. Thanks again!

[bbest]

I got the o.k. to start swimming at my 6 week post-op check up. I too have been concerned about finding a swimsuit which covers my scar (it runs from just below my shoulder blades to my bum). I am not concerned about concealing it for cosmetic reasons. I just don't want the scar to become darkened by the sun. I completely forgot about tankinis as an option.

[CHRIS WBS]

Brandi,

If your fusion begins at L1, why are you incised from just below the shoulder blades? As long as you did not require any fusion of your thoracic spine, why the long incision?

Chris

[bbest]

I was also very surprised after surgery to see how long my incision was. I asked Dr. Lauerman if something went wrong during surgery or if he realized I needed a longer fusion once he got in there. He said everything went fine and that he had anticipated making an incision that long. He said with the laminectomy and A/P fusion, it's better to make a longer incision and have the room to do what you need to do rather than have to widen the incision once you get in there. The incision in my back is about 15 inches long. The one on my hip from the anterior procedure is about 9 inches long.