She cries every night!

[tikkasmom]

Hi Donna,
Yeah, those cotton T shirts were too bunchy for Tikka too. She absolutely hated them.

Tikka swears the Under Armour shirts are not too hot. They have a moisture wicking property to them which helps. Let's face it, the brace IS hot no matter what. The shirts are form fitting and never wrinkle. So far, they have been the best of anything we have tried.

The only thing Tikka noticed about the Under Armour shirts was that, because they are snug, they sometimes tickle when they peel away from her skin under the brace. She said it was a weird sensation but not bad. Her skin appears normal and no major itching or discomfort.

Tomorrow is our first Xray after bracing for 3 months. Wish us luck.

Best regards,
Tikka's Mom

[Terry63]

Hi Donna,

My daughter also had terrible issues with heat and rashes from her brace! She's been wearing a Boston Brace for 1 1/2 yrs., and just started to cut down her wearing time from 22 hrs/day to 16 hrs. (She's almost done growing, according to her Risser number - 4.5/5.). Finally, the Boston brace company started selling the T-shirts to individual patients, so we bought several of those. They also wick away the moisture. The brace t's combined with use of baby powder (Johnson's - some kind of itch-relief formula) really helped and made it bearable! Also, it really helped when my daughter would change t-shirts during the day when they became damp. Here is the link for the t-shirts: http://www.bostonbrace.com/Boston_T.htm

Best of luck to you and your daughter!

Terry

[dizzydonna]

Hi Terry,
Thanks for the input. Actually those Boston Ts are what she's using - and she does often change 2 or 3 times a day. The orthotist suggested doing a second rinse when we wash them - and we also tried a milder detergent. Both things seemed to help. We've used the cornstarch type baby powder.
She got her brace back from the orthotist on Friday, so her little vacation wasn't as long as she had hoped it would be! He really did make an effort to change some things to make it more comfortable - and she definitely noticed them and I think it's helped her attitude.
Tikka's Mom, I like the idea of those Under Armour shirts because they come in colors and she could actually have something nice looking showing when her over shirt doesn't quite cover. (That in itself could be a morale-booster.) The body socks look kind of raggedy around the neck and not very attractive. The reason I asked you about them again is that they showed (on the website) a loose fitting t-shirt as well as the body hugging type, and I wasn't real sure just how loose the loose-fit one was. Sounds like you got the body hugging type. And you said they come down long enough right? She loves to pull hers up over the brace at the bottom. Thanks so much for your input. All these little things can make such a big difference!

[tikkasmom]

Hi Donna,

We found that the Under Armour is long enough. It's really stretchy too. And , yes, we have the body hugging type. It's the only style they had that was in youth sizes. The different colors are great. You can match the undershirt to the overshirt and the two sleeves can come together as a layered look. I'd suggest going to a Sports store like Sports Authority, and trying them on.

Tikka does not like the Boston T's at all. The material is so thick that they get really hot under the brace. I'm not surprised you have to change them regularly.

Happy shopping.
Tikka's Mom

[mzl]

under armor shirts for florida?

I hope you're still both checking this thread... my daughter's 11 also and has been wearing the brace since November... now 23 hours/day

we're going to fla in 1 1/2 weeks... this under-armour shir you got at sports authority: isn't it supposed to keep you heated in extremely cold weather? I bought them for my son to play soccer in 40 degree weather a few months ago...

if they make something that cools the wearer-off, that's a great idea! Please let me know!

[tikkasmom]

Hi MZL,

I think the Under Armour has moisture wicking properties which work both in hot and cold temps. My daughter insists these T's are not as hot as a cotton T shirt that she tried first. But, don't get me wrong.. the Under Armour T's also do get hot, (wouldn't anything under all that plastic?) but they are still more comfortable, according to her. We'll see how they hold up during our very hot summer.

I think it all depends on the individual so we all gotta keep looking for what works.

Right now our biggest problem is logistics in the school. Tikka doesn't want the world to know about her brace but, obviously, she has to take it off for any physical activities at the school. Unfortunately, there often isn't enough time for her to duck into the bathroom to do this so she winds up not participating. Other that that, she is doing just great!

Best regards,
Tikka's Mom

[Terry63]

Hi Tikka's Mom,

My daughter does PE in her brace, but omits any activity requiring trunk rotations and gymnastics. She actually does very well with PE. Her PE teachers both years have been very understanding and accommodating. She really didn't want to take the time to get the brace on and off and find a safe storage place, nor did she want someone else to have to help her fasten the brace back up (because it is so low on the tush). Yes, kids see her brace when she changes, but she explains (w/humor) and everyone just gets used to it....like it's not even there anymore. The only other limitation of doing PE in the brace is running laps...she does a walk/run combo.

Terry

[dizzydonna]

Hi Y'All,
Re the Under Armour - we went to a sports store on Wed. and purchased 4 of the shirts (whew, big bill all at once, but I figure she's going to be getting lots of use out of them!) The sales gal actually asked us if we wanted the kind of cold weather or hot weather, so tho I haven't seen anything anywhere else to indicate there's a difference, she seemed to think there was. It seems to me that there wouldn't be - but the important issue is that the material wicks moisture away from the body, which would keep you more comfortable, whatever the temperature. We found that sizes varied. In the v-neck style, the ladies size small fit best (x-small was too small); the the round neck, short sleeve style, the Youth, Med. was best fit, and in the sleeveless style, the Youth Large was best. So I'm glad we went there instead of ordering on the web. It took quite a bit of time trying every one WITH the brace, but was well worth it. And they came in pastels, red, black, navy, white, etc. What a nice change to have something nice-looking peeking out under her clothes. The body hugging type are great for under the brace (with no bunching) and the loose fit type are great for wearing over, since they will also wick away and help keep her cool.
Wow, Terry. I admire your daughter doing PE and everything in her brace. My daughter can handle the activity fine, but gets so hot and sweaty she has to change afterward anyhow.
Donna

[mzl]

under armour and pe classes

Wow... this is a great support line for moms of 11-yr-old girls with a brace, isn't it?

My daughter goes to the nurse's office to take off the brace before gym, leaves it there, and comes back to put it on afterwards. Fortunately, the office is close to the gym. She wants to do all of the twisting and crunching without the brace, and also is self-conscious about the brace.

I recently got a few different-colored north-face fleece jackets for her, as she wears them over a shirt, over the brace, over another t-shirt (which is under the brace) every day. It was either that or a big sweatshirt, which makes her feel unfeminine. Now she looks sporty. The fleece is supposedly formulated to regulate temperatures, also. I don't get it, quite frankly!

I'm going to look for under armour this morning for her. She likes to pull the bottom of a shirt up over the bottom of the brace... although she doesn't want any part of the brace to peek through under her clothes at all these days.

Thanks.

[tikkasmom]

Hi Terry
I wish your daughter could send some of her attitude this way. She sounds VERY well adjusted about the brace. My daughter is ok with her friends knowing about it. Its the other cliques of the "popular kids" that worry her. I think she's afraid to face any unkind comments. She's a bit like me... we think of a great comeback but two days too late!

Donna .....I'm glad the Under Armour worked out. I'll just bet there are other high tech sports fabrics out there that'll work too. I have to agree that the price is a bit stiff but what else are we going to do? Tikka loves the different colors.

MZL - I think you have to go with your girl to try on the shirts, like Donna and I did. There are several different syles and colors. You never know what will work best.

Have fun,
Tikka's Mom