Whether you’re preparing for a mastectomy or supporting someone through it, having the right tools and comforts can make all the difference. Recovery is a tender, vulnerable time, and setting yourself up with thoughtful essentials can ease your healing journey. Here are my recommendations as a patient and Certified Holistic Cancer Coach for the Top 5 Must-Haves for Mastectomy Recovery:
1. Soft Button-Up Shirts & Pajamas
Post-surgery, lifting your arms can be a challenge. Opt for loose, button-up shirts in soft fabrics to stay comfy and stylish. Wear a button-up shirt to the hospital on procedure day so you can have it there to wear home. Have a few different pajama options ready that are button-up so you can more easily dress yourself without help.
2. Drain Management Tools
Drains are often part of mastectomy recovery. A drain pouch, lanyard for the shower, or camisoles with built-in drain holders will help you manage them more easily. You don’t have to be afraid of drains. They are temporary! The best thing to do is keep them from having any tension or weight on them that would pull on them, so keep them in designated pouches designed for drains like this or this for the shower. This really is a key item in my Top 5 Must-Haves for Mastectomy Recovery because drains can cause discomfort if they aren’t appropriately supported. Make sure to keep a “drain log” that tracks the time of day you stripped the drain, what the coloring was, and how much fluid it was (you should receive at least 1 small plastic cup from the hospital that has measurements on it for you to drain the liquid from the bulbs out.
3. Wedge Pillow System
Sleeping on your back at an incline can help with swelling and comfort. A wedge pillow or adjustable bed is a game-changer. Many surgeons will require you to sleep only on your back and propped up for several weeks. A wedge pillow system like this is what I used in all my surgery recoveries.
4. Seatbelt Pillows
Having a something like this as a cushion between the seatbelt and your chest can be very helpful in reducing discomfort during car rides. I have been known to keep the seatbelt cushion on beyond those first few weeks because it just feels better to have it on. I prefer the smaller one for the chest and the larger one across my abdomen for DIEP Flap.
5. A Support System Plan
Enlist friends or family to help with daily tasks or simply to be there for emotional support. Think about who you want to help you in these moments and talk to them about it before your surgery. So that when the time comes that you really need them, you already have a plan. You’ll need a chaeuffer, someone to help wash and dry your hair, someone to help with tasks like dishes and laundry, and anything that may involve lifting anything heavier than 5 pounds and/or raising anything above your shoulder height.
As you prepare for your mastectomy, remember this: You do not have to hold everything on your own. Support can look different depending on what you need most right now. If your mind is racing or you want something steady to come back to before and after surgery, my Top 20 Affirmations for Breast Cancer Surgeries offer calm, grounding language from a patient perspective. If you want personalized guidance, clarity, and a place to ask the questions you cannot always get answered in a rushed appointment, my 30-minute 1-on-1 Breast Cancer Surgery Clarity Call is designed to help you feel informed and confident going in. And if you are craving deeper emotional support and mindset tools you can return to at your own pace, my Cancer Thriver Mindset Method is a short, coach-guided audio experience created to support you through this season and beyond. Choose the support that feels right for you right now. One aligned step is enough.
These are my own recommendations based on my experience having several breast cancer related procedures like mastectomy, DIEP Flap, PAP Flap, and revisions as a breast cancer patient. This post contains affiliate links from Amazon. This means I may earn a commission should you chose to make a purchase using my link. Any commissions I earn from my work, time, energy, and effort spent on Shrink the Mutant go back to paying for the resources needed to keep this running or to my on-going medical treatment. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration and support of my work.
