Too tight clothing

[Guest guest]

I realize this thread was posted at the end of March,

but due to my current roommate situations, I've been

unable to access my email. It was nice to read that

others also get bras or pants a bit larger so the fit

won't cause pain. The most extreme area of my curve is

the area covered by the band of a bra. For the past

30+ years I've worn a band size larger so I can do

without that pain. However, 8 years ago I had surgery

for GERD & somehow the repositioning of the stomach &

esophagus causes pain when I eat a full meal. I have

to be extremely careful not to eat more than a child's

portion or the pain will be excruciating (there's a

method from hell to maintain that girlish figure). The

pain is located where a front-closure bra fastens. A

friend of mine laughs when we go out to eat, because

if it's slap-your-mama good sometimes I push my

limits, & when we're through eating I tell her I'm

going to have to unhook my bra. The first time she

heard that she rolled because most ppl have to loosen

their belts. I also have a scar running down the

middle of my chest from pediatric open heart surgery

(VSD). It never caused problems in the undergarment

department (until the GERD surgery), but my primary

care physician says I probably have some arthritis

there because the area was painful when pressed (long

ago, prior to the 2000 surgery). Fortunately, since I

don't work anymore I only wear one when I go out, but

it's the first thing to come off when I come home...I

remember the days when that used to be my shoes. The

first open-heart surgery incision (PDA) was around the

rib cage & it's never given me any problems. I'm sure

having the sternum cracked open twice causes all kinds

of scar tissue.

Since I'm facing heart surgery again (ASD), a lot of

symptoms I recall experiencing as a kid are happening

again. Familiar, but unpleasant. I go to the

cardiologist again 6/05 & we discuss scheduling.

~Moonbeam

From a post in late March:

That's funny you say that because I wear one size

larger in my bra because I

can't stand it too tight - not around my back but

where I was cut for the

anterior part of my surgery under my arm to the front.

We all have a lot more in common than we thought.