Clothing choices for woman

[Jayele]

Hi, I am a fairly recent para (t4-5 complete) that resulted from a skiing accident on Nov 24 2008. Although my recovery has been a challenge, I am defiantly moving on.

While I was in rehab, I started wearing loose and baggy clothes (sweats, tee shirts) to help prevent pressure sores. Well now that I am trying to get up the courage to get out more, I decided to try wearing some more “attractive” clothing. Well within the first week, I got pressure sores from my jeans and my bra.

Obviously many woman dress without causing pressure sores so does anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jayele

[darkwavs]

Sorry to hear about the sores, but it is possible to go back to your "normal" way of dressing with some modifications. I say this because I still haven't got the nerve to wear shorts/skirts/dresses, although with all the spring clothes out I've been tempted! haha. Hope you do better in this regard.

Obviously no more buttons/zippers/big embellishments on the back pockets or anywhere where there is pressure. Aside from that, wear what feels comfortable and that you think will be hours later. Buy jeans that are on the softer side, it truly does make a difference in terms of both comfort and pressure on your backside. The seam of the back pockets rest right on the butt, so take extra care to do pressure relief especially if you have no sensation in this area. Dressy pants are a nice alternative to jeans if you find them too hard/stiff. The bra is harder to figure out though. I assume you got pressure where it clasps? Perhaps try not to wear it on the last setting? Or try wearing it a few hours at a time and then work your way up?

[SCI-Nurse]

I am moving this to the Mobile Women forum. We have had previous discussions about this there and in the Life forum, so you may want to use the search function to find them.

(KLD)

[WildKat]

Hi, I am a fairly recent para (t4-5 complete) that resulted from a skiing accident on Nov 24 2008. Although my recovery has been a challenge, I am defiantly moving on.

While I was in rehab, I started wearing loose and baggy clothes (sweats, tee shirts) to help prevent pressure sores. Well now that I am trying to get up the courage to get out more, I decided to try wearing some more “attractive” clothing. Well within the first week, I got pressure sores from my jeans and my bra.

Obviously many woman dress without causing pressure sores so does anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jayele
Hi Jayele,

I've been a C6 comp. since Oct 4, 2004. In the beginning when I was learning to get dressed etc. I wore a lot of easy to put on clothes, but once I got better at things I just started wearing anything I liked like I always did. I pay attention to if there are things under or behind me like big zippers, knots, buttons etc. but that's it.

If you are getting pressure sores so easily something is not right. Is your clothes too big and causing you to sit on wrinkles (I've had this happen when I wore loose fitting pants) or too tight when you are sitting down? In the case of your bra causing a sore I would definitely make sure it's not too small and digging in or so big it moves around when you move your arms to push.

Remember your jeans will also fit a differently now that your sitting. If I wear the same style of jeans I use to wear not they cut into the fronts of my hip bones and if the waste is too high they do the same thing under my ribs. I also buy a size bigger than I need so they don't dig into the fronts on my hips where they bend.

If your cushion is one of the firmer cushions then you might have more problems than if you were using a Roho for example.

Hope this helps. I don't know how much sense it made because it's 4:20AM lol.

[dash]

I don't really know why your bra would cause problems as you're a para. I'm a quad and sadly not large breasted (not small but to show cleavage do wear a wire push-up bra). On most days I just wear Hanes for her pull over your head stretch bras. They hold you up, have no hooks and you can easily sleep in them they are so comfortable.

[Jayele]

I don't really know why your bra would cause problems as you're a para. I'm a quad and sadly not large breasted (not small but to show cleavage do wear a wire push-up bra). On most days I just wear Hanes for her pull over your head stretch bras. They hold you up, have no hooks and you can easily sleep in them they are so comfortable.

I am very small busted so I usually wear push-up style bra's. It seems like it is the underwire that is causing the pressure sores. I have tried padded bra's with the underwire removed. With those I do not get the sores, but I also don't care for a heavily padded bra.

[WildKat]

I am very small busted so I usually wear push-up style bra's. It seems like it is the underwire that is causing the pressure sores. I have tried padded bra's with the underwire removed. With those I do not get the sores, but I also don't care for a heavily padded bra.
Oh, if that's the problems then I've been there! Are the sores at the ends of the underwire (near your armpits), or under your breasts? I've had sores under my armpits where the underwire was poking me as I pushed. I thought I needed the support I got with underwire, but I found some bras without it that still had the same support.

Maybe you should go have a bra fitting done. Explain that you are having issues with the underwire and see wat other choices you can find. A bra that fits you correctly shouldn't need underwire for support and shouldn't rub, dig in or cause problems.