Hi Nancy,
I can tell you what my brace fitting was like, but I don't know if there are other ways to do it, too.
It doesn't matter what you wear to your brace fitting, because you'll be taking it off, except your underwear and socks. You'll put on a "stockingette," which is like a giant, stretchy tube of fabric. They'll cut some holes for your arms. It's designed to cover your whole body so they can plaster over it and then cut it off. The plaster sticks to the stockingette instead of to you.
They may make some marks on it here and there before cutting it off you. Then you get dressed and go home.
They will then make a mold of you from the plaster cast. The mold of you get fitted with the brace. They heat up the plastic and form it exactly to the mold so the brace will fit you like a glove. They'll attach velcro straps to it. The brace can be made overnight if necessary, but they usually allow a week or so. When you come back, they'll fine tune it. They may need to cut the arm holes a bit or trim off the bottom edge in front or back for comfort when sitting. For that appointment, wear something similar to what you'll wear after surgery, something without buttons or zippers preferably. I wore sweatpants and a t-shirt. You'll wear the brace over your clothing. Some people like to wear if over the shirt but under the pants. I found that bulky and uncomfortable.
I wore my brace for 5 months, plus a month part time while I was weaning out of it. I generally wore a large man's flannel shirt over the brace and sweatpants and a t-shirt or turtleneck under it. (I went through the end of fall and the winter in mine.)
You don't wear it in the shower, but I was told to wear it whenever I was up other than in the shower. There are different types of these braces. Some have ventilation holes, some don't. You can ask at your fitting if yours will. Since it's summer, maybe they can do something to make it less hot.
Wearing a bra under it is completely up to you. It might be cooler without one. I sometimes did and sometimes didn't.
I had a little trouble with my first brace after this last surgery. It was a two piece brace that had velcro straps on each side to hold it all together, like a turtle shell. I found it hard to hold the back in place and get the front on correctly without losing my grip, since I couldn't twist at all. I could do it myself, but it was difficult. That brace didn't fit well, and my doctor agreed to let me get a new one. I went to a different company for the second one and got the one piece kind. It opens in the front but is also hard plastic, like the other one. You just pull the opening a bit wider and slip it onto your torso. Much easier for me! I also found it more comfortable, but maybe that was because it fit better.
It's unusual to get a poor fit like I did. I was fit after surgery in the hospital. I wasn't fit until the fourth day post op because I had a reaction to the anesthesia and would start to pass out whenever I tried to stand up. They put me in ICU and didn't let me get out of bed for the first 5 days, except on the 4th day for the fitting. The brace guys had to hold me up so I wouldn't pass out. I was pretty swollen by that time, especially in the front, plus I was not used to the new angle of my body, it being the first time I was standing, so I had a hard time standing straight. Those are lousy conditions to put a cast on someone! No wonder it didn't fit well!
I did drive in my brace without any problem. It may take you some getting used to, since it'll hold you very stiff, especially with the neck piece. I have a long fusion, T4-Sacrum, so I'm stiff anyway. That part, at least, wasn't a big adjustment for me.
I hope I hit all your questions. Any others, please do post! That's why we hang around here!
If others had a different experience, I hope they'll see this thread and chime in.
Take care,
Emily :wave:
