Your Health: After Mastectomy - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of them will have either one or both breasts removed, and, summer can be a tough time as they adjust to their new bodies.

Janet Hutchinson is a Certified Mastectomy Fitter for Renee's Survivor Shop in Toledo. She helps women who decide against breast reconstruction, and there are options. Prosthetic breasts or breast forms have come a long way. 

"And there's all different shapes and styles so any bra we can get kind of mainstream, out there.. they make it with pockets," she says.

Janet and shop owner Renee' Schick are helping women embrace swimsuit season, which they say can be traumatic when you've just had one or both of your breasts removed.

During our visit to the shop on Secor Road, we saw a prosthetic breast adheres right to the chest wall. You can even shower with it on.

 There's also what's called a swim form. It's salt water and chlorine resistant. It's also hollow because Janet says traditional breast forms want to float, and that can look and feel awkward. She says with this swim form water gets behind it and it stays weighted down. 

We also saw a custom breast form. They actually scan your chest wall and create a very life-like breast form. You can choose from several skin tones to get just the right match.

Renee' Schick founded the survivor shop after her battle with breast cancer almost 11 years ago. She says it still resonates for her every single time a woman comes through that door for the first time.  

"It hits home. It brings everything back and I'm just glad that we're here and that we can offer some type of comfort and compassion and help them through what they're going through," she says.

Renee says many women don't realize that if they've had several lymph nodes removed, when they fly in a plane for their summer vacation or any reason... they need to be wearing a compression sleeve because the air pressure in the airplane cabin could cause swelling.

The shop is holding a special event tomorrow from 10 to 2 for survivors to stop in and see what's new for summer. No appointment necessary.

That's a look at Your Health.