The Brobe - and a contest!

The Brobe

"It's my baby, just like your blog is to you," said Allison, as she wrote to me about her cancer-inspired bathrobe.

Her words caught my attention.  I have put a lot of time, energy and thought into writing this blog.  I am as protective of it as a 1950s teenager would be of the diary in which she wrote "Mrs. John Smith" over and over. Not that every word is perfection, of course; most are not.  I don't even agree with a few of the things I wrote early on.  But I won't change them or remove them, as they are a sign of my evolution. My heart and soul is here, and if you read it all, and are a discerning person, you will know me a little.

Can a bathrobe be that revealing, I wondered?  And, should it be?  Like a baby you nurture and help grow, she obviously had to adjust as new new ideas inspired, and had to have an end result for the market - unlike a blog which can keep going and going.....  (I shudder to think about my end result.)  She has hopes and dreams, of it helping people, filling a need, and making some money.

I agreed to review one - to babysit her baby.

Based on the Brobe, will I get to know Allison a little?

It's like one of those facebook games, "What does your design say about you?"

Here is the answer:

"Allison is a very clever person, organized and thoughtful.  She likes luxury and comfort, and is a problem solver. She has the ability to notice the tiniest nuances and details. She believes everything has a place and likes creative elegance."

The Brobe may initially have been designed for cancer patients, but it's useful for all women (and men, I daresay.)  The thoughtful design elements, missing from so many robes, are certainly useful for the breast cancer market, but would be wonderful for the Mommy market, the Grandma market, the Teenage market  - pretty much the Bathrobe market.

So what does it have?  All the things that women need in cancer treatment are there.

The fabric is very soft.  Cancer patients, post-surgery, during radiation, and because of chemo, tend to have very sensitive skin.   I am six years into cancer treatment and I rarely get dressed for this very reason.  Most clothing is not soft enough for my skin.  I'm like a toddler feeling every tag, and screaming "Mommy, cut it off!"  Only it's everything.  This is not a joke:  Before cancer, I used to come home and immediately kick off my shoes.  Now, AC, I come home and immediately kick  off my pants.

The Brobe comes with a post-surgical bra that's useful beyond post-surgery.  It's comfortable and yet supportive.  Plus it matches the Brobe, which helps with any gaps.  The bra opens down the front and closes with velcro.  Why velcro?  Because it's much easier to manage after surgery.    Many front close bras have hooks and eyes or zippers, something difficult to manage, especially if you end up having shoulder problems, as I did.  The bra comes with pockets, which can be used for ice packets or a prosthesis.  (She has one specifically for nursing mothers too, which allows a mom to expose one breast.)  This cancer bra (which I think would work for moms too)  is comfortable enough to sleep in, as I have done.  Post surgery, I find I cannot go without a bra - ever, and I'm pleased to have found this solution.   And if you need to go to the hospital at some future point (knock wood you don't)  you can wear this bra and doctors can have access to everything they need.  I was in the hospital for a week with c-diff, and I had an "over the head"  sports bra on when I was rushed in.  I wore it the entire 7 days.  Yes, it got rank but I'm so happy I had it.  This bra would have been better as I could have removed it for bathing if necessary.

Next up, I'll appear in Victoria's Secret Elderly Mastectomy Edition

The robe's large inside pockets are genius.  They not only hold drains, but are also big enough to carry things you might need.  A remote control,  a phone, a headscarf, just to name a few.  Of course, there are pockets for your hands too, and if you are anything like me and most Herceptin users - it's useful for tissues, tissues, more tissues and used tissues.  The many pockets are not limited to cancer patient items - in them a mom can put a bottle, a pacifier, a toy, a washcloth, a packet of baby wipes.  A college kid can stash a toothbrush, hair products, condoms, tampons and a notebook.  Granny can use it for her glasses, her Reader's Digest,  her dusting powder and her Life Alert.   It really is handy to have those large inside pockets no matter the age group.

There is also a separate shower drain belt, which is removable and which holds post-surgical drains, either for a shower or on the go.  While pinning drains on a tee shirt is a fine solution, I do find that this belt is well-designed and better than pins.  It is nice to have the drain belt and the pockets when you need them.  You can put on the belt and tuck your drains away and you don't look like a Halloween fright.

She didn't forget style!  It has two buttons in the front and a drawstring waistband, giving it almost a trench feel.   It is definitely something you can wear when guests come by and not feel like you are undressed.  And, and it's machine washable.  So far, my dogs' hair (which I think has magnetic properties that defy physics), has not stuck to it, and my dogs are fawn colored and my Brobe is Navy.

In short, this is an excellent product, and not just for a cancer patient. It's just a good robe.   It definitely fills the niche for a cancer patient, and I'm certain the Mommy version is just as thoughtful - but you don't need any special circumstances to find this a good robe.  If you don't have cancer or kids, and are just just living a regular old life, this is the Brobe for you.

So Allison, if this is your baby -  it has good genetics.  I hope that it's out of university and planning to buy you a house!

Allison has gracious agreed to two giveaways!  One lucky person will get the post-surgical bra (good for anybody as I said) and one person will get the drain belt. So if you are reading this and are going to have a mastectomy or know somebody who is, enter to win.  Go to my facebook page to find the details, which will be posted shortly.

Cute enough to entertain guests.

Fits good even for the booty-less.

Disclaimer:  I sometimes review products designed for cancer patients.  I don't get paid to do these reviews,  and I am not affiliated with the companies in any way.  The only thing I have received is the product itself. It would be hard to review something without seeing it,  although you'd be amazed at how many ask me to do just that!  Those of you who know me understand that I believe a product must have value for a patient for me to even consider posting it. I worry about the morality of marketing to cancer patients at a time when they are most vulnerable - on the other hand, I support people who see a problem and fill a need.  So when I do reviews, it's because I think the product does the latter.