^

Here's a chance for a little education nobody can object to. National statistics indicate that one in every eight women will deal with breast cancer during her life. (My radiation oncologist said they were seeing more like one in seven.) That includes TSOs and the general flying public.

You might launch into a little riff about "Have you had your mammogram this year? And did you know that radiation can cause cancer?" You could even say, "Be sure to get that mammogram, and if it comes back positive, do go ahead and get the lumpectomy, EVEN THOUGH IT MEANS YOU'LL HAVE TO BE STANDING HERE LIKE ME, EXPOSING YOUR PROSTHETIC IN PUBLIC!"

One in seven or eight of half of the population is a hell of a lot of asymmetrical passengers, TSA.

I'm flying from PIT to LHR via YYZ so I don't think WTMD is going to be an option, at least not at PIT.

Then I would go ahead and wear it, and opt out. Even though they use AITs at PIT, you could still not be selected for one. If you get the WTMD, you'll likely just walk through with no problem. If you get the AIT, you almost certainly would be pulled out for a grope, so you might as well opt out and go straight for the grope.

Do come back and tell us what happens.

Missionpa,
Like you, I wear a partial breast prosthesis. I have flown several times wearing it. I do not pack it in my checked luggage because of the risk of loss, delay or damage. Similarly, I do not trust the TSOs at the checkpoint to treat it with enough care if they discover it in a bag check. It is too expensive and too difficult to replace while on travel. So, I wear it and TRY to end up in the line that is the greatest distance possible from the AIT. Most of the time, this has worked. (My breast prosthesis does not trigger the WTMD.) The only time I got "caught" by the AIT was in early Nov in ELP (shortly after the introduction of the new, more invasive scope and grope.) I was not surprised that the AIT did find an "anomaly". Fortunately, the voyeur (person reading the scope) apparently did not provide the groper with enough information. So, when I refused a "private" screening, she did a rather cursory rub between shoulders and waist, checked the gloves for explosive trace and acted as if she was puzzled as to why. (Of course, on this particular day, ELP was scanning about 2/3 of all passengers and then groping about 2/3 of those that had been scanned. So maybe even they had reason to question the whole process.
Unfortunately, the whole process is so unpredictable that I now find it necessary to show up at least two hours prior to even domestic flights and at least three hours prior to international. For some airports (with notoriously slow checkpoints), even earlier. I read a lot if I clear the checkpoint quickly. Yes, I know TSA also finds real books suspicious.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Will do. Leaving on Saturday, back 10 days later.

Thank you BC2004 - I'll wear it and do as you suggest.

Could you wear it on the outside, just to confound the screeners?

That is what a lady who lives down the road from me would do just to blow their mind because she will not be embarrased by anyone when it comes to her being a breast cancer survivor. She has no problem getting the better of people who try to make her feel less than a woman. She sees being alive as something to be very proud of.

Yay Hooray for that lady!

Well a bit of a non-event. Wore the prosthesis and just walked through the regular detectors and wasn't selected for further scanning, either outbound or coming home.