Hi,
I had a LD breast reconstruction 7wks ago & I am still getting terrible pain in my back & breast. It is a lot worse during the night. I’m just wondering if this is normal. I had a TRAM flap reconstruction 2 yrs ago & found it was less painful than the LD. Has anybody else experienced this?
Thanks in advance, Lisa x
Hi Lisa
I think it might be a really good idea to give our helpline a ring to discuss your concerns. They are on 0808 800 6000 and open Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm Saturday, 9am - 2pm
Our helpline is a free and confidential service. It is run by specially trained nurses, who will be able to address your concerns and will be able to offer advice and support about the pain and discomfort you are experiencing.
I do hope you feel able to give them a ring.
Kind regards.
Louise
Facilitator
I had LD reconstruction mid September and still get pain, hardness and lots of problems - mentioned it to the BCN who says it takes some people six months to “settle down”. Just in case you have other issues with your recon and want to compare notes: mine is cannonball hard, jumps, has contractions in which although always hard it “flexes”. It seems determined to try to move under my arm and generally is very mobile and active! But for me personally, although there is not much booblike about it, it beats the alternative of an empty space. Just think that perhaps expecting it to feel “normal” in a couple of months may be unrealistic.
Does anyone know whether they ever settle down to the point that you could forget they had a recon there?
Take Care
Tuesday
Forgot to say: my pain is mostly in the neck and shoulder, but my back scar does hurt a lot. It runs from furrow for spine to the underarm, then there is an odd little crease with another scar which is really, really supersensitive and gets irritated by clothes. Wearing a bra makes it all worse but recon feels heavy so bra helps with shoulder pain. Solutions that can help with the pain are: getting a bra a couple of back sizes bigger - not such good support for recon but rides up above the scar. Also tried halter bra which is a bit better but same support issues! And although it is cold have tried letting air onto the back as figured it may get less sensitive if not irritated by clothes for long hour.
Sorry no solutions for bed time pain.
Also - are you on chemo? My body is more sensitive since I started chemo so hope that this is only a temporary situation.
Feel sure it all gets better in time.
Best Wishes
Tues xx
I didn’t have back pain, just discomfort, but had the rock hard breast which jumped around (this improved for me after about a year, I think). Also felt very weird for periods of time during day and night when it was as if there were small lumps of concrete exploding in my reconstructed breast. I think this must have been things moving around and healing. Mine took 9 months to completely heal and soften - longer than most. I was patient and not unduly concerned, but did say at clinic that it would have been helpful if the printed info I’d received pre op pointed out that some of us would take longer than the couple of months (I think) it suggested would be likely.
I go along with Tuesday’s suggestion of getting bras with bigger back size (eg 38dd rather than usual 36dd) …don’t know about you 2 but I was so swollen I needed the extra room anyway. Also recommend crop tops, and camisoles with hidden support, which are soft and comfortable and do give some support. I wore these when bras were just too uncomfortable, and at night for ages after my op.
My LD op was 4 years ago so I can say that it definitely did get better over time. Funnily enough, it was just a couple of months ago when I suddenly realised that the reconstructed breast was feeling like part of me…not that it was causing any problems after the healing period, just was always aware of it feeling different.
Best wishes
Thanks timetraveller, yours is the first time I’ve come across anything positive about the back recon I’m having next Wednesday - after the mastectomy of course - mustn’t forget that! Was beginning to think I’d made the wrong choice - not that I really had one - well, there was the option of nothing, but didn’t really fancy that. How long was it before you could pick heavyish things up, e.g. 1 year old’s?!
Think sometimes we post op LD recon folk come across as not very positive because we are still in the middle of feeling sad because we have lost a real, normal breast and feel a bit down abut that. Before the op I sort of was encouraged to see the recon as a replacement breast and it isn’t. It does nt really feel nice either inside or out (yet) and it is hard to accept it as it is not very pretty. Add to that that no-one - even the BCC leaflets which are the only written info I could find on LD recons gave any real guidance on “normal” problems such as we have discussed in this thread and are vague - eg using phrases such “it may be some time” about recovery times. I really had no idea what to expect and think that has certainly made me less positive about whether I can expect improvement or not.
What I am saying is you need to be realistic about it - in my experience it won’t be anything remotely like a boob anytime soon. It’s eight weeks since the op and this recon is still very swollen and bruised. The appearance can be quite shocking. It does not help that medical staff will enthuse over it and tell you it looks wonderful or normal (makes you wonder about their frame of reference) and worried about whether this is an acceptable end result. You may feel that they and everyone else will expect you to be really grateful for it because it apears that you have’nt really lost anything. You have.
Also emotionally you may find it difficult, hopefully not but for me this is at least partly to the fact that it feels so physically uncomfortable and the skin is horrible. I still can not look at it and have only ever touched it through surgical gloves, though I know it does not feel nice (all dry and rough) when it brushes against my arm. I have decided not to let medics etc make me feel like I am somehow a failure or ungrateful because I don’t want to look or touch - I am stuck with it for a long time so if it takes me a while to get used to it so what? When it stops causing problems maybe I will want to look. In any case it is a personal decision and dont feel you have t do what others decide is right for you - it should be in a time frame you feel comfortable with, whether that is straight away or not.
Like you I could have LD recon or nothing - so not a hard choice for me! With regard to lifting - I did not get any guidance on this but found an American website from a private clinic which suggested 8 weeks for most activities - however, I find carrying shopping, lifting or hoovering increases the activity of the recon, including jumping, twitching and leaping etc which is most unpleasant. Most activity seems to remind the LD muscle that it should be part of my back, even stretching so my guess is that it makes sense to avoid lifting and pushing in the early weeks.
Good luck and be kind to yourself. Timetravellers posts are really helpful - it’s good to know that some day even if that is probably not in the immediate future, that this might physically feel like part of me, rather than something alien in and on me!
Wishing you all the best!
Tuesday
I can empathise with not wanting to look at the reconstructed breast. Mine looked like half an overinflated red, yellow, black and blue beach ball for yonks, and it was weepy too. I found it difficult to look at my reflection for ages without feeling slightly sick, and had to really steel myself to clean the wound and put dressings on daily. I had to put dressings on for weeks and weeks so I suppose having to do that made me get used to looking and touching the breast.
However, I didn’t ever regret having the op. I was cheered immensely that after the post op clingfilm type wrappings came off, despite the swelling, it wasn’t obvious at all in clothes particularly if I stuck to darkish or patterned tops, and I felt I looked perfectly okay.
I think you know instinctively what you can or can’t do re lifting and carrying. I didn’t do any more lawn mowing that season after my op in July, and I ordered shopping online so had only very small amounts to get from the shops to top up in between. Don’t overuse your good side as you can strain that.
Look forward to nipple reconstruction which I found, as most women seem to, made a great difference to the overall appearance. Tattooing really completes it. While I said it was only recently the breast has begun to feel like part of me, it actually looked like part of me as soon as the tattooing healed.
best wishes to you all
Hi, Tues,
I am a Physio who had to have a LD reconstruction in July this year. Are you under a Physio at present? If not I would ask to be referred to one as they could check everything out thoroughly & see if the pain in your neck could be due to different posture since your op, or referrred from your shoulder. I have found myself that I have had to do my exercises “little & often” - I try to do some every hour & think this is the safest approach.
I have found front fastening bras much more supportive for “Bertha” - the new boob, but think the improvement time scales we have been given need to be much longer - I think things will go on improving (hopefully) for 18 months ish from the surgery.
Hope things improve soon,
Annya
Thanks Annya - Have not seen a physio since day after op but good point - I think my posture could be different due to weight of concrete !
Timetraveller - Your comments about nipple recon are helpful as I think I miss my nipple even more than my boob. I think a nipple would certainly make it look (and possibly trick the mind ) into feeling it is less of a recon and more like a breast. Bought horrendous stick on efforts on the internet - dreadful and made it look worse according to the viewer! Hope you don’t mind me asking - is your nipple recon convincing? How was it done?
Lisa - good luck and very best wishes for Weds - take care!
Tuesday
Tuesday - Nipple was made by series of cuts and folds and stiches from skin flap. It is just slightly raised, sort of between erect and in repose. And yes, with tattooing does look convincing. Last year at breast clinic, my consultant, who hadn’t seen end result, said that if you hadn’t been told it was a reconstruction, you wouldn’t know any different, and I really don’t think he was saying that just to be nice. Have shown a couple of friends since all the work was completed, and they were amazed. I am very happy with it. Had tattooing retouched few weeks ago as pigment had faded somewhat - this happens on some people’s skin.
Hope all goes well for your op, Jacq.
Thanks, can’t wait for Wednesday to get this thing out of me! x
Hi, back in the land of the living - just - after 12 days in Barts. Please see my update on Newly Diagnosed with Breast Cancer - In a Terrified Tizz. x Jackie x