back tightness after LD reconstruction
back tightness after LD reconstruction Hello
I am 15 weeks post LD reconstruction for widespread DCIS. I have been religously doing my exercises and now have pretty much got my range of arm movements back to pre surgery levels. However, I still have a great deal of tightness when I bend over and stretch my back lengthwise and its the same when when I lift my arm above my head. It feels as if something needs to rip to allow me to be comfortable again!
My breast care nurse has told me that it can take up to a year before you know how your body will feel over the long term, but I am getting rather concerned that I will feel like this for ever, as over the last month this does not seem to be getting any better. I have been advised to start swimming and have done so over the last few weeks without too many problems. I am hoping that this will improve things.
Is there anyone out there who is experiencing this? Is there anyone out there who is more than 12 months post LD reconstruction and who could let me know how they progressed over the longer term? I am just not sure if I am expecting too much and may have considered a different type of reconstruction if this had been highlighted as a potential issue. I am quite skinny around the chest and did not have a lot of spare flesh, so am not sure whether this may have caused a problem!
It does get better Hello Jennifer
It has been 15 months now since I had mastectomy with immediate LD reconstruction, I haven’t had any pain but I know what you mean about the tight feeling.
Like you I am quite skinny with not much spare flesh, did you have an implant? I did, don’t think it could have been done without. I still get a tight feeling sometimes across my back and under my arm but nothing that bothers me too much. I also find it depends on the type of bras I wear, have given up on under wire ones altogether.
Remember you have had a big operation and it does take time to heal, but do doubt that’s what everyone’s been telling you, not much help is it?
Take care.
Jan
think its common Hi Jennifer
I had partial mastectomy May 2005, with immediate ld recon (no implant), so i’m almost 2 years down the line from my surgery.
What you describe, i’m afraid, seems to be the normal with this type of recon… I have suffered with the tightness and discomfort ever since my op… ive had extra physio to try and relieve the “glued” on feeling on my ribs and it did help slightly but not enough for me to say its gone away… I was told that when this type of surgery is done, a lot of nerves in the area can get damaged, ive also suffered with the burning nerve pain, i still have to take painkillers to relieve this… I can say that it does get better but for me its no where near as easier as i’d of liked!
Ive been advised to keep doing the exercises, i do them, but the more i do., the pains seems to get worse, so i dont do them unless i can feel the movement getting more restricted . then i do them to “free” it up… if this makes sense… i am also quite skinny on the chest area, dont know if thats related to the tightness… Ive also had radiotherapy to the area and my recon has hardened up because of that.
Sorry if ive put a dampner on this for you, but i wanted to be honest and tell you what i had experienced… had i been aware that i would have to live with this… i may have explored other recon options… unfortunately this was the only one offered to me at the time and as vain as it sounds… i just wanted to look like i did before bc…
It may well be that i am one of the unlucky ones that has a low pain threshold, i sincerely hope that it gets better for you…
Good luck
Jakki