I had mastectomey one year ago on 28 February. Month before that I had WLE and lymph nodes removed. I still have some discomfort across the site of my mastectomy. it’s a sort of bruised/stretched feeling. I can go most of the day wearing my prosthesis quite comfortably, just occaiosnal discomfort but in bed and first thing in the morning I still feel tender. My armpit and a few small areas around the back of my arm are still numb which I understand is normal following the lymph op. Will the disconfort on my chest go eventually? I had a course of acupuncture in August/September which relieved some symptoms slightly but I was sceptical that that might have just been passage of time rather than successful acupuncture. Do any of you have this experience or can you say if it will fade if I’m more patient? Thank you
Hi Lynbee,
I had my mastectomy on March 2 last year. I have begun to wonder if I will ever feel ‘normal’ again, or if what I have now is a new normal for me. My skin still feels over stretched, and I have odd fleeting aches & pains around my ribs, which I try to ignore. I also still get sore sometimes where I have a bit of a dog-ear at the end of my scar under my arm. This can cause discomfort if I lie on my right side in bed (which I always did pre-op).
Hello Road Runner,
Thanks for your response. Did you have recon? I’m glad to hear that someone else is experiencing something v. similar. I tell myself that I’ve learned patience from the whole BC treatment thing and actually got through everything in an amazingly upbeat way (not to say I didn’t get down from time to time) so hope give it a bit longer and it will fade. Forgot to say I had chemo 1st then rads after surgery so finished everything in early May 07. Wondered if there is any massage or further exercise to help even at this late stage. I am doing most things I did before but have been very careful not to over exert as I’m afraid of lymphoedema - I think that the more we can do must help to return to normal?
I feel good though and can’t really believe I went through all that execpt the sensations, the lack of one boob and absence of eyebrows! tell me different.
Lynbee,
No I haven’t had a recon. Would have had an immediate one if I could, but that wasn’t to be. Now I don’t know if I could put myself through another operation. I know someone who is having one in a couple of weeks, so I’m waiting to see how that goes.
I had mastectomy, chemo and radiotherapy five years and still suffer from assorted aches and pains in the chest area where breast removed, armpits and sometimes muscles round my side. Sometimes it is horrid stretchy tight feeling; sometimes it is a dull ache; sometimes it is like pins and needles and sometimes it is like sharp little pains. There is rarely a day without some sort of discomfort - I hate the tight stretched feeling most! I just put up with it as it is not unbearable, just unpleasant, and I stopped worrying so much about it after I read something about post-mastectomy pain on an American website - there it seems to be a recognised condition, whereas whenever I have mentioned it at my reviews, the doctors look at me as though I am mad, and they show no interest in it whatsoever! Some people seem to recover really well after treatment, and apart from the discomfort I feel great. I hope this is of interest to you - I know I felt better when I read of other people suffering similar discomfort.
Best wishes
Jan