Of the chronic pain that I am going through…
Did anyone else have pain under arm, upper arm and shoulder? Wound is healing well, feel like I am carrying a golf ball under my arm but nothing palpable…
It is doing my head in, nothing works, pain killers, nothing!
Sommer, I can’t offer any solution for the pain but do want to reassure you that it’s pretty normal. I had mx and four lymph nodes removed in November and still get aches ( currently having chemo which makes pain last longer).
I remember wise words from a friend years ago - there are two components to our brain’s reaction to pain a) oh there’s a pain and b) I wonder what’s wrong. If you are reassured that the pain is not a sign of something sinister your pain stops taking over your brain. I’ve found over the last forty years since he said this that once I know a pain is ‘normal’ it fades into the background and leaves me alone.
All the women here will tell you that pain after breast surgery takes time to settle. It isn’t a sign of something wrong, just your body healing itself.
I hope this reassures you and helps you to get on top of the pain - not easy I know.
Sleep tight,
Kathleen
Hi I had the same sort of pain under arm pit give bcn a call it was a build up of fluid once they drain it you will feel so much better also they can give u stronger pain relief if needed don’t suffer make that call today it’s called a seroma but also I get pain nearly 3 yrs on from mx kp exercising that arm but make that call gd luck Laura
HI Kathleen and Laura
Thank you for your responses, and I feel somewhat reassured by that. I am affiliating it to the surgery, although pain in my umderarm was there before the surgery, which was what was caused me to go to my GP, where they found a fibraodenoma, so while that was nothing, it was removed, when I was having my skin marking, the clinical radiologist stated that there was a mass under my arm, that would need to be dealt with. I have since found him on the consultants register and I have written to him to ask him what he meant when he stated this. While I am fairly confident that I have nothing sinister, my gut instinct is telling me that all is not well, I just cannot shake the feeling.
The breast pain I am having is normal for me, hormonal, and of course the bit of pain I am having is from the surgery and the healing, that I am not concerned about!
Laura, I can’t feel any fluid, wouldn’t I be able to feel a mass that was squidgy?
Any surgery in the armpit messes about with nerves, and that can be really uncomfortable while the nerves settle down again. If your current painkillers aren’t touching it, can you see if there’s something else you could try? There are some drugs that are particularly good for nerve pain. Sorry, I don’t know what they are as I haven’t needed them, but your BCN, or even your GP, might be able to help.
Hi chocciemuffin
I shall call the ward, they should be able to advise me, I took codeine and all that did was knock me out, which ok, no pain, but I don’t like that feeling of the next morning, groggy and as my husband said, “irritable”
I will give them a call!
Thank you
Hey there, my OH who is an Oncologist always says “don’t chase the pain” - ie take the tablets until you are on top of it if you can and keep taking them - clearly there is stuff you want to check out about why the pain is happening, but if the pain killers you have aren’t touching it do please ask for more, or different ones, cos different pain killers work for different types of pain …there is no need to be in pain, so I am told.
all the best Moorcow
Hi Summer,
Yeh pain is the pits, im taking Nurofen it takes the edge off for me but every one is different i do agree with all give your GP or Nusre a ring they might be able to give you something different.
Chocciemuffin, How are u?
All the best Tina123
Fine, ta, Tina. Thanks for asking. At least my armpit’s not sore! 