Hi all, New here and so unlike me to be on a forum but hopefully this will help me process.
Post lumpectomy and sadly clearance wasn’t clear! Second op pending and between care from one hospital to another. I’m still waiting for a date on my op from my choice of hospital and it’s unnerving not having that date.
But whilst I wait, I’m five weeks post op, how should my breast be feeling. Today, I feel sore and I’m just imagining the worst. I’m back to exercising, housework, I was back to work three days post op. Am I doing too much? Should I be resting more? My right side of my chest feels like it’s been in a clamp and as I say my imagination is running away with me!
I’d also like to wish everyone on here the warmest of wishes in their journey
Hi @savenodes
Welcome to the forum, I hope you find it a helpful.
You are going through a lot right now and I am so glad you have come here to share. The form is full of wonderful, supportive people and I’m sure someone will share their experiences with you.
In the meantime please do have a look through the various boards and topics to find those going through similar experiences or for places you may be able to share your experiences and knowledge.
Sending our love,
Lucy
everyone paces themselves differently post op do check in with your team and advise them how you are feeling remember they have seen it all before. Your treatments are tailored specifically to you but do check with them and let them know how much you’ve been doing I had a therapeutic mammoplasty which is different to lumpectomy so can’t compare recovery time with you, I’m sure others who have had lumpectomy will be on soon and those who have required a 2nd op after first lumpectomy to share their experience with you sorry you find yourself on here, but bcn and everyone is here for you as much or as little as you need 
Shi xx
Thank you
I don’t have a team!
But I hope this will be my team
Dear Savenodes,
so pleased you have come to the forum, we have all been there and now we are here for you.
After reading your post you seem to be doing a lot after surgery, also worrying about your next step with your treatment, you have pointed out that you don’t have a team at your hospital or a breast cancer nurse to help with any worries you may have.
I think you need to give yourself a bit more time to allow your body to heal, I always say one day at a time, be kind to yourself, hopefully, you will have a date for your surgery very soon, which will help you to plan ahead,
Take good care, wishing you well going forward, please keep posting letting us know how you are doing.
Biggest hugs Tili 
Your clinical team who are treating you
Hi Savenodes
I am on the SMALL trial and was randomised for VAE which was unsuccessful - I knew at the time that it hadn’t worked but it was about 6 weeks before I was able to get that confirmed and be booked for surgery and and another 2 weeks before I was able to have my lumpectomy / SNB and some of that time in between was pretty grim.
My imagination was also taking flight at times . I wasn’t in a huge amount of pain but it was easy to think that the pain I had was there because the tumour was still there and still growing - which wasn’t the case as they got it all out on lumpectomy and if it had grown at all in the intervening time it was by a single mm and my SNB was clear. The worst thing was the lack of control , of being in limbo and not able to move forward .
I think some of my pain was down to anxiety and maybe some of yours is too . The muscles in the chest tighten up when we are anxious - the way you describe your pain sounds a little like that though I also wonder if you’re overdoing it a bit . I’m an open water swimmer and I tried having a gentle swim 3 weeks after surgery - because I’d been doing the post- op exercises religiously and had full movement I thought I would be fine but it felt like something was tearing , it was definitely too soon.
I understand you’re trying to keep active and busy to ease your stress but you might need to ease down a little . If you don’t have a BCN to reach out to maybe contact your surgery in case you’ve developed some cording or something .If you want to discuss everything in greater detail maybe try ringing the helpline .
I hope you get a date for surgery soon and I wish you all the best 
.
Joanne. X
Thank you
This is totally me!
I think I know deep down I’m trying to do too much as some sort of denial process!
Hello there, just wanted to say that my breast felt the same after my lumpectomy. It got better than the discomfort came back about six months after my op. Nurse said it was normal. No pain at all now almost one year on. Do hope you will be pain free soon,
Hi savenodes - I can totally understand the anxiety and frustration at not having a date for your second op yet. Fingers crossed you get one soon. Do you have contact details for your surgeons secretary? It may be worth trying them if you don’t have a breast care nurse team to contact. I had a second op as my margins also weren’t clear. I found I recovered much more quickly from the second op. I had a drain fitted following my first (which was a lumpectomy with LICAP reconstruction and axillary node clearance). It took me a few weeks before I started being able to do more than just basic housework. What sort of exercise are you doing? It’s possible you may be putting too much pressure on the area. If it feels uncomfortable then perhaps take it easy for a few days, and allow yourself to rest. Please remember you are not being ‘lazy’ - your body is perhaps trying to tell you to slow down. We all do what feels right for our own bodies. Sending you hugs xx
This was also my experience. As I started to do more I sometimes felt a tightness between my breast and the area where lymph nodes were removed. Were you given any exercises to do to prevent tightness? If not you should go back to the contacts you have and ask. I found them very useful and still do them 9 months post-op if I feel any discomfort.
Depends on what exercise you’re doing. Walking is fine as long as you stop when you are fatigued or in pain in your surgery area. I don’t know as I would be doing much else that involves jumping or anything at least not at your point. What worked for me though, better than anything really, was just gentle stretching. I had a physical therapist neighbor who gave me a few exercises but I’m sure you can look them up. I also would do massage on any cording.
And sitting still isn’t the type of rest you need. Make sure you are resting well at night with enough sleep to not feel fatigued. That’s vitally important for healing and immune health.
This is a fab reply and reassuring. Thank you
I run but I’m running on a treadmill at the moment and I also walk alot and I go on a cross trainer
I am lifting the hoover up and down the stairs too!
I also work full time.
Maybe I’m expecting too much
Im also scared for the second op but hearing you recovered well is so helpful thank you
I hope you are doing well now too.
Thank you - I’m doing fine. I am now 18 months on from my initial surgery and 8 months on from active treatment. I had chemo and radiotherapy after surgery. I get that you are looking for distraction from your diagnosis and all that comes with it too. I remember feeling absolutely crushed when they told me I needed a 2nd op. Even though you know it’s a possibility, I wasn’t at all prepared for that when I went to my appointment.
If it helps I went to a family wedding 5 days after my 2nd op 
Just be gentle with yourself and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be doing x,y or z Hope you get a response about your surgery date soon x
Hiya, lumpectomy is not to be taken lightly and you may find pain for some months afterwards while all the nerves and tissues recover. Please be kind to yourself and don’t overdo it, otherwise you vould possibly hinder your recovery, especially if you need to have a second surgery. I hope you get a date soon and it comes back clear. It’s bad enough having one surgery, without having to deal with a second. Good luck and rest when you can. X