Anyone else having the same problem as me. I am one year on since surgery for a lumpectomy and sentinel node removal and 10 months since radiotherapy finished, and I’m still in pain and I feel it’s getting worse. I felt ok after surgery and it was healing well and has healed well from the outside. But within a few months of radiotherapy finishing my surgery side is so painful and not getting better. I also have a nerve pain in my arm which I had within 2 months after surgery which I take nerve pain tablets for, It did get a bit better for a while, but I think it’s getting worse now. Sorry for the essay.
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I would tak to your medical team. We all react individually but you are in pain, you need to know why, and you should have pain relief at the very least.
seagulls
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I had bilateral DCIS so had wide excision and some lymph nodes removed for analysis on both sides. I had complications on the left hand side, part of my boob felt hard and lumpy and my arm felt strange - not painful, just weird. Five years later my left arm still doesn’t feel completely normal, but I can live with it. I guess a nerve got nicked or something. I don’t intend to have anything further done.
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Thanks for your reply. I saw the surgeon last July and he said it could take upto 18 months to heal. It seems to be getting worse but I’ve put off asking again as I was waiting for this magic 18 months and hoping it would feel better and didn’t want to bother anyone again. I do need to find out if it’s normal I just feel stupid for asking, I need to be more confident in asking things when it comes to my health.
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Thanks for your reply. Sorry to hear you had complications, I’m so glad that you aren’t in pain, and that even though your arm doesn’t feel right you are able to cope with it. I’m hoping I get to that stage.
I remember now having a pain that wouldn’t go and I used to tap the area lightly with my finger over and over again a few times a day. Somehow this made the pain go after a while. I think I did this after my first breast cancer surgery in 2003 and it calmed the nerves
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I had a pain which was annoying me and I was told to tap the area gently over and over again. This was to calm down the nerves which were somehow over reacting.
It sounds stupid but it did work after a while. Maybe try it for a few minutes every hour or so and see if the pain improves.
Worth a try perhaps
Seagulls
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Sorry for the delay in replying. Thank you for this information. Anything is worth trying so I will give it ago thank you. I don’t know your story, you have obviously had more than one surgery which I’m sorry to hear, but I hope you are doing well 
I had breast cancer in 2003 grade 1 ductal no lymph node involvement oestrogen positive treated at Barts in London.
Then I got it again in same breast grade 2 no special type oestrogen positive again I 2022
I had breast conservation first time and mastectomy second time plus diep recon at Guy’s in London.
Seagulls
I’m sorry you have been through it twice and I hope you are doing okay now. Thank you for your help and advice I really do appreciate it 
Hi @aimster I’m 18 months in. Had a mastectomy with an immediate silicone reconstruction. They then discovered cancer cells in my lymph nodes so like you I had a clearance and then radiotherapy. Like you, I still have nerve pain and the ADM mesh still aches and sometimes my implant is tender if I accidentally knock it. You’ll find that this is all still part of the healing process and on speaking with others via the Someone Like Me service it’s all very normal it seems. You can’t hurry the healing but please do talk to your breast care team and maybe chat to others via the Someone Like Me service as I did, it’s just so reassuring to have a good natter with someone whose had the same treatment plan as you and can share tips and advice. Sending hugs x
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Hiya, thank you for your message. I’m sorry to hear you have had ongoing pain as well, and I hope it gets better for you. I only had sentinel nodes removed, I think they said it was 3 and mine wear clear so I didn’t have anymore removed, so I feel bad when I complain about pain. I suppose we all heal differently, and we have to give ourselves time to heal. That is a good idea about speaking to someone like me thank you, I will do that. Sending hugs to you
I have intermittent pain still and had lumpectomy and sentinel node removed in January 25 followed by further lymph removal in February 25. The area settled really well after the ops and I felt great but it’s become more temperamental since radiotherapy August/September 25. Because I also had six cycles of chemo and am on targeted chemo (tablets) for two years I don’t know whether that may be affecting anything or one of the many letrazole side effects.
I’d recommend talking to your oncologist or breast specialist nurse about it to check but wouldn’t be surprised if it’s down to radiotherapy x
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Thank you for your message, I’m sorry that you are in pain as well. After surgery I was the same I felt great and then it all changed. By the sounds of it radiotherapy has a lot to answer for. I didn’t have chemo, I’m sorry you had to go through that as well and still are with the medication. So many different side effects. I’m seeing a physiotherapist who is treating the whole area and trying to soften/ loosen all the scar tissue, so I’m hoping this helps. I hope you feel better soon
You are absolutely right. We are individuals and so we all go through our treatment in our own way. I have had times when I was lonely tired and needy and pain seemed worse then.
Mood makes a big difference and having time to think about all the outcomes that there might be. It’s worth considering what outcomes might not happen as well.
We do not have a crystal ball but the medics look at the odd cells in our body and run tests to see how quickly they are dividing and what medicine can stop this process, based on all the previous data that has been collected and analysed.
This doesn’t guarantee anything but it does mean you should get the treatment most likely to stop cancer in its tracks.
It’s all very well me writing this but you deserve a break to try out any ideas you have for making yourself feel better mentally regardless of what may happen to you physically.
Good luck
Seagulls
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I am sorry to hear you are still in pain. I had a lumpectomy June 2025 and Sentinel lymph node removal and had pain for at least 7 months after. There were some days when it seemed to be worse than when I first had a surgery. Now I get the odd day with nerve pain but it has improved. I did have 4 visits to a physio just before Christmas which helped a lot. It maybe a good idea to see your oncologist to help and I hope you feel better soon.
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Yeah that sounds familiar, some days are better than others depending on how I’m feeling in myself. I have thought to myself maybe it won’t get better, but I’ve got to try things to see if it works which hopefully it will, but if it doesn’t at least I know I’ve tried. Thanks again for all your help, advice and support. I wish you all the best
Hiya, thank you for your message. I’m sorry you had pain for a long time too. I’m so glad it’s better and it gives me hope that mine could get better too. Thank you so much for sharing with me and for your help and advice. Best wishes to you