Hi ladies
Has anyone out there had an immediate ld flap reconstruction AND full lymph node removal? I had my surgery back in nov 2010 and6months on i am still in alot of pain. I have back ache for the first time in my life and the surgery site at the back is still very tender to touch.I am getting shooting pains in the new boob and quite severe pain under my affected arm.I do the simple exersises given by my bcn but have been refused physio by my surgeon who just keeps telling me it will settle in time.I almost wish i had gone for a straight forward mx now 
Hi Lynda
Sorry you are going through this. I had an immediate LD in November too and I am still sore. I have got tingly soreness down the back of my arm when you touch the skin (which I believe is nerve pain due to the lymph removal). Under my arm and around my side is still very tender and I feel quite achy around my shoulder blade I suppose where the muscle should be(especially when I am tired). I can’t sleep on the affected side and still take painkillers every day. So you are absolutely not alone!
However I will say that my actual boob feels fine (and has all along), I think that shooting pains sound a bit concerning, although in my unscientific opinion I guess it could just be everything meshing together and healing.
I am having regular physio and have had since my surgery, my hospital is pretty keen on this and strongly believe in the benefit of it. I can’t stretch my arm up very well but do my exercises every day and the physio is really helping to improve this. I can’t believe your hospital have refused you. Can you talk to your BCN? It was mine who sent me for phsyio, also I would mention the shooting pains. It is a big operation and does take time to heal, but you need to know that there is nothing untoward.
Good luck and best wishes xxxx
Hi Lynda
I had my mx+LD recon at the end of January. I only got physio when I reached 2 months and the surgeon saw that I had very restricted movement in my arm and she could see that there was internal scar tissue on my back. I also had a lot of back pain, but it is much better now. It just stiff now. I still get occasional shooting pains in my back.
I have a sensitive (nerve damage?) area at the bottom of my shoulder blade. But it is getting better. My arm is ok as I had my node sampling last August, but I remember the back of my arm feeling rather tender to touch for quite a while.
I took pain killers (ibuprofen and paracetamol) every day for about 3 months. I gradually cut them down over a couple of weeks. It was hard to cut down as I think some of it was a psycological attachment to painkillers. Now I only take them when I feel achey (if I’ve done too much) or if I have headache (from tense shoulder/neck muscles.)
My boob has never really bothered me too much, although it still sometimes hurts where I think the top of the implant is. I suppose it’s my chest muscle pressing on it. I hope this will get better when I am deflated a bit in a few weeks.
I think you should press your surgeon/BCN to get you some physio. You need to get your mobility back and it will probably also cut down on the pain and discomfort, and hence cut down on painkillders.
As well as the normal exercises they give you, I wish they also gave you simple back exercises from the start. I did very gentle Pilates stretches for my back from the start, but was wary about doing too much, so official advice would have been useful, then maybe my back would not have got so stiff.
I wish I had been one of the lucky ones who recover quickly and manage to get back to normal quickly, and not one of the unlucky ones who have problems. But I don’t regret it. I would find coping with a no boob would have been psychologically more difficult to cope with, and could last for ever, whereas physical problems should improve.
Best of luck getting that physio. It is working for me. Fight for it.
Julie
Oh! Thankyou so so much ladies,i feel so much better to know that im not alone,i was thinking that something had gone wrong with my surgery.Of course though im sorry that you both are also having problems.Unfortunatley i cannot relate to my bcn atall and have found the aftercare at the hospital has been poor.The christie hospital on the other hand have been fantastic.I have an appointment with my gp next week so i will ask him if he can refer me for physio and talk to him about weening off the tramadol.Thankyou both so much.xxxx
Hi good to hear from others who are in the same boat.
I had the LD flap surgery with 5 lymph nodes removed 3 weeks ago. I didn’t have enough fat round the back so the surgeon added an implant. I feel OK other than I have a lot of discomfort which gets worse as the day goes on. I am still very bruised and my skin feels so tight it feels as if it is about to give way. After the op the reconstructed side looked about the same size as my other side, now 3 weeks on it looks about half a size bigger. I get very uncomfortable as it seems to grow as the day goes on and under my arm feels swollen!!
I was given exercises which I do to do but no physio offered.
I am told that what I am experiencing is “normal” Has anyone else experienced this?
Thanks in advance.
Hi
I had MX to left breast and immediate LD flap +implant recon on the 26th Jan.
My plastic surgeon (who took over once the BC surgeon had done the MX and lymph node removal) has done a great job of matching my ‘new’ boob to the old one - even down to the right level of ‘droop’!
Four months post surgery and the new boob is really starting to feel like it belongs to me - obviously don’t have the level of feeling and it still feels a bit firmer and heavier than the other one, but improving all the time. The PS warned that it does take a long time to completely settle down. It’s a bit bigger than the other one but this may still alter and I have a port in the implant so it can be adjusted at a later date if needed. It’s a bit perkier (they are now nicknamed Pinky and Perky) than the other, but all of this is totally unnoticable in bra and clothes - as is the slight bulkiness under my arm where the muscle was put through. That felt enormous for weeks, but again is starting to feel more natural and is unnoticable to everyone else.
My shoulder and under my arm still feel a bit stiff and tight, but I have virtually full range of movement and am back gardening and horse riding - albeit carefully! Make sure you keep doing the exercises! I was driving and back at work (part time for a couple of weeks at first) 6 weeks post op.
I’m 1/2 way through chemo and that does make the recon feel worse at times, but I’m assured that this is temporary.
Good luck!
I had a straight forward mx in Oct '09 and shooting pains have only recently settled down, though I still get the odd one every now and then. Get backache all the time due to the weight of the prothesis. So either way, immediate or delayed, has its problems. I am due to have delayed reconstruction at the end of this month so still have another op to face, which you won’t have to. I had no choice though due to site of tumor. I hope things settle down for you soon.
Hi Ladies, its good to realise that your not alone,this webset is a great help and great to hear some positivity too.Good luck everyone.xx
Thanks DJ007.
Things are settling down slowly - I think I’m just a bit impatient!. I feel great and the swelling and discomfort under my arm has gone. I’ll be six weeks post op next Tuesday and certainly feel fine for driving. My boob is still big and bruised but I have felt a big difference in the last week as it’s definitely getting softer. One problem I do have is bras! I’ve tried various types but feel them all a bit tight after a couple of hours, even the Sloggi t shirt type. I have them in 3 different sizes and the biggest size 40 feels just as tight on my as my own size a 36! I wasn’t given any advice on bras and keep forgetting to ask my BCN if I should be wearing one or if it’s OK to go au natural:) any suggestions? The arm exercises are so important so ladies please keep doing them I’m nearly there with some of the arm movements and I intend trying a gentle swim at the weekend.
In summary Im very happy with everything and seeing and feeling improvements every week - patience, arm exercises and taking it easy for the first 6 weeks at least, for me, are the vital ingredients for a full recovery.
Hi MairiMac
I was fitted with a Triumph Triactive sports bra in hosp and have since bought 2 more. I find them so comfy and supportive that I’m still wearing them 24/7 - unlike many sports bras, they don’t squash you down too much and I can show a bit of cleavage!
I got mine from sheactive.co.uk/?
Good luck
D
Thanks for the tip about the Triumph Triactive bra. I finally managed to find one and it’s great. Very comfy and as you say no squashing!! Another one is on order. Thanks