Hi i’m 6 weeks post op from a mastectomy an axillary clearance. Im still in a lot of pain and have a lot of swelling that feels really hard in the armpit area and underneath the mastectomy scar. I was wondering how long it takes to settle down?.
Michelle x
Hi Michelle
Everyone is different. I had my surgery in October 2018 and I still experience pain. Sometimes it’s because of the nerves severed during surgery - they try to repair themselves, sometimes they can’t fully repair, sometimes nerve endings are damaged… it depends if you’re unlucky. As it’s 6 weeks now, I think it would be sensible to ring your breast care nurse. They’ll be able to ask for precise information.
What you must do is do those awful exercises, maybe even do some of them more often, regardless of the pain - unless it’s harmful to the scar. The hardness in your armpit is, I was told, caused by the surrounding tissue moving in and occupying the space left after axillary clearance and fusing. It will form a solid wedge which will lead to cording if it’s not dealt with. Do you have any stiffness or discomfort in your upper arm?
My oncology rehabilitation physio just keeps encouraging me to massage it all frequently, keeping it supple, and do the basic breast exercises and a few she’s given me. These muscles need stretching and the lump needs dispersing (though it will always try to come back). It may be a constant battle, it may just mean it’s early days in your body’s repair and healing. If you are going to have radiotherapy, it’s essential your arm, shoulder and breast muscle are flexible so I’d say get massaging, try your exercises more often and ring your breast care nurse.
And don’t feel that ibuprofen can’t help cos, as an anti-inflammatory, it can.
Wishing you all the best xx