Hi, I had my operation in December last year, Iv’e Had the chemo, Rads and now on Herceptin and Tamoxifin.
My breast is getting close to double the size it was and really is painful, heavy, my nipple hurts, and i still have a small scab on my nipple where I had the stitches.
I love to lay on my stomach to sleep and finding this impossible, I put a bra on for a few hours but this makes me really ache so take it off.
My question, is this normal, to have the swelling and pain etc, one year on!!!
I have NO medical qualifications but it does sound to me that you may have some form of lymphoedema. Please contact either your breast nurse, GP, or consultant. Don’t take it lying down!
I had surgery (WLE and axillary clearance) nearly four years ago and still have some pain. I always wear a secret support vest in bed as I feel I need the support and a secret support vest is softer and more comfortable than a bra when you’re lying down.
I’ve always had painful breasts and had painful benign lumpy breasts for many years before I got BC. I’ve still got that sort of pain, plus now the effects of surgery and radiotherapy but I’ve been told it’s normal to have ongoing pain after surgery.
The size of your breast is a different matter. I don’t know why your breast is bigger than it was. My affected breast is also bigger than it was and in my case it’s because I’ve got lymphoedema in that breast. It developed about 4 months after the surgery and was diagnosed by my onc. Is it possible that you’ve got lymphoedema there too? Have you asked anyone about this? I think you should definitely ask your BCN about this for a start and then get an appointment with your consultant.
Good luck and let us know what happens. Anthi x