I had a WLE and SNB ten days ago. The incisions are healing well and I can’t begin to explain how good it feels to have the tumour out… it’s getting me through the wait for results that should come next Friday. I had 5 nodes removed.
From right after surgery I had arm pain and I now have pain from my wrist (it feels like a bruise on the inside) all the way to my armpit. I’ve got the start of cording in my armpit (I can see and feel a definite cord) and I’ll ask my surgeon to consider referring me for physio when she examines me next week. Has anyone else experienced pain right down to their wrist? I’m feeling a bit fed up with it and worried what it might indicate.
I’m doing all my exercises religiously.
Any advice girls?
Jen xx
So sorry to hear your feeling are you comfortable after your surgery this does sound to me that you have a bit of cording, I had this myself if you can possibly try and deep massage the arm it will help as you say you’re going to ask for some physio which I think would be a good idea.
Well done to you for getting this far, fingers crossed for a good outcome together with a speedy recovery. Try not to worry easier said than done, take one day at a time but most of all be kind to yourself.
Sorry you are in pain from your SNB. I had a WLE with therapeutic mammoplasty and SNB in September and for the first couple of weeks after surgery I experienced pain, tingling and numbness right down my arm but oddly didn’t have restricted movement in my arm and shoulder and was easily able to do the exercises. I had been worried about problems with my shoulder and arm before surgery because I had previously suffered two injuries affecting that shoulder which required physiotherapy. My movement in that shoulder wasn’t as good as in the other one before surgery and I had to do exercises given by the physio every day to keep it moving. A few days after surgery I started doing some of the more gentle exercises again and found them more effective than the ones advised by the hospital.
I would definitely advise you to see a physio as soon as you can, they can work wonders. Eleven years ago I lost the use of my right arm for a couple of weeks due to a trapped nerve in my upper back, the pain ran all the way down my arm to my fingers. Occupational Health at the university I worked for at the time paid for me to see a sports physio and it took only four sessions to recover almost fully. She told me that nerve damage can take up to 18 months to repair and if full feeling hasn’t returned by then it probably never will. I still have no feeling in the end of the middle finger on my right hand but otherwise it did all recover, only for me to fall off my bike the following year tearing the same shoulder and needing physio for almost 12 months.
I think the pain you feel in your wrist is normal, the nervous system is complex and pain can travel a long distance from its source. But you should definitely ask for physio particularly as you can feel cording.
I hope it all settles down for you soon and you make a good recovery.
