Has anyone experienced pain on their mastectomy side after lifting??
When i had a medical a year after DX and when i had finished my chemo i mentioned then my job as a nursery nurse would be hard to go back too with the lifting. This was totally ignored when i got the medical report.
As i am determined to get on with leading a ‘normal’ life, something thats taken me a long long time to do after DX and the treatment, I am very down to find a days work with lifting babies and bending leaves me in so much pain.
Interested to know if anyone else has pain with lifting.And if anyone has any advice.
Hi Ruth
As you know I work as a nursery nurse…I have found that every now and again I get a heavy arm and have even experienced slight cording feeling at times too, when I went for my medical for my incapacity benefit in nov 04 no notice was taken of my job with regard to restricted use of arm…in fact my incapacity benefit was stopped, forcing me to return to work…I didn’t have a mastectomy I had a WLE…but I had already had surgery to my effected arm years before being dx so they didn’t know how that would effect things.
Would be interested to hear advice too.
Hi K
bit disappointed no one else has a job with lifting in it and could help us.
Its causing me great distress this past week with shoulder pain after another busy day today in work. Don’t know how much longer i can work with kids but dont know what else i would do.
It really helps to work and get back to normality but the job doesnt suite me, had a big cry tonight in so much pain.
I have to occasionally heave around heavy-duty bits of equipment…thankfully not too many babies, except in spare moments! And have had serious back probs in past, which made me re-think the ways i was lifting and carrying. Now sorted and no probs for last 10 years.
Have you had any physio support? If you can replace the lifting muscles/side you normally use and sort out replacement muscles it might help. The key for me was stretching and toning abs although you wouldn’t think it to look at me now. But it worked and got me through torn ligament which is a nasty injury. An osteopath helped a lot, but be careful, there are a lot of quacks out there.
Thinking of starting Tai Chi soon. Stretching, rest and gentle exercise worked for me 10 years ago and looking for it again now! Keep going, girl, you’ll find a solution. It may take a bit longer than you’d hoped, but surely worth going for.
I believe the recommendations are to avoid heavy lifting (luggage, shopping, ?children?) with the ‘bad’ arm indefinitely to avoid the risk of triggering lymphoedema (and as a sufferer from it, believe me, you don’t want it!)
It sounds as tho’ your arms/shoulders (I think shoulder pain is very commom with lymphoedema) are giving you both problems right now. Can you get any help with it? BC nurse? Lymphoedema clinic?
Have you spoken to your employer about your difficulties because they have to make ‘reasonable’ adjustments within the DDA. However, sometimes, after surgery the job that was right for you beforehand might not necessarily be one that you can still carry out.
I have always looked after my arm but never had conflict at work because of the type of job I was doing. However, I still got lymphoedema 11 years after my initial diagnosis because of a nurse taking my blood pressure on that arm.
I have a friend who used to have to lift heavy boxes and the result was lymphoedema and she has it badly. Just not worth the risk - maybe you need to think about changing your job? It’s about weighing up whether you think your job is far more important than your am and the subsequent problems that may arise.
Hi Liverbird
I have a job that includes lifting (eldery nuns!). I try not to lift on BC side, but sometimes I do. Am always a bit wary, and get occasional twinge in boob where had op (haven’t bothered too much about it cos consultant didn’t seem worried when I had twinges before)
BTW I live in Liverpool - saw your thread about meet-up Would like to come as I meet people at clinics and then never see them again! I haven’t been here for a year or so, but came looking for info on BC and jobs, as am about to be made redundant and am worried am unemployable. Will keep looking in so don’t miss meet-up.
As I said on another thread, when I went for an interview after dx. , I did mention at the interview that I had BC and had to be a bit careful with lifting because of lymphoedema risk. I got the job working as an administrator and receptionist at a GP surgery. But there was a lot of heavy lifting and stretching involved (large quantities of casenotes from top shelves etc.). It did hurt my arm a lot, so I had to ask for help and a larger footstool, so I did not have to stretch too far. I think you generally ahve to be careful after mastectomy and auxillary clearance, as the lymphoedema risk will always be there, but you have to live your life, so sometimes we all do things we should not, but it pays to be aware.