Strained side
Strained side Hi everyone,
Had a mastectomy last April and thought I was well over it, but a week ago did a lot of decorating, took loads of bags to the local tip, and lifted a half barrel tub out of my car - very silly thing to do I know! Since then I have had awful pain in my side - my ribs hurt and if I stretch too much my underarm hurts. Of course, I’m hoping I have only strained some muscles, but of course am terrified that it’s the BC back. Wondered if anyone else had experienced anything similar. I will wait a few more days then I’ve have to contact BCC nurse and get it checked out.
Jean
Jean definitely not a good move to lift so much. But doubt very much if it’s the br ca doing a comeback. Try following post op direstions and don’t go practising for olympic weight liftting again!
Rest should sort you out, if not you may have cracked a rib.
Are you on Arimidex? If so and rest doesn’t do the trick get back to onc and GP for checks for bone thinning and bisphosphonate prescription.
Best wishes. dilly
Thanks for that Dilly, you’ve put my mind at rest a little. Know it was an extremely silly thing to do! Am on Tamoxifen - does that cause bone thinning too?
Funny you should say may have cracked a rib, I was wondering the same.
Will rest up for a few more days, and if not better go to docs. Will keep you posted. All the best, Jean.
Jean I think Tam is OK for bones. Best wishes, dilly
be warned of lymphoedema Hi Jean,
(I had a mastectomy 5 years ago and still suffer with constant nerve damage)
I too did a lot of lifting (once I could) and over did it, I think I partly did it to prove to myself I still could, as my previous job included a lot of heavy lifting and I had missed doing any lifting at all for months on end, not even a small bag of shopping.
Despite the fact that my lymphoedema was brought on mainly by an infection from rose thorn whilst clearing the garden (yet another thing I did to prove I still could !") I would still advise against doing that type of heavy work and lifting that you did again, as I believe this kind of activity could bring on lymphoedema, and believe me (and many who will tell you, you really don’t want that on top of everything else you have been through.)
There have been various times that I have lifted and pulled things, knowing that I really shouldn’t, but since I now have the lymphoedema, and seem to have got used to the pain and inconvenience of it on a daily basis, I just think to myself that I might as well do it anyway as I already have it, but I certainly pay for it over the next few days, and then regret what I’ve done !
But I now find I can still do quite a bit, but not too much at once and
using my better arm more when lifting with both hands, watch out for tennis elbow in the other arm though- I have that as well ! what an old crock I am !
So please be careful in future, I’m sure my little tale isn’t possibly the worst, so do take good care of your self.
Kind wishes,
Sheena.