Some advice please…
I had my surgery on the 20th of February, and also removed lymph nodes. I am recovering well, but have a lot of swelling in my arm pit and its numb… is this normal? is there anything I can do to help it?
Many thanks in advance
Marguerite
Hiya,
I had my surgery on 3rd Feb and I have only really just started to get the feeling back to the back of my arm and in the armpit area. It’s really bizarre when I shave there as I couldn’t feel anything. It should get better over the next 2/3 weeks for you.
Paula xxxxxx
Marguerite
I had a WLE (lumpectomy) and just the sentinel node removed last September, so not the same as you, but I think it is normal for numbness, as the nerves have been cut. Some people get a seroma - a pocket of clear fluid that develops in the body after surgery. I am sure it can be drained and I think you should contact your breast care nurse to discuss it with her. Perhaps your drain was taken out too soon?
Ann x
Hi It is still early days I had quite a bit of swelling under my arm and only had 6 nodes removed. The area around it was also very numb for around 4 weeks. I am sure it will return to normal soon.x
Hi
The area under each of my armpits is numb - so much so that I didn’t feel a thing when the doc put a needle in to drain the seromas yesterday. My armpit was swollen after my node removal back in December for about 3-4 weeks. Hope it improves soon!
Cheers
I had my SNB followed by level 3 axillary clearance 18 months ago, and I still have quite a lot of numbness and a feeling of bulkiness. I had assumed that everyone else was the same & that the numbness would be permanent!
I had WLE and lymph node clearance in oct last yr. I still have numbness under my arm and armpit and it sometimes feels bulky, but no swelling. I think this is quite normal due to the nerves being cut. I dont let it bother me.
Julia xx
Many thanks Ladies…
I only looked at my breasts for the first time today, so not really aware of where the swelling was, even the numbness.
Now that I am feeling brave and having a feel… I think the swelling is in fact a seroma. Thankfully get to see surgeon tonight and will try and arrange for them to be drained.
Hey Marguerite
I had a mx & full anc clearance back in August last year & I still have a numb armpit!
It still feels slightly swollen to touch (compared to the other side), but I know that it isn’t (have been told that it’s all healed well)it’s just obviously the muscle/nerve damage after surgery.
The numbness may decrease with time, but I know that I may never regain the feeling in my armpit & along the back of my arm.
It’s very early days for you, as others have said, but if you are at all concerned re the swelling I’d speak with your BCN who will offer the best advice.
Hxx
Serves me right for not being brave enough to look or feel my breasts until today. Saw plastic surgeon tonight and when he removed the glue / silicon from my right breast, approx 1 litre of fluid came out - seroma in right breast. Strangely enough, the swelling is in the other armpit!! Right breast feeling so much better now - thank goodness!
I guess the numbness is something I will just have to get used to.
Thanks everyone for your posts.
Oooh!! Poor you! Hopefully, you will feel more comfortable now. did you point out the swelling in your armpit?
Ann x
If topsymo sees this (or anyone else that can answer), I notice that she wrote she had had a ‘level 3 axillary clearance’. Does this mean there are different levels of clearance then, possibly meaning a different amount of nodes are removed depending on how far the surgeon thinks your cancer has spread??
Hi Steph, during my WLE they took 10 lymph nodes and cleared to level 2 - surgeon said that wasnt quite all the way up to deep into the armpit - not sure which way round it runs tho - would guess at level 3 being the deeper clearance tho - hope this helps ! Debbie
Thanks Debonair, if I remember, I’ll ask surgeon when I next see him in Dec : )
Hi al, fairly new to this board so don’t really know you yet but hoping to get to know you all over time!I have reading the posts!
I had a right mx and axilary clearance 6 days ago now on Monday 15th March! I feel like there is a lump under my arm but I cannot see anything, my arms are quite fat anyway so not easy to see if there is extra swelling! Also the skin under my arm feels sore and even the seam on my clothes feels huge!! Is this normal? I also still have the drain in as it’s still draining and it is starting to feel uncomfortable, hopefully I will be able to speak to my consultant tomorrow and she will give the go ahead to remove the drain as I’m sure it is what is giving me some of the discomfort and preventing me from doing my exercises properly! Am not looking forward to that coming out after 6 days lol I am such a baby normally!!
Anyone else out there from Kent going through the same thing? Would be good to get to know you!
Luv Tigs xxx
Hi Tigerlily (and other contributors to this thread),
The removal of the drain isn’t painful - feels a bit weird but no hassle. Because of complications, I had my drain removed after two days and subsequently had problems with seromas so hopefully having the drain in for longer will help you avoid that problem.
The heavy feeling in the arm lessens with time but, because nerves are cut during surgery, some numbness is likely to be permanent. I’m two years post-surgery and part of my underarm is still numb. Incidentally, because of the danger of triggering lymphoedema, they strongly recommend that you do NOT shave underarms using a razor in case you cut the skin. They suggest using an electric razor or depilatory cream.
Good luck,
AlexG
I agree with AlexG. I am 18 months post surgery and still feel quite numb under my arm after Level 3 clearance: I assume that this is now permanent.
Sometimes I am much more conscious of it than at other times - but my axilla definitiley still feels ‘bulky’ and ‘different’
One small consolation - I have no longer seem to have any sweat glands under that arm!
Hi all,
I had surgery WLE and a full clearance in March 2009, and developed a seroma which would not stop filling so I had to have opened again lovely!!! anyway my armpit is still very numb and the back of my arm feels like it is slowly coming back to life.
I was told when I asked that numbness is very normal and due to the nerves being cut when having clearance.
take care all
Dawn Xx
Hi there
I had my surgery in June 08 - WLE and full node clearance. For a long time my underarm was numb and ‘just felt strange’. It’s now much better but still feels ‘strange’ I don’t think it will ever feel ‘normal’. My arm still aches and if I have ‘done too much’ it’s painful.
Just the ‘new normal’. I think you adjust and simply get used to it. It certainly doesn’t bother me anymore. I know what I can and can’t do and simply ‘get on with it’.
Mal