When does the pain subside

Hi all,
This is my first posting here. I am 10 days post op after having a bi lateral mastectomy with reconstruction (chest expanders, then implants). I was told I would be in hospital for about a week and would have a morphine pump so I could administer my own pain relief at my own pace. I had extreme pain for a week, fainting and vomiting everytime I moved, the morphine didnt seem to work at all when I moved. If I stayed still I didnt hurt at all, just when I tried to sit up.
I am back at home but still in quite a lot of pain, I cannot take the morphine and diazapam (which I have found out is valium) as they completely space me out and I cannot function at all, and have been prescribed paracetamol and dictophenic (sorry about spelling) which does not seem to be enough to get rid of the pain.
Has anyone else had a similar experience. I feel as it I am wearing an extremely tight bikini top and that my muscles are stretched to breaking point.
Thanks.
Carol

Dear Carol

If you would like to contact our helpline the team will be able to give you information and advice about about pain relief. The helpline number is 0808 800 6000 and it is open until 5pm today, usual opening hours are Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Saturday 9am-2pm.

I do hope this is helpful.

Kind regards
Emma
Forum Host
Breast Cancer Care

Dear Carol

I just want to say how sorry I am that you are in such pain I had mast and recon 18 months ago and had no pain but can well imagine how your chest area must feel with all that tightness. I suppose mine was tightish for a while. The whole thing was uncomfortable but felt a lot better after about a month - being a passenger in the car was painful going round corners until I started driving again after a month. I do hope you call the helpline number given and that you get some relief soon. This won’t last forever though it feels like it at the time. God bless. Jo

Hiya,

I’m sorry you’re having so much pain. I had a bilateral mastectomy in Sept '06 with LD reconstruction. I had what I can only describe as immense pain for the first 4 days an epidural and morphine did nothing, I couldnt lie down or sit up, the only relief I got was from rolling forward on my knees (dont know why) but I couldnt sleep or stay like that for long…bad for circulation.

I’m ok now, no back pain etc. It too felt like I had a really tight padded bra on, with false boobs in it. BUT this went, I dont feel it now and my breasts dont feel as alien, I have days when my brain seems unable to cancel things out and I notice it all, but not so much, mostly when I’m tired.

Your implants are obviously different to mine, and may well be under you chest muscle so sensations may be different.

I can only say my pain went, it was horrible at first. I am amazed that most people seem to simply talk of being 'uncomfortable’I guess it depends from person to person, their frame, body weight, pain threshold, time of the month, and most importantly how the surgeon did it. Again all I can say is I’m tall, small framed and the surgeon removed every ounce of muscle he could from my back so…

People with not alot of pain are very lucky. I guess I hope you dont feel alone, I found it excrutiating at times, at first, and I do feel I have a VERY high pain threshold, but I have to admit I wonder how these lucky others dont!

I hope your pain goes away rapidly!

BEST BEST wishes K xx

I had a bilateral mastectomy wih immediate LDFLAP recon 4 weeks ago. I also have the tightening sensation across my back which gets worse when my back fills with fluid (still have that asperated twice a week). I didn’t have implaits but did have 850grammes of muscle taken from either side of my back. I have been managing on co-codomol which is what they gave me in hospital. I had the morphine pump taken out 1 day post op cos it made me sick and was too scared to have the epidural. Please believe me when I say that each day gets a little bit easier and don’t forget your excercises as they help too.
All the best,
Shelly1301
XX

Heck, makes me sound bad, i lived for the tramidol, found the pca no good whatsoever, it didn’t ever gone down in its bag, and i had the same two air bubbles in my canular for two days, i asked for it to be removed, and then got immense relief from tramidol, i had my left side done, and that was on the 29th of june this year, but still a bit sore, but don’t bother with any pain relief now, its like a good pain now.

Alison xxxx

ps, i do have an implant hidden somewhere under the back muscle, get that pumped up in october lol