Hi all
I wonder if anyone can help me please?
I had a mascectomy, diep flap reconstruction and node clearance 11 days ago after 8 rounds of chemo.
I am really struggling with how much it still hurts especially when I try to do my exercises. The “walking up the wall” one leaves me near to tears just after 1 or 2 
Is this normal? Should it hurt so much? Will it get easier? Should I still try to do 10 of them even though it hurts so much?
I would really appreciate any advice
Thanks
Abbyleanne xx
Hi Abbeyleanne,
So sorry to hear you are in so much pain. It is still less than two weeks since your surgery, so I am not surprised you are sore. When I had my surgery, I was told to take some painkillers about 20 mins before doing the exercises, as that helps to go just a few millimetres more. If it is so painful you are nearly in tears then it sounds like you are pushing too hard. When I started the ‘walking up the wall’ I could just get my arm a little above horizontal, so I marked that on the wall with a pencil. The next day I could get a little bit higher and amrked that - sometimes it increased several centimetres, others it even went backwards! By marking it on the wall I could track my progress and little by little I got there - and so will you. Do keep perservering - if two reps is all you can do, then do that for now, and try again in a couple of hours. You could ring your breast team or a physio if you are still anxious, they should be able to help.
In a few weeks you will feel much better and your arm will be free-er.
Gentle hug.
Abbyleanne, it’s very early days and fairly soon to wall walk. Two up is more than enough. A diep is painful to come back from. I had alot of pain and stayed on pain meds till almost week 5. I read of woman running at week three and how they pulled that off I’ll never know. The graft area (my 20’ hip to hip incision) was and still can be difficult. At day 11, I was in bed most of the time, when not getting a child off to school. Physio helps and now at 16 weeks out from surgery, I still have weekely physio. Don’t push it so early, keep posting, and chin up, it’s a hard to come back from.
Hi Abbeyleanne
I had a SNB followed one week later by mx and DIEP at the end of May and was told only to do the basic elbow lifts (to the front and to the side) and the hand on lower back and the squeeze shoulder blades together for the first three weeks - only start the walking the wall and the hands over head in the THIRD week - not supposed to lift your arm over your head for the first 2 weeks - so not surprising it hurts!
Be gentle - take it slowly!
You will get there - be patient - don’t try to run before you can walk!!!
Best of luck
Hugs
Liz x
i agree with everyone - very early days for you, so dont be so hard on yourself. don’t think you should be more mobile, it will take time. when i had snb it was very sore. i had a mx several weeks later for clear margins and took weeks before i could get my arm up anywhere near like my other arm. you might need physio, my surgeon referred me to the physio in the breast clinic at hospital and i went there every week for about 6 weeks or so to help with things.
lots of hugs to you.
xxx
Thank you all so much for your advice - It has really put my mind at rest. I think I have a habit of expecting to much of myself to quickly. The leaflet I was given said to start these exercise from week 2 so I took it as gospel. (I was trying to get my arm almost parallel to the wall like in the picture!!)
I have read the forums over and over during the last 9 months and it has been a great help answering my questions, worries and concerns. I am very grateful that so many of you are so supportive and willing to spend time putting “pen to paper” to help each other and us “lurkers” 
Thanks again
Xxx
Hi Abby,
i was the same as you and thought I should be doing more. I even watched the film on here. I have to say some if what ey say you should be doing week 2 is just unrealistic. Listen to your body and f it hurts don’t push it too much.
take care,
rae
x