Topic: pain after sentinel lymphnode biopsy
- Posted on: Nov 4, 2009 05:00 pm
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 424
I had my lumpectomy and sentinel lymphnode dissection/biopsy on 10/29/09 (6 days ago). I am still really sore especially under my arm where they removed the lymphnodes. My entire under arm is a little swollen, there is no redness or drainage, but it really hurts. I have took pain pills, used iced and tried to keep my arm elevated. I had to stop wearing any kind of bra as that was just irritating the incision. My incision is more to the rounded part of your under arm than in the pit portion. But when I go without a bra the weight of my breast pulls on the incision on my breast and that causes pain. it seems I can't win for losing!! Sorry to rant, but how long will this under arm pain last? It is simply driving me insane!!! I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this? Thanks
Diagnosis: 10/22/2009
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Luah Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 239 |
Nov 4, 2009 05:06 pm, edited Nov 4, 2009 05:07 PM
by Luah
Luah wrote:
Hi Renee: I am 20 days out from SNB and I'm still bothered by it - sorry to say. Numbness, stinging at incision and supersensitive skin (clothes feel like sandpaper) which is only just now starting to subside a bit, I think. I always find a shower helpful. And the stretching exercises - in moderation! Otherwise, I don't think I can offer much help - hang in there - it'll get better. Diagnosis: 9/14/2009, IDC, 2cm |
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mom_of_2 Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 337 |
Nov 4, 2009 06:36 pm
mom_of_2 wrote:
Hate to tell you ladies but my SNB was far worse than my bilateral mastectomy :( My surgical oncologist said it can take up to 18 months to heal. I had mine June 2008 (almost 17 months ago) and I am just now getting back full range of motion. Still have numbness and occasional sharp pain. mom_of_2
Diagnosis: 6/2/2008, IDC, 2cm, Stage IIb, Grade 2, 1/23 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2+ |
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Leslie1962 Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 85 |
Nov 4, 2009 08:07 pm
Leslie1962 wrote:
Wish I could give you better news, but my pain lasted for a good 4-5 weeks. My lumpectomy was September 23. I lost all feeling under my armpit and some inkling of feeling is now slowly coming back. I found that wearing my bra 24/7 was essential because of just what you mentioned (feeling like the weight of the breast pulling etc). I also started walking my fingers up the wall for stretching, as my surgeon said that I should do this until I feel a pull - that was a good thing. So - take the pain medications if needed, and with your doctors permission start slow exercises as you feel you are able to. It does take time. Wouldn't it be great if we could wave some sort of magic wand and "poof" all better?  Hang in there!Diagnosis: 9/3/2009, IDC, 3cm, Stage IIb, Grade 3, ER-/PR-, HER2+ |
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Margie10029… Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 1 |
Nov 14, 2009 12:07 am, edited Nov 14, 2009 12:14 AM
by Margie10029
Margie10029 wrote:
I had my sentinel lymph node on Nov 6 during my lumpectomy, that pain is still unbearable a week later. My girlfriend had a bilateral mastectomy and she told me the sentinel lymph node was more painful than the bmx. She is doing better, but its taken her six months to get there. The painkillers get me through the night, but I feel so restricted because it was done on the side I write with. I guess if all we had was a lumpectomy, we should be grateful. If I knew though that it was going to be this bad, I might have passed on the procedure. Sorry no solutions on this end, just ranting alongside you. |
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WordDoctor Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 12 |
Nov 14, 2009 10:16 pm
WordDoctor wrote:
I had a SNB and lumpectomy on Nov. 4th (10 days ago). The incisions don't really hurt, as long as I'm careful about my movements, but the dysthesia (stinging/burning/ raw feeling) that runs from the underneath part of my upperarm and around to the inside of my breast drives me crazy. It starts out in the morning as just annoying, but by lunch time it hurts a lot! It reminds me of having sunburns when I was teenager. I see the surgeon on Tuesday, so I plan to ask him for details of how to deal with it. Word Doctor
Diagnosis: 9/23/2009, IDC, 1cm, Grade 3, ER-/PR-, HER2+ |
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barbe1958 Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 6,817 |
Nov 15, 2009 02:26 am
barbe1958 wrote:
I agree that the SNB was worse than anything else. I hate to tell y'all, but I'm almost a year out and still have numbness and when I reach a certain way I get the "tug and pinch" feeling....still! I have areas that I can't feel when I put lotion on or shave. It's weird, because when I get that tug I think "Oh yah, the surgery" but it's been a year! The shooting pain at the beginning is mostly the nerves beginning to regenerate, and it does go away for everyone that I've seen post, but I didn't believe the numbness would stay. Maybe it'll leave eventually.... I cannot imagine what ladies who got a full set of nodes out must feel like! Papillary Carcinoma with ITCs and IMLN, Bilateral Mastectomy Dec 16th/08 No re-con. No foobies.
Diagnosis: 12/10/2008, 1cm, Stage II, 2/13 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2- |
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somanywomen… Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 363 |
Nov 15, 2009 07:59 am
somanywomen wrote:
Mimi, I had Lumpectomy with sentinel node one day before you had yours...I was allergic to the steri-strips that they applied after surgery....That first week was the worst (my Surgeon took them off on my one week follow-up), that area and breast area were flaming red...Since then my sentinel node scar area has almost healed completely....I used a lot of ice the first two weeks, I put the ice pack into a leg of pantyhose and tied it around my neck so I didn't have to carry it all the time...I also wore a 100% soft mens (tank top style) cotton t-shirt under a fruit of loom cotton t-shirt bra that I found at Walmart, has padding, but no underwire (it is now my favorite bra)..It also comes down low enough not to rub the area of concern....Hope you find what helps for you..... |
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barbe1958 Joined: Nov 2008 Posts: 6,817 |
Nov 15, 2009 08:01 am
barbe1958 wrote:
I hear women use sports bras too, as they have wider side bands and don't have the wires either. How are you doing? Papillary Carcinoma with ITCs and IMLN, Bilateral Mastectomy Dec 16th/08 No re-con. No foobies.
Diagnosis: 12/10/2008, 1cm, Stage II, 2/13 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2- |
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fleecewood Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 29 |
Nov 15, 2009 10:21 am
fleecewood wrote:
Hi Ladies I'm farther down the road then you but thought I would give you some about my journey...I had my lumpectomy in Feb 2009 and had 20 lymph nodes removed and finished with radiation the end of May. The node removal has been the worst long term effect for me so far. The numbness of the area is going away as nerves regenerate. I still have tenderness, swelling and tightness on awakening every day. I still have to massage the area and do a minimum of about 20 mins of arm exercises to feel "normal". Its just a "new normal". I also found skin brushing to be helpful to get the lymph moving away from the area (only after months of recovery). They tell me that life is more normal after a year- so it will keep changing. Don't give up hope- just take life day by day. Diagnosis: 12/1/2008, IDC, 1cm, Stage II, 2/20 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2- |
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mimi1964 Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 424 |
Nov 15, 2009 09:00 pm
mimi1964 wrote:
Thanks ladies for the words of encouragement and for your stories. Isn't amazing how much our surgeons don't bother to tell us about what may not happen to us from our surgery post op? WordDoctor - I hope that your surgeon can advise you more than mine did about how to deal with the dysthesia (I believe you called it?). I saw my surgeon on Nov. 12 and told him about some of the issues I have been having and he told me that my underarm wasn't to swollen and that sometimes the numbness would or would not go away, but to remember that I was only 2 weeks post op. I still have some numbness in the early morning when I get up and increased swelling and like fleecewood I gently massage the back part of my upper and underarm and get the lymph moving and the swelling and numbness goes away. The numbness does seem to be getting better everyday though. I still have some pain at the lumpectomy site and sharp shooting sensations and the raw feeling under my arm, which is good first thing in the morning and worsens usually by about 2:30-3:00 p.m. in the evening and I am so ready to pull my skin off by then. I can only tell you that I am ready to be normal again. I'm tired of BC and my journey is only 1/2 over. I am still waiting on the Med. Onc to call for an appt to eval the need for Chemo and then Rads. Then it's back to see the surgeon in 3 mos. My GYN doc is not willing to give me any meds for my low libido and vag atrophy, and hot flashes. I had just started on Estratest x 3 wks then was dx with BC and had to stop. It totally stinks!! I have been in menopause since 2002 when i had a total hysterectomy. O.k. this wasn't to be a rant and I'm sorry. I'm just really frustrated right now. Renee
Diagnosis: 10/22/2009, IDC, 2cm, Stage Ia, Grade 1, 0/4 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2- |
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DaylilyFan Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 76 |
Nov 28, 2009 11:08 pm
DaylilyFan wrote:
My surgery was 9 days ago, and my surgeon put me into a "surgical bra" that is more like a corset, cut very high under the arms, with velcro front closure and strap closures. It is very supportive but miserably uncomfortable. I did stick it out for 5 days. I have tried a Champion step in/pull on sports bra, Spanx racer-back, Amoena's "Hannah" bra, and an old underwire heavy cotton sports bra. All have their flaws, but switching among them helps. My incision is closer to the armpit than to the nipple, so it's hard to find a bra that doesn't hit it. Both the Champion and the Spanx have tight stitching along the edges that digs in. The Softee line is supposed to be very comfortable but I'm worried about adequate support because the incision does pull if I go without a bra very long. I asked my surgeon how long the swelling would last, and he said weeks to months--that the healing process is different for everyone but that I would eventually be able to do everything I did before surgery. The exercises on the American Cancer website have helped with the stabbing/burning nerve pain (neither Percoset nor Flexeril made any difference), and I am going to try a "Yoga for Cancer" class next week. My sensitive skin is not used to a bra 24/7, and I have a lot of chafing and itching, so I am trying Eucerin Calming lotion. I am trying to look on the bright side--it could have been so much worse! Diagnosis: 10/5/2009, IDC, 1cm, ER+ |
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lovetosail Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 153 |
Nov 29, 2009 11:15 pm
lovetosail wrote:
hey all, I had my sentinel node biopsy almost a week ago - just the SLN biopsy as I am on neo-adjuvant chemo and will have surgery later. The surgeon removed 5 nodes, I don't have the path report back yet. But I've had no problems post surgery, no pain at all, no swelling, and I already have nearly full range of motion back. I'm SO sorry to hear of problems others of you are having after surgery, I guess the range of responses is huge - but I wanted to post to present the other view for women who about to undergo the procedure so they see that some folks lucky and don't have too many problems. I really hope that those of you that have had a rough time with your surgery find some relief SOON! Sue Diagnosis: 10/19/2009, IDC, Grade 3, ER+/PR-, HER2+ |
