Chest tightness - post Bilateral Mastectomy
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Robin,
Yes, exactly, realizing that the tightness, etc, meets the definition for pain, so yes, I am allowed to take a pain pill
. I had Percocet with my lumpectomy and it was much nicer...I remember feeling happy about everything... before my mx the resident asked me what pain meds I wanted after, and I thought that was strange, I didn't really think about having a choice. When I mentioned I'd had Percocet before, he said that it is Oxycodone + Acetaminophen combined, and they liked to prescribe them separately so they could control the amount of Acetaminophen I was getting. Weird that the Oxycodone by itself should feel so different, but maybe I should call and get a prescription for Percocet instead... Of course, the mx is a more painful recovery than the lumpectomy anyway, so maybe that's the difference.
About the cold drinks, I think I have a bit more "padding" than you, so no, I haven't noticed it, but it must feel weird! I saw in another thread your question about recon, and I hope I wasn't too "flip" about not missing "the girls". I'm sorry it's making you sad, and I didn't mean to make it worse.
Sister-in-law is here with chili, gotta go!
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Btw, my BS told me that Darvocet is milder than Percocet (she prescribes both, depending on the amount of pain a patient is feeling) so if you think something midway between acetominophen and the big-guns Percocet is what's needed, maybe Darvocet might work.
Darvocet is propoxyphene + acetominophen, btw. Oxycodone is similar to codeine which is why it's the stronger of the two.
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I don't remember exactly, but I remember it feeling not fast enough, though I really did make steady progress, day by day. I went back to work 5 weeks after my DMX and I teach 5th grade ... I was exhausted but not in a lot of pain by the end of the day. I think what was harder for me were the expanders and the fills rather than the DMX itself. The reconstruction process was more painful than I had anticipated. Hang in there! One of my friends suggested keeping a journal to see even little increments of progress. Take care, Maggie
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Maggie, You went back to school teaching 5th grade after FIVE weeks...wow! You're a better woman than I am....I'm impressed!! My BS has me out for 8 weeks - I teach (part-time) elementary music K-5, 40 minute classes with about 2 minutes in-between. I'm on my feet all day, and I travel to three different schools, lugging instruments, moving pianos, chairs, etc.
Lovemygarden...thanks for explaining diff between the two...
blessings...robin
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Oh, I think I went back too soon (my sub had to leave and I didn't want the kids to have another) and now that I've had the second phase of the reconstruction (tissue expanders out, implants in), I'm staying home longer to get really strong and deal with the emotional and physical effects of BC. I'm in a lull in my treatment and I think I'm facing the "what exactly happened to me this year?" I think the more time you can take to get really healthy and strong, the better. Wish I had really understood that the first time around. I was more focused on my students than myself and my family.
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i agree with EVERYTHING you said! i also had bilateral mass. in 2002...with no reconstruction.
at first i hated it...but im ok with it now 8 yrs cancer free yeah!!...but i still to this day have phantom pains and itching some days are worse than others..i wear my prothesis and mass bras and if someone dosent know you cant even tell! my doctor asks at every visit (i go 2x a yr) if i want reconstruction...im 55 yrs old...i said hell no then and am still saying it...maybe if i was younger i would think about it...but like you dont want nothing implanted in me ..i also still feel the tightness...not trying to freak anyone out...but 8 yrs down the road i still have these sensations...off and on some minor some major...i do sleep with a bra and foam prothesis as if i dont...my ribs hurt in the morning...well just wanted to say im glad someone else felt as i did about reconstruction....good luck hun and take care
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I had my double mastectomy and reconstruction done last September, and it has gotten much better. I'm started to exercise, yoga is great. Really helps with loosening the muscles. I noticed my left arm is tighter, and yes I still feel the ace bandage effect, but again, it is alot better than a month ago. Hang in there....hope it gets better.
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I had a BMX in February w/ TEs. I feel tightness in my chest area too. My tightness comes and goes during the day. All of sudden, the upper part of my chest will tighten up and feel very hard and then will soften up. I don't really understand it. I asked my PS about it and he said it's the valves on the expanders tightening up. To me, it feels like muscles tightening. I don't know...it just feels strange and I hope it stops at some point. :-)
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Well, I don't have TE, and the tightness from mine is just from the healing. My BMX was 1/6/10, so I am now about 12 weeks post BMX (I think, although I have lost track).....I'm not as tight as I was at the beginning, but it is still tight and constricting. It used to be that the hot shower relaxed my skin and made me feel loser. Now, it does just the opposited. I have to constantly stretch, too. At my last visit with my BS, he said I would notice this for at least six months....
blessings...robin
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Travelgal, I think you're right about the tightening -- sounds like muscle spasms to me. When it was really painful, I took some very low dose muscle relaxants and Lorazepam (for anxiety, but also helped with spasms) and these helped a lot. When my muscles locked up, it was sometimes hard to release them without some help. I've heard about this from many others with TE. Hope it eases up for you. Maggie
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Robin, so I know this will sound very strange, but something that's helped with skin tightness for me (although I went the reconstruction route) was to rub emu oil onto my skin. When my naturopath suggested it, I laughed and thought, 'Well, bc has taken me into some unexpected places, now hasn't it??' I think vitamin e oil and other emollients would probably work just as well, but for some reason the emu oil did the trick for me. You can imagine what a field day my family has had with the emu bottles! They all tried to imitate emus, but we never did figure out what emus say. Maggie
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Emu oil?!?!? Seriously??? wow....who knew? That is amazing!!! For the last week, I've been using an oil from Palmers....I think it's coconut oil or something (can't remember)...the tightness has actually been somewhat better the last several days - don't know if that's made a difference, or because I've been on spring break this week - ha!
Thanks for sharing what you learned, Maggie...
blessings...robin
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Helllo---i just had my BMX 11/16/10---here i am , almost 4 weeks later, starting this same "awful tightness. i have found that oil helps, too.
although i am an ole' white chick i love african oil (sometimes called herbal oil). it is thin & cheap.
after my shower i have found relief by rubbing a handfull on my poor scared chest.
good luck, sandra
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Hello--i am 4 weeks post BMX, non reconstruction. althought i'm an ole' white chick i have found african oil a great thing to rub on my poor scared chest after my shower. it's thin & cheap.
thx for your emu thoughts.
good luck sandra
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hi Sandra....
sometimes I STILL get the tightness, and in a few weeks, it will soon be a year. i still rub oil and herb cream on my scars. The scars themselves aren't tight, but i find when i'm swelling up around my arm pit area, that's when the tightness gets worse.
Hope you're doing well.
blessings...robin
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I just found this thread because my onco PA said I had "sticky chest" (on Wed, my first chemo treatment) when I complained about my healing process. I am 8 weeks out of surgery with a dmx without reconstruction. She immediately referred me to a Physical Therapist. I already have an appointment for Monday. The P.T. called it a thighting of the scar to the chest wall and will be resolved by message and other therapies she will show me or will do. I'll update everyone after therapy. It's funny I have study so much on all side effects but have not seen anything on this, it needs to have more coverage.
Robin-Thanks for the post.
suz3
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Good luck, Suz3.....I have been going to a special massage therapist, but she says my skin is nice and loose....she also does cranial-sacral massage, and she says she can tell I had a great surgeon and have healthy skin/tissue. I still think the swelling adds to my tightness, and I really notice it when I'm in the shower. She showed me to do some massaging with this ointment going in a diagonal pattern across my scars, and to go slowly. I have a hard time doing anything slowly (ha!), but I do DO this every morning. Another thing I was shown was to use the special kind of matting (like the stuff you can use under rugs to keep them from sliding on the floor, or the green stuff you can put in your vegetable drawers in the frig)....it's kind of rubbery, and cushiony, and in a gridded shape/pattern. If you take a square of that and put that on your scar, you can use that and rub.....
Of course I know you won't want to try anything without asking first, but these are just some tidbits to file away for later...
blessings..robin
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robin- I just finished 2 treatments for my "sticky chest", I saw a physical therapist not a message therapist. She did show me some of the same massages you share with me. She gave me dycem (the rubbery stuff) and gave me "slow" circular and diagonal massages. My husband learned how to do them and had a very difficult time moving that slowly. She also gave me some exercises to stretch the chest. I did not get any ointment massages, maybe next time. I'll see her again in 2 weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to make my skin more loose. Thanks for the tips and I know I'm heading in the right direction.
hugs-suz
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I have also found yoga to help. Many health centers at medical centers have yoga for cancer patients and survivors.
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I feel your pain! The tightness feels like a steel band around my chest, and there is also an annoying burning sensation. My bilalteral mastectomy was two weeks ago, and also had TE's inserted. I still have a drain and the drainage shows no signs of slowing down. Was supposed to have my first fill today, but that was cancelled. I'm afraid if they remove the drain my scars will pop open! I've been trying to stay off the meds but some days are worse than others. Thanks to all who have posted messages of encouragement!!
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I'm 31/2 weeks post BMX and have the same problem. When I am laying down it feels like I have something heavy on my chest. The idea of massage creeps me out! I have a lot of swelling on my node removal side that feels like I am touching someone elses body. It is a comfort knowing it will get better but I feel like it could make me crazy first. I had a terrible reaction to pain meds so I haven't been able to take them since day two after surgery. I feel frustrated that I can't seem to get comfortable. I'm afraid I have cording going on as well and I expect to see a PT next week I am dreading it.
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Susan and Christine- I am 7 weeks out of surgery and some of the tenderness does go away by then (at least for me). I just able to let the shower water touch my chest. However I still don't have a bra or cami touching it. I hoping in the next couple of weeks to wear a form. Susan having TEs must be more painful, I hope you feel better soon.
Hugs suz
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Susan, Christine, Suz3...and everyone else!
I can't tell you how thankful I am that I've found this site and topic. I am having the chest tightness everyone is discussing, but my surgeon/surgeon's office hasn't been particularly helpful...and now I discover my sensations (and fears) are not at all unusual! And...there are lots of suggestions about what to do about it. I had bilateral mastectomy (I guess that's bmx: I'm still learning the abbreviations) in mid-Dec. 2010, followed 2.5 weeks ago by bilateral debridement because my skin wasn't healing properly. Tissue expanders also were removed at that time, because I thought they were the cause of the horrible tightness (and because I thought/think I want Diep flap reconstruction). I keep thinking I should be able to come off...or reduce...my pain medications, but haven't been able to. Now I know why! I have my first visit with my medical oncologist in five days and intend to ask her about massage and oils and yoga and all the other things I'm reading about here. Best of all, I'm going to stop panicking, thinking I have something awful that no one's ever heard of before. You've all helped set my mind at ease. [The massage is one avenue I will try, since my surgeon's PA suggested it last week in passing.] I'll let you know how things work out, but in the meantime please accept my heartfelt THANK YOU!
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BahianaBabe- Glad you found this thread. I hope your onco will send you to a Therapist. I was thankful that robinlbe started this thread by asking the question of chest tightness. I think more information should be out there. Maybe I'll write to Susan Love, she seems to cover everything about bc, maybe she'll address it next time she updates her book. BahianaBabe keeps us updated on what the onco suggests.
Hugs-suz
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I'm so glad I found this site, thank you all for your imput, it really does help so much to hear I am not alone feeling this. My sister was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma on the same day as my diagnosis, now she has had a lumpectomy and has begun rad, yesterday. It kind of feels like my world has been turned upside down. I meet with a medical oncologist on Monday and I am fearing that she will recommend chemotherapy. This is such a scary time, it's nice to know there are others who understand.
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Ladies....I'm so glad you've found each other, although I'm sorry you've *had* to. I didn't have the TE, but I was so miserable, I can't imagine how much MORE horrible it would have been if I had. I had read before that it was like having on an iron bra three sizes too small......when I was going through this last year, I readily agreed.
Even now, one year post, I still have a tightness, but it's far better than last year. My skin/scars, though, are loose, and it all moves freely. A warm shower used to make me feel better. Now, though, a shower tends to make me feel tighter - as if I've shrunken up, like I'm a piece of wool, or something. I'm thinkiing it might have something to do with my mild case of lymphedema. My lymphedema is mostly around my armpits and below, so this affects my chest area.
I had my BMX in January of 2010, but I didn't get my forms until April. I got silicone ones first. Then later, I ordered microbeaded ones. Now, I very rarely wear any at all - only if an outfit needs some "filling" out. I find that forms are too uncomfortable for me. I'll usually just wear a regular flat cami under my clothes.
As for the tightness- I asked my BS, and he said to expect it for 6 months. As you gals, get further along, don't neglect to keep stretching. Even though you're able to do everything you need to do and could do with your arms, that "extra" stretching is necessary for us. I didn't realize that until just a couple of weeks ago.
Good luck, ladies...I know you're miserable...and I commiserate.....and if you can tolerate your percocet (or whatever), USE it.....my BS said *that* is what it is for - to help with THIS misery of the tightness. (I wasn't taking my pain meds at first, thinking that this misery wasn't "real" pain - I called in one day, in near tears....and when the nurse found out I wasn't taking any meds, she about cried with me....and said, YES, you must take them, honey!!)
blessings...robin
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I had my bmx w/immediate DIEP 2 years ago (Jan. 25, 2009) and while everything is fine and I'm glad I did it, I've noticed that with this cold weather my chest still tightens. Sometimes in the morning or at night, it feels like the iron bra syndrome - but, it's not painful - just annoying! I know that it might be minor lymphedema, or it just might be something we live with to remind us of how far we've come along!
Even still, I know that bmx and DIEP were the right choices for me.
Those of you in the early healing stages, hang in there! It gets way way better!
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I had bilateral mastectomies (left 11/06, right 6/07) and did bilateral reconstruction with tissue expanders and silicone implants( TEs 6/09, exchange 12/09).
The tightness is all too familiar to me. The solution: as soon as you are cleared by your surgeon, you should start physical therapy to loosen those chest, shoulder and neck muscles. A good massage therapist will help you break up adhesions in the scar tissue.
Your insurance should cover the PT. It will not cover the massage.
After PT is finished, start an exercise program that will strengthen your core and also do stretching exercises. This will be a permanent part of your life.
Because I had 2 years between my last mastectomy and TE placement, my chest muscles were strong and flexible. The expansion process was easy for me and the exchange was a breeze. The six months between TE and exchange were my choice because of vacation and Thanksgiving plans and, unlike many women with TEs, the TEs were not giving me any problems.
Another thing that only time will help is the nerve damage caused by the surgery. Feeling will come back to the skin and help with the iron bra feeling. I found that process took about two years.
Four years after my first mastectomy and one year after my exchange surgery, I can tell you I am pain free, I don't notice the implants at all. I am in the best physical shape of my life since my teenage years (I am 60) due to my daily exercise.
Hang in there, ladies. It will get better, but you have to do your share of the work.
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Christine5-wow, you and your sister finding out about breast cancer on the same day, what are the odds. That must be difficult for your family. Hang in there. I'm going through chemo right now, day 10 in my first round and its not as bad as it use to be. The drs have so many new drugs to help. If you have to chemo, check out the chomp thread as you might find one that is perfect for you. They help with questions and give support. Take care.
suz
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Be sure and check with your cancer centers, too....I was able to get three complimentary massages from a therapist who specializes in working on cancer patients, esp. BC. Even though my doctors weren't from this particular center, I still qualified ......this therapist was recommended to me by my physical therapist (who was helping me with my ankle).
blessings..robin
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