Pain under left arm for last couple of weeks and am getting concerned
Background - I had a double mastectomy for stage 2B lobular breast cancer in December of 2012 followed by chemo and anastrozole ,and a lumpectomy for DCIS and radiation five years prior in 2007.
Due to severe complications with the double mastectomy I was hospitalized for a month and came home with a pretty big dog ear on my left side which I never had fixed. At that point, my husband was more traumatized than me, so I just decided to live my life with it.
Due to the complications of the surgery, I am only comfortable sleeping on that left side, but it started hurting a couple of weeks ago, and just in the last couple of days it's hurting during the day, as well.
I am starting to wonder if this could be a recurrence of the cancer, and will call next week. The problem is that I moved several states over and don't have an oncologist here. I did have micrometastisis in the sentinel node, but I don't remember what was removed back in 2012. I think protocols may have changed since then. FYI - I'm 68 years old.
Anyone have something similar?
Thanks for reading! I haven't been here in years, but I could log on with my old user name!
Comments
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Welcome back, @strike_two! We're sorry you're dealing with these troubling concerns. Hopefully someone will be by soon to weigh in with their experiences.
We always suggest bringing any concerns to your doctor. While this could be scar tissue or something else benign, you'll want peace of mind to get some answers. We hope you can get an appointment soon so you can find out what's going on.
Thinking of you!
—The Mods
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Hi @strike_two, I have had nerve pain on the right side of my chest after whole breast/axillary radiation followed by a thermal burn injury six weeks later. Six months ago I had bad underarm pain at night followed by severe numbness in my right hand. A MRI of my brachial plexus showed no recurrence but my RO referred me to neurology because of my symptoms. Some possible causes have been ruled out but the search for a diagnosis continues.
If you can’t remember all the details of your treatment you could contact your old hospital and have the relevant medical records sent to you or your new oncologist. It requires some paperwork and can take several weeks but your new doctor would have the necessary information. All the best.
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Hi Stike_two. I had a unilateral Mx a year after you. I have a bit of a dog ear too. Is this term still used today? I haven’t been around for awhile. This area is often tender and at times becomes quite sore for a week or so. I do a thorough self exam and as I note no changes, I try to wait it out. I believe that nerves are to blame. That area can easily be irritated by friction, movement, muscle strain, etc. Please do get it checked out but try not to worry. Not until you have to and you likely will never have to. All the best.
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I do have tingling and numbness, sometimes, all the way down to my hand, as well.
I have faith and I realized for many years that lobular cancer has a way of coming back years and years later. I have always looked on the bright side and told myself that I'd rather it come back fifteen years down the road than five years. :).
I am mostly concerned because my young granddaughters (6 and 9 then) lost their 40 year old dad to cancer three years ago, so I need to live a few more years. My family has been traumatized enough by losing my precious son-in-law and I am very involved in their lives, I can't imagine telling them that I have cancer.
Thanks for "listening." I haven't shared with anyone, yet, besides my husband. We had a good laugh when I realized that my old name was strike_two, and we're hoping I don't have to change it to strike_three!
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