Pain Control, Cording, Hypersensitivity, Fluid - Single Mastectomy 5wks
Hi All
Need support & info with all of the above. I am 5 weeks post surgery and seriously struggling. R mastectomy. Cancer all gone. 3 lymph nodes taken and all clear. No chemo or radio required. 10 days into Tamoxifen. Overall got the best possible result I could so all very happy with that but just struggling post surgery.
PAIN CONTROL - interested to know what kind of pain control and how long has everyone taken it after surgery. I left hospital with no pain control. They said take Panadol. I felt quite good for first week after surgery just taking the Panadol but been downhill since. 10 days after surgery got script for Tramedo for pain. Still taking that now. When I've woken up and feel ok (maybe 2-3 on pain scale) and think Im good enough to not take the Tramedo by mid-late arvo the pain is up around 7-8. Besides Tramedo only thing for relief is laying on bed with nothing touching my underarm or around all that area.
CORDING - Physio said I do have mild Cording in my arm. Guitar strings. Seen physio twice now for treatment and will continue. I have complained about tightness all along, only to be told by the professionals and everyone that this is all healing. I knew in my head that it was far too tight to be healing. Man it is like a clamp. Last visit to physios she said I have Cording into my chest (I knew it). I cant believe the tightness. On the days I feel like I can go pain free it is still tight but bearable (until late arvo).
HYPERSENSITIVITY: 5 wks post surgery and I prefer to go bra free or I put soft bra on L side only & leave other side hanging down. Will wear a tighter singlet but also leave one side down if sensitivity is too high. Can hardly stand anything touching the area and without the pain meds it is so much worse. Having said this, the physio has done quite firm massage in the area and I coped with that quite easily. Other day after trying on some singlets when shopping the sensitivity was full on burning feeling. Like raw sunburn. Worse Ive had it. Physio told me to slowly put different material textures and warm and cool over the area in small bursts in order to retrain my brain with the pain signals. I felt sick just listening to her say that and the thought of how I was going to cope with that. Sensitivity is a real 'icky' feeling. Help??
FLUID: I left hospital with the drain removed. Surgery about 1pm, drain removed 10am next day. No round ball like Seroma but did have fluid and the pain & tears to go with it. Drained 20mls day 4, 60mls day 7 then 30mls day 10. Nothing drained since & surgeon checked this around 3wks. Wonder if the ongoing pain and tightness is actually fluid. Having said this, I am very thingy about having it drained re: needle inserted = more scar tissue + possible infection. But if it meant the pain & sensitivity would go then I'd do it. How long after surgery have any of you ladies had fluid syringed? Anybody got anything to say about all this?
Can anyone offer anything on all or any of the above? Will it get better? How long? I know it takes time and everyone's different. But that's all I ever hear. 5 weeks post surgery seems like a reasonable amount of time for the pain to have lessened - or am I still just impatient. And some of pamphlets you read say you may be able to go back to work after week 4 - Ive got no chance of coping with work especially as I work at a computer and sitting makes the tightness completely clamp up. I am going to have to go and stretch now after typing all this. BTW: I have good arm range and movement. Cant just fling my arm in the air willy nilly but I can get it above my head slowly even though it pulls. I am strict with my stretches and rehab.
Help :(
PS: Sorry for the long drawn out saga .... but I've really never felt so alone in all my life and feeling like 'this is it' for me, I'm stuck on pain meds forever.
Need support & info with all of the above. I am 5 weeks post surgery and seriously struggling. R mastectomy. Cancer all gone. 3 lymph nodes taken and all clear. No chemo or radio required. 10 days into Tamoxifen. Overall got the best possible result I could so all very happy with that but just struggling post surgery.
PAIN CONTROL - interested to know what kind of pain control and how long has everyone taken it after surgery. I left hospital with no pain control. They said take Panadol. I felt quite good for first week after surgery just taking the Panadol but been downhill since. 10 days after surgery got script for Tramedo for pain. Still taking that now. When I've woken up and feel ok (maybe 2-3 on pain scale) and think Im good enough to not take the Tramedo by mid-late arvo the pain is up around 7-8. Besides Tramedo only thing for relief is laying on bed with nothing touching my underarm or around all that area.
CORDING - Physio said I do have mild Cording in my arm. Guitar strings. Seen physio twice now for treatment and will continue. I have complained about tightness all along, only to be told by the professionals and everyone that this is all healing. I knew in my head that it was far too tight to be healing. Man it is like a clamp. Last visit to physios she said I have Cording into my chest (I knew it). I cant believe the tightness. On the days I feel like I can go pain free it is still tight but bearable (until late arvo).
HYPERSENSITIVITY: 5 wks post surgery and I prefer to go bra free or I put soft bra on L side only & leave other side hanging down. Will wear a tighter singlet but also leave one side down if sensitivity is too high. Can hardly stand anything touching the area and without the pain meds it is so much worse. Having said this, the physio has done quite firm massage in the area and I coped with that quite easily. Other day after trying on some singlets when shopping the sensitivity was full on burning feeling. Like raw sunburn. Worse Ive had it. Physio told me to slowly put different material textures and warm and cool over the area in small bursts in order to retrain my brain with the pain signals. I felt sick just listening to her say that and the thought of how I was going to cope with that. Sensitivity is a real 'icky' feeling. Help??
FLUID: I left hospital with the drain removed. Surgery about 1pm, drain removed 10am next day. No round ball like Seroma but did have fluid and the pain & tears to go with it. Drained 20mls day 4, 60mls day 7 then 30mls day 10. Nothing drained since & surgeon checked this around 3wks. Wonder if the ongoing pain and tightness is actually fluid. Having said this, I am very thingy about having it drained re: needle inserted = more scar tissue + possible infection. But if it meant the pain & sensitivity would go then I'd do it. How long after surgery have any of you ladies had fluid syringed? Anybody got anything to say about all this?
Can anyone offer anything on all or any of the above? Will it get better? How long? I know it takes time and everyone's different. But that's all I ever hear. 5 weeks post surgery seems like a reasonable amount of time for the pain to have lessened - or am I still just impatient. And some of pamphlets you read say you may be able to go back to work after week 4 - Ive got no chance of coping with work especially as I work at a computer and sitting makes the tightness completely clamp up. I am going to have to go and stretch now after typing all this. BTW: I have good arm range and movement. Cant just fling my arm in the air willy nilly but I can get it above my head slowly even though it pulls. I am strict with my stretches and rehab.
Help :(
PS: Sorry for the long drawn out saga .... but I've really never felt so alone in all my life and feeling like 'this is it' for me, I'm stuck on pain meds forever.
