Day 2 Post surgery : wide excision & axillary dissection

I had terrible nerve pain right across my bc mastectomy reconstructed breast and underarm that was unbearable to touch. It started a little while after surgery. I went onto lyrica for a few weeks and as it lessened, my physio had me brushing the area lightly to help desensitize it also once I could bear to touch it.  It worked and I quickly got iff the lyrica. The nerve pain for me was one of the worse parts of the recovery. 

Infuriating  :#

I'm so p@$#ed off with this over-the-counter codeine ban.  I can't take aspirin or ibuprofen and the pretend codeine replacements are next to useless.  Now, they're auditing doctors for how many codeine scripts they write.  I don't take it a lot as I know that the efficacy lessens if you take it too often (and I am aware of the addictive possibilities which I discussed long ago with my GP), but bloody hell - I am a grown up.  Now, not only do I have to get to a doctor for a script (an appointment that the government has to pay for) but I then, if I can't get in to my usual GP, I have to convince the doctor that I need it.  GGGGRRRRR.

@Flossy! There's no medals for being a martyr! I'm one who was also reluctant to take pills but BC has taught me that while it's good to ask yourself the questions, there is absolutely zero point in suffering unecessarily. Life is so much easier for you and those around you if you're not in pain.

I hope you have a better day to day lovey. K xox

Thanks Sister, I had a small amount of cording mainly because I had the drain in so long, That's a good idea about massaging your arm under the shower. I will find out about the oncology physio, and all comments are helpful lol

I think I am my own worst enemy.... being a nurse.... didn’t want to take the heavy duty pain tablets. Swelling has gone down abit today and I can sit up at last without feeling constantly torn, stabbed or tasered.

Don't tough it out with just Panadol. Get a Targin script. I had atrocious shooting pain which would nearly lay me out and suddenly it would be gone. Nerves are funny things.

Thank you so much for your comments.... yes Igray3911 it is like being tazared !!! Thank you for advice on cording will look into that too. Not allowed to lift arm past 90 degrees yet until drain out on Monday. Your comments just make me feel so much better .. expected pain at site of incision and drain wasn’t prepared for this other nerve pain

@bakerr You may have cording.  It feels and looks like cords under the arm when you extend your arm upwards.  You can massage the area (particularly when you're in the shower) and your surgeon or bc nurse should be able to show you how to do it.  If you have an oncology physio in your area, I would recommend seeing them - I've been going every couple of weeks for laser therapy and massage as mine flared badly after chemo.  If yours is cording, it can get worse during radiation as everything can tighten up.  Of course, if your surgeon has told you it's something else, please ignore me.

It's awful for a few weeks and then it should settle down.  You may never get the feeling back completely, though.  I had 2 surgeries, sentinel node and the dissection, either side of Christmas.  I still have numbness and scrambled signals under my arm but not the pain, thank goodness, although bras can start to rub in that area at times.