jobeno

Hi Jo,

Thanks for your words Sunday was my bad day, i was feeling very uncomfortable and sad that my children are still away with their father (we are divorced) resentful that i couldn't swim in my pool i only just finalised financial settlement and bought a house in October with a pool that is just sitting there.  The only person that told me about the pins and needles and pain was a Breast Care Nurse and said that in between talking about survival and how i was lucky i didn't get breast cancer 30 years considering i am only 40 it would of been impossible.  I am currently waiting on results of last weeks operation to see if i have to have more surgery.

Good luck with your treatment, etc

Regards

Jo-Anne

 

 

 

Thanks Chris,

For your kind words i normally bounce back quickly after surgery and had no idea about the lack of movement, pain and pins and needles that i would get in my right arm, lucky i am left handed.  It is starting to feel better i have just realised that it will get better when it gets better being a single parent with two children the whole thing has come as a shock.

Hope everything is improving in your world

Jo-Anne

Ho jobeno.

I had a full axillary clearance on 8th December 2011.   I had a drain in for 14 days and therefore couldn't do the exercises.   As soon as the drain was removed I started the exercises and found them to be quite painful.    For several weeks I would have a good day, followed by several bad days with my arm and just thought the pain would never go away.     I don't think they explain just how much it can hurt, especially if they have to sacrifice a nerve(my surgeon told me this two weeks after the operation).   

It has been nearly six weeks since my op and although my arm is not back to normal, it has improved greatly in the last week or so.    I too, like Chris, was doing the exercises and then got sick of them and just started using my arm as I would have done before the operation and stopped 'favouring' it all the time.  It seems to be working for me.   I saw the physio at the hospital yesterday and she said m range of movement was good.    I know it feels like it will never improve, but it will eventually.   Good luck.

Jo xx   

Hi, yeah, the underarm surgery is awful. It is a bit hard to explain how bad it is unless you have had it. I knew it would be bad, as I had a sentinel node biopsy to start with, and it hurt much more than the lumpectomy. 3 weeks later I had to have level one nodes removed, (10) more, and a mastectomy. I was prepared for this, having just been through the biopsy. The mastectomy was the easy part, and, ouch, the lymph node removal really hurt. I didn't think I'd ever be able to lift my arm again, and the exercises just made me feel sick and useless. My physio just suggested that I start to try and use my arm as normal, after the 3 week period, and to forget the exercises for awhile. That really helped, and before long I had full movement back, and could use my arm as before. I then joined an exercise class at the hospital specically for breast surgery patients, and this strenthened everything, and now I have no issues. I was probably back to normal about 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. Good luck, and don't despair, you will get there. Love Chris xx