I am really having a hard time with wearing a bra. Is there any females that can advise me on what they are doing to get thru a full work day without pain?

Hi 

I had part of my right lung taken away pain I can put up at the moment  it's only 4 months .

Some days my breathing is fine walking around town  other days out of breath making a brew

my breathing is a lot worse than before opp how long before it gets better  anyone help thanks

Hi

I had a Right Lung Bi-Lobectomy in September 2010 and a year later, feeling very much improved and expecting the consultant to say "Come back in a year". I got a massive shock when he said I had a new tumour on the remaining Right Lung Lobe. The surgeon ruled out surgery and suggested STEREO STATIC RADIOTHERAPY, within 3 months the tumour was gone.  I became more breathless for a time but things did improve with exercise, walking the dog and playing Lawn Bowls.
It is now February 2016, now 75years old and I still become breathless with strenuos activity. But I am waiting for the Bowls Season to start in April with childish anticipation. Every day is a Bonus and I owe it all to the NHS Doctors and Nurses at Guys Hospital.
I UNASHAMEDLY SUPPORT THE YOUNG DOCTORS AND NURSES NOW IN DISPUTE. PROGRESS YES BUT NOT TORY HIDDEN AGENDAS.

Thanks for your time

Tom

I just had a lobectomy 8 weeks ago and have the same pain. My breast is numb and the pain is near the incision and between my breasts. Since ur post was in 2013, I'm wondering how u r doing and if and when the pain subsided. Thank you - Shana

I have been meaning to comment on a few posts. Kaz mentioned trouble finding a comfortable bra to wear post surgery, I had the same problem, I did manage to find a comfortable one from M&S, it's the sumptuously soft range,they aren't very sexy but they come in a few colours and are really comfortable around my scar. 

Roz, I had an upper left lobectomy the same time as yourself, October 28th 2014, I do still suffer with pain around my scar but nothing like I was doing. I also have occasional pain under my ribs and around my chest area, my lower back aches a lot too, I don't know if that's anything to do with my posture since my surgery. I am so much better though and in such a far better place than I was this time last year. I hope you are doing well too? 

Shana, I know exactly how you are feeling 8weeks post surgery, it does get better I promise! It just seems to take forever. I know everyone heals differently and some faster than others and at times you think will I ever be pain free, I accept I'll never be the same person physically and mentally but I'm so grateful that I am still here living and enjoying my life to the full, I still worry about the future but I try not to take it over my mind like it used to, after counselling I have learnt to live for the here and now, I've stopped craving my old life back and accepting what will be will be!! It certainly makes you look at the important things in life rather than trivialities! Sorry for the long post, I hope everyone continues to stay well and tries to stay positive.

I also have a hard time wearing a bra. I had open surgery on my right lung in January 2015 and a VATS lobectomy on my left side in May 2015 so I have scars both on my right and left side. For a REALLY long time, I had to use a camisole instead of a bra but when I got back to work in August I sort of needed to start wearing a bra again. I have experienced with bras in one piece which you pull over your head but the ones I purchased didn´t really work for me. I ended up purchasing some bra lengtheners that I could use with my old bras, making them 5-7 cm larger in circumference. It helped a lot, but the most important thing is to make sure that the bra you wear covers up your scars, so you don´t experience the border of your bra "cutting" throug half of your scar. I take of my bra as soon as I get home from work, and sometimes in the weekends, if I´m not seeing friends or going out I give myself a bra "holiday".

Today, as a consequence, I have purchased bras a size larger than what I need. Although the support is not optimal, it is the only way I can endure wearing a bra for a number of hours in a row.

My advice is therefore to take a good look at how your bras cover your scars and if necessary try to find a brand and model that match your scars.

Good luck!

Ginette- I can't thank u enough for ur post. It was perfect timing. I had begun to feel a bit self absorbed and worry too much about the pain and the future.  I do realize how lucky we r to have found this early. And thank u for reminding me of what is really important!   Shana

I had my Surg in Jan 2016 and am still experiencing all of the same things u describe. I'd say it is quite normal to feel this way. We have been thru a major Surg. It is a lot to take in. And it's hard for others too. Some friends act like I'm a fragile flower while others act as tho nothing at all have happened to me. I try to take one day at a time and writing and reading about others in the same situation really helps. It would b nice to feel normal again but then again, it's just nice to b here! 

Shana

Karen

I had a lobectomy on my right lung in January 2016, the operation went well and for the first few months I had no real problems, after about four months I started getting really bad pains in my chest, back and right armpit. After the initial horrible thoughts I had a couple of scans and was told it was a nerve problem. Currently I am on countless paracetamol tablets and my GP prescribed a stronger painkiller called Amitriptyline, been having it for about a few weeks but found it had no effect, I have now been told that it it is mainly used to treat symptoms of depression! Am seeing GP again to get a drug that just treats the pain and am hoping that time will heal the nerve damage. I am going to see Macmillan to try and get some counselling as the after effects of being treated for cancer are much harder to cope with than the shock of getting the disease and the actual treatment of it. I had chemo for five months and also have a tingling and numbness in my feet still despite finishing the treatment in November 2015 after a separate operation on a bowel cancer, now fully clear of that, the lung was not a secondary cancer so that it why the lobectomy operation was possible. Sorry rambling away now but from all that I have heard the pain will hopefully reduce over time, the alternative of not having any treatment for the disease in the first place does not bear thinking about!!!

Hi Karen,

I had surgery to my left lung. I didn't have the same as you, I had a wedgectomy. The incisions are on my left side midway down. I had and still do on occaision. Because the nerves had been cut during surgery my pain was mixed with nerve pain. In fact, at times I felt like there was a metal plate under my skin on my left sie. Other times I felt that the plate was at my bra line in the front. If I had to cough, wow, it hurt and I reduced the pain by holding something (my purse, a pillow, whatever) pressed against my left breast when I caughed. I say what you've described sounds normal for what you have gone through. My doctor was to perform a lobectomy and since he didn't he told me had he I would have had a much longer recoup period and much more painful. One of the meds he gave me was Gabapentin (brand Neurontin) to help with the nerve pain. The nerve pain is what I have already described as well as a kind of numb feeling but you can sort of feel something is touching you, or something like that. You might even experence "ticks" when you are sitting speaking with someone and all of a sudden you jump because a nerve tweeked. All of this goes away. I wish you luck. Call your doctor and tell him that you feel uncomfortable when he doesn't explain that your pains are normal and natural for the surgery you have been through! Make sure he gives you a prescription to make you more comfortable.

I hope this heps,

Sassiehc