So today, Sunday, I have had a lot of pain around about, but deeper inside where my tumour was. My lumpectomy was a year ago April. I also recovered really well. I was getting worried but have been reading many women do feel the pain and stabbing sensations a long time after surgery. It could well be for you and me that it is the nerve endings regenerating themselves. I think this is probably right but it is so hard not to be worried. From my professional point of view (yes, I am a nurse - the worst of worriers) my site is not red and unusually warm to the touch and the pain is there but not severe. Like you stabbing pains which correspond to nerves regenerating themselves. I expect, like me, you had radiotherapy. Again, with my sensible hat on I think this is the likely cause.
However, I would say we both need to make a phone call to our Breast Care Nurses to have their opinion. They wouldn't want us worrying and for us knowing this does happen would be the peace of mind.
I wouldn't mind betting some of the lovely ladies on here will be along soon to let us know their experiences.
I don't think we will ever not worry about it coming back. I just hold the thought these wonderful clever people are researching and moving forward all the time.
I felt so much better knowing you were experiencing much the same as me.
If it's any consolation I also have the stabbing pains you are both mentioning which do concern me but my breast nurse previously told me that it was nerves regenerating themselves and I could have them for a few years or more!
My bilateral lumpectomy and full axillary node clearance was April 2019 and my 1st mammogram is on May 12th but I also have to have an MRI after this so its a double worry because I have the Brca1 gene.
I also had radiotherapy which finished in August last year and am literally terrified about next weeks screenings and the possibility of anything else being found.
I had a complete response from chemo last year and clear margins after my surgery but my cancer was triple negative and so I'm not on any hormone tablets.
I mentioned to my gp about the stabbing breast pains and she suggested nurofen gel which did help and it has been slightly better since using this.
The hospital would have done my mammogram but when I told them I was needing to shield because of asthma they said I shouldto stay home. I would have been quite prepared to go and didn't worry too much about being exposed to Covid-19.
In normal days infection control is really high in hospitals but now they are super vigilant with the Infection Control Team around every corner. They truly are on top of things. I am a nurse and worked in the acute sector for many years. You don't need to be unduly worried as the hospitals seem to have managed to keep Outpatients and Clinics in a zone away from the wards with Covid-19 patients. A&E is a lot quieter but you won't be going there anyway. You need to go for your appointments and have a stress free mind. You will be just fine. I have an infusion due June and, shielding or not, fully intend to go.
I became very tired just over a year ago and decided to move out to community nursing with shorter shifts. After a routine mammogram, I found out why I was tired!
I don't think we will ever be able to rest our minds on this thing coming back. But, we are lucky because we have seen that we hand ourselves over to the professionals and just know they will do everything they can for us. My cousin, Jane, had tnbc grade 3 and doing really well. Always has done well - not sure she had the gene because she has never mentioned it.
I'm sorry your mammogram was cancelled because of you needing to shield because of your asthma but I think you made the right decision on that front as it's just not worth putting yourself at unnecessary risk if you dont have to.
Thank you so much for putting my mind at ease about my mammogram and MRI on Tuesday and your positive comments have helped calm me down alot with regards to the Covid fear and the risks involved.
I know it's something that has to be done and hopefully it will give me peace of mind to enable me to relax a bit more, as you say we will always have that worry after everything we have been through but we have to think positively and will hopefully feel stronger as time goes on.
Again it's very reassuring about your cousin, mine was grade 3 too, and hearing such positive outcomes about people who have beaten this disease is something that helps ease my fears.
