Thank you so much for that. I was originally told to just take paracetamol but it wasn't touching the sides. My gp prescribed some nerve pain relief instead which really help. But you are right, I have pain and numbness on the back of my arm now. The pit was a bit sore but the back of the arm was worse. It is still a bit weird but slowly getting there. I'm normally a tough cookie so for me to moan about pain is unheard of. Hope you are recovering OK now. X

Hi I had 3 months off, as had removed in 2 places, took me 2 months to recover, felt better then worse again, pains and numbness normal I think, I then had radiotherapy and feel like I've had surgery again its a long process, I staying off until. April.  You should get sick pay for a few months off your employer. 

I hope you feel better soon. 

Ria

Hi [@Joanne-f]‍, You’re very welcome , if I can help anyone it helps me too in some small way. My pit pain is little. I too have some pain and numbness in the back of my upper arm and a patch is still very warm compared to the rest of the arm but it’s very early days. Still, if you think that arm would have been fixed upright for the length of the surgery - 4.5 hours in my case, it’s such an abnormal position for an arm to be in. Recovering fine, 2nd drain out yesterday, dressings off, and I’m thrilled, what a masterful job my lovely surgeon did two weeks ago. Hopefully node results will have come through by the MDT meeting and my visit to hospital on Friday - . The sun is shing and mentally in a really good place today. Lyn. X

Hi 

Gosh I'm glad I read this... the soreness like carpet burn on my bingo wing is excruciating ... I did think it was where my arm was touching where my drsssing was .. it's hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it and I constantly have a cushion under there but your never sure if it's to be expected or not 

I had my lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy on 26 jan and the first week I felt a bit of a fraud with only a bit of pain etc ... then it kicked in ... I'm on co codamol which is very good. 
it's good to hear that what I'm experiencing is normal.

my other really really painful thing is my nipple... I had it injected on the day which in itself hurt but now I don't know if it's bruising or what but again the pain is unbearable.. has anybody else suffered this and any tips to help 

Xx 

Hi [@Vesper1965]‍ - sorry you're so sore under your arm and on your nipple! I have a really soft silk scarf that I put between my arm and the pillow when sleeping and also tucked into my bra against my nipple when it was sore. Definitely worth getting the softest things you can! I'm a month out from surgery and while my underarm is still numb (makes shaving quite a funny experience), the pain has faded a lot. Still uncomfortable if I brush the skin the wrong way, but much better.

To anyone reading this who is hesitating over doing arm exercises - don't!!! They have made such a difference to me being able to get mobility back. I have scar tissue and cording in my armpit that is super uncomfortable, but the arm exercises have been helping.

Next step for me is radiotherapy, which I start on Thursday this week. I've finally recognised my limits and decided to go off sick for a month to rest & recover physically and mentally before going back to full-time work & PhD!

Hi everyone,

I'd also like to give an update for anyone new to this.  My surgery pain after a lumpectomy lasted for around four weeks and then began to subside.  After six weeks I hardly notice the pain.  However, the pain from the lymph node removal was worse than the surgery pain.  I found I couldn't tolerate skin touching skin and so used a soft sock to cushion it.  My scar is unfortunately, right on the bra line and so this caused a lot of discomfort even when wearing just a loose vest.  The nerve pain in this area, under the arm and into the breast was horrible but like the surgery pain began to subside after about 4-5 weeks.  The pain/uncomfortable sensation still there but nowhere near as bad.  I found that massaging the area when showering and when applying moisturiser really helped.  It was very uncomfortable to do at first but I definitely noticed a difference.

The Slogi was the best bra that I found but that still hurt around the under arm area.  There's a slight ribbing in the fabric and that was enough to cause pain.  Also, even though the seams are very slight, they also still caused pain and discomfort.

With regards to clothing, the best type of tops I found was a long sleeved t-shirt as they had only a very slight seam.  Also, because they are not loose, the protected skin touchng skin under the arm; looser clothing doesn't do this.    

I'm also starting radiotherapy this Thursday and have been seeking a good moisturiser to use.  I've tried a few but have settled on the one the hospital recommend, which is Aveeno.  It's lovely to apply, doesn't drag on the skin, really moisturising and sinks in fairly quickly.  I've also tried the body wash, which is also really nice.  I tried the baby soap/shampoo but wasn't keen on that.

I'm still searching for a good bra to use going forward.  I have tried so many; they are either too small, too big, or have seems that irritate etc. I received one from M&S yesterday, which is looking hopeful, fingers crossed! 

Can anyone recommend a good vest as an alternative to a bra?  All the ones that I've tried so far have a slim seem down the side and this is enough to irritate the area.

Good luck everyone :)

Hi I've just found this forum, I wish I'd found it day ago. I'm 9 days post-op for wide local excision & sentinel node biopsy. In tears tast night, the pain in my armpit! I never realise I feel this amount of pain. Even my Hysterectomy wasn't this bad. Anyway finding this forum has made me feel normal, I felt like there was something wrong with me or I was being weak. I kept saying between diagnosis & op that I didn't feel like I had cancer, post-op the reality has hit home. Will definitely be trying the sock tip, a BIG thank you in advance for that x

Hi Donnads37, 

I hear ya, I think I was the same, kind of floating along thinking 'this cancer thing isn't so bad' then the pain after surgery knocked me for 6. It was traumatising to feel suddenly so exhausted and powerless. I was shocked too by the amount of pain.

I know everyone is different but I'm 15 days from surgery now and the pain has Dramatically reduced, especially that horrible feeling on my inner arm like someone poured a kettle of boiling water on it. It's not gone but its tolerable, and I'm starting to see that this will pass and this really is best referred to as a journey (even though I poopooed that term in the beginning) because from week to week, even day to day you're in different places.

Yeah it's great to have the other ladies/lads on here (also breast cancer now forum), defo keeping me sane (-ish )

All the best to ya, keep truckin! 

Aileen x

Hi Aileen, 

I feel so normal! Haha Exactly, 'I don't feel like I've got cancer' & like you 'it ain't so bad' I cared for my Dad & Stepfather who both died of cancer, so obviously what I'm going through isn't the same as what I experienced with them thankfully. I guess maybe in a strange way as I wasn't dying I didn't feel like the cancer was real? 

Its awful to know people go through this but a relief to know others know what I'm going through. I'm so glad to hear it gets better, thank you for the reassurance. Even just finding & reading this forum has made me feel better if you know what I mean. The sock tip worked wonders. I'm definitely going to keep on top of my exercisers as some days when the pains sta it's worse I've been a bit slack. But I can see light at the end of the tunnel thanks to people like you. Thank you 

Donna xx