Hi janex, I found out I had cording after my first surgery, so after doing exercises to relieve the tension, the pain drastically reduced.

I have recently had partial breast reconstruction and unfortunately got a haematoma, which was very bruised and swollen and needed to be surgically removed. Did your surgeon mention surgery to remove the haematoma? X

Hi Claire no he hasn't. It is 31/2 weeks post lumpectomy and SNB so maybe too early to discuss removing the haematoma? He said it will eventually reabsorb. I am doing the exercises every day (the ones to do after the surgery). I have also been given a lidocaine patch and some amytryptaline to cope with the carpet burn like pain on the skin. I'm on my way to a Italy for 2 weeks so will see how it is and go back to see him when I return. How long after your op did you have the haematoma removed? 

I saw my surgeon after 2 weeks and the haematoma was very big so he arranged surgery for 3 days later. He said that the size of my haematoma would not absorb naturally. Hopefully yours will be reabsorbed without the need for surgery. Like I said, mine was after my reconstruction rather than my initial lumpectomy, so perhaps that makes a difference as the wound is a lot bigger. Keep an eye on it though, and if it doesn't go or gets worse make sure you let them know.  Have a lovely time in Italy x

Thanks Claire I will keep an eye on it. The lidocaine patch is helping and I'm massaging my boob and underarm  in the evening with arnica balm. I'll see how it goes whilst I'm on holiday and hopefully it will reduce in size. The lump is about 2 inches in diameter and it's on the side of my boob where my lump was. My underarm burns like billio when skin touches skin. All that area was totally numb after the surgery so all this is the sensations coming back but it just feels like the nerves haven't quite got themselves right and and being over sensitive to light touch. Other posts say it settles after 4-5 weeks so hoping mine will be the same. I hope you are doing well x

Hi I just thought I would post my post op progress just in case anyone searches for advice. I am now 6 weeks post lumpectomy (lump was 14mm and on the outer edge of my rt breast at 9 o'clock position if looking at my breast from the front). The first 2 weeks my breast was swollen and bruised. The skin on the outer part of the breast, under my arm and on the back of my shoulder was numb. Fine I thought, the swelling and bruising will go down and hopefully the feeling will come back on the skin. Well- 3 weeks post op all hell broke loose! The skin was fine with firm pressure but any light touch- even from a soft bra was unbearable! It felt like a burning or carpet burn pain. Even the skin on skin touching under my arm caused a shearing raw burning pain. I was devastated that I was left with this. The surgeon was perplexed and because my scar was healing well just just told me he was sorry I was having this type of pain! I left his office thinking it would be permanent. He asked a pain control consultant to phone me and he said it is nerve damage pain and the nerves are waking up and  wrote me out a prescription for gabapentin but I was very scared of the side effects. I spoke to my GP aswell and he said don't go straight in with gabapentin try Amytryptaline and a lidocaine patch first. Amytryptaline is a more gentle drug. Anyway I took the GPs advice and took 10mg before bed at night. It didn't get rid of  the pain but it definitely took the edge off it. The lidocaine patch I used once and it did help but for some reason I didn't bother with it. It is now 6 weeks post surgery and I stopped the Amytryptaline 4 days ago and I don't have the burning pain anymore. I don't know if it was the drug or just time that helped but thank goodness it is gone. So all the previous posts that advised me that it has a turning point at 4-5 weeks were right. So if you are reading this be assured that for some the burning phase is part of the healing process. There are tablets and the patch you can try if it's too unbearable. Other people I know who have been through the same procedure did not experience any burning pain after so it doesn't always happen. But if it does don't panic. For me it took 6 weeks to go. Other things I did whilst having this pain was the exercises I was given post surgery. I also used arnica balm from Neals Yard to massage with quite firm pressure my under arm and  over my boob where the bruising and 2cm haematoma was. I've still got a firm swelling where the original lump was but I know that this is normall and it will go down after 3-6 months. Hope my experience will bring some reassurance to anyone experiencing this type of pain. I am just so grateful for this forum. When I was at my worst, lying in bed massaging by burning boob I read over and over again these posts that talked about the burning pain. It was such a comfort knowing I wasn't alone and that eventually it does get better. 

Thanks for this - I am only 10 days post op and the swelling and bruising is incredible. I also have a thick purple bruise along my ribcage which gives me a sharp pain between my ribs now and again. I was on here looking for advice of how to help the swelling go down but guess I just need to be patient. I am starting to find the cold weather is really making my breast sensitive and give off a prickly burning feeling but when I touch it it still feels quite numb. Am thinking of working from home for a bit rather than driving into work and worrying about all the wincing I am doing at the moment

I will but some arnica cream even though my husband will look at me like I am a lunatic - at least I will feel like I am doing something which might help but won't do any harm either way 

monika

After my lumpectomy I had a drain for two weeks it took me a long time to get over it  I suppose we are all different and I am maybe a lot older than you x

Hi Monika

i came back to this site as I'm now 11 months post my surgery and all that horrible burning pain has gone and I weaned myself off the amitryptaline in February. My breast is still a bit tender and firm but looking back at how I was after the surgery things are so much better. I hope it is for you too? 

I'm so pleased everything improved. I'm writing on this posts again to give some hope to people that initially things look bleak with the pain and swelling but eventually with time it improves. The surgeon tells you that but for some reason I didnt quite believe him. I just believed all the women on here that described their experiences. My boob hurts after exercise too so a very good sports bra is the key. I've slacked off the massaging of my boob and it's firmed up and gone a bit tender again so I'm planning on getting back to massaging it. I think it's the radiotherapy that changes the tissues perhaps and maybe the lump drainage isn't quite as efficient as it was. Anyway, I have my 1 year check up the first week of July and I'm hoping I've got the all clear. Here's to us for getting through this life experience xx