Pain post Axillary Lymph Node Dissection

Moderators

Becki -- hi and welcome to Breastcancer.org! We don't have any advice for you right now, but wanted to send you a warm welcome to our incredible Community -- you've definitely found the best place for support!

We're sure others will be by shortly to say hi and offer advice. We look forward to hearing more from you as you navigate your breast cancer experience. Please let us know how we can help!

--The Mods

Becki1218

Thanks for the welcome!!

Bren58

Welcome Becki. I'm sorry that you have to join our group. Dealing with BC is hard, and I'm sorry you have to deal with it on top of your other ailments. The pain will get better. Give yourself plenty of time to heal. Since you are also having Rads, you will want to find a good physical therapist who is qualified to treat BC patients. Try to find one that is a Certified Lymphedema therapist. CLT. You won't be able to start therapy for about 6 weeks post surgery, but a good PT should be able to help you get most of your range of motion back and treat any muscle tightness that you may develop.

Stenokim

becki, it will get better but in 18 months mine has still not gone away completely. Nothing horrible, I don't take any meds for it, but my underarm some days just plain hurts. I get massage therapy and that works better for me than the pt did. I had a mastectomy and 12 nodes removed, and the node surgery was worse than mastectomy. Hang in there and good luck! Kim.

Becki1218

Thanks for the advice. I will look into PT.

lxcarr

I am just freaked out with pain in my left arm.  I had a bilateral and extenders placed.  My right side is fine however my left arm with the extender and lymphnode removal of is giving me such grief.   I can't stand it.  I just want the extenders out and get my left arm normal again.   I am having such anxieties with pain.   My left arm where they took the nodes smells like BO and my right arm doesn't smell.  The left extender I can feel and rubbing up agains the skin under arm.  They say it's my lymphnodes that have been removed.  Doctor just blowing me off.  I'm going crazy.  

t2 grade3

magiclight

Lxcarr: So far post op and still in such pain sounds discouraging. This is a good place to blow off the stuff you are feeling re: the pain and being blown off by your doctor -- both of which can be crazy making. I cannot offer any info re: the post op extender pain. How many lymph nodes on left were removed? I only had 2 removed from one side and 1 from the other and am 14 weeks post op still have intermittent pain so cannot imagine what you must be experiencing. Hopefully someone will respond that can offer other consolation. Stay strong and keep venting.

gypsiqn

3/16/17 i had 25 axillary nodes removed including in the subclavicular area.not to mention the 2 sentinel nodes removed during my mastectomy ..8/7/17 pain has gotten worse ...everyday I am in tears at some point, which is not easy to cope with while at work. I remember my mastectomy getting easier little by little not worse. I can't afford the copays to begin lymphedema therapy and it's beginning to take a massive toll on me physically and emotionally...my pain seems to be chronic at this point and believe me I have a high tolerance for pain. I don't know what to do...i hope I can try some of these ideas and that they help...😢😢😢

Mucki1991

any chance you have a seroma? I have one at the site of my axillary site only 7 nodes removed. My seroma hurts a lot!!! Sorry your having such a hard time