How does your breast feel years later?

koshka1

Hi, I am 7 years from treatment....and my breast feels really hard, and I still get twinges in my breast.

How do you feel years out?

Hard, pain, twinges?

Kosh

crazystupidbreastcancer

I had a mastectomy with radiation. My "fake breast" is harder than the noncancerous side. But it's not as bad as it was at the end of radiation.

marjie

Five years out - lumpectomy, chemo and rads. My breast is hard, feels warmer to the touch and is often

very itchy/sore. It's also much smaller than the other one now and I am waiting for corrective surgery to

adjust the imbalance.

koshka1

Hi Marjie, How the heck are you managing to get corrective surgery? I am in BC. My bad boob is much smaller and dented. Nobody has offered to fix mine. I would love to have it fixed.

So hard when I go to the gym as it is noticeable crooked.

I am thankful I still have the damn thing ...so far anyway...(mammo on Wednesday) but geez it looks bad....lol

Yes, I still get sore pains 7 years later.

Kosh

TNBCat37

What is the reconstruction method doctor used on your cancer side breast? Implant? My plastic surgeon refuses implant based reconstruction if a patient has been radiated. He said the skin tissue is burned inside and implants make the blood supply can't survive. Due to this, I'm very hesitate to get radiation.

labelle

I'm only 7 months out of RADs and my radiated breast is actually larger than the other, due to swelling from RADS and scar tissue. It is achy, sometimes feels better if I wear a bra, sometimes better without one.

My BS doesn't seem willing or able to tell me when/if swelling from RADS will go down. Anyone know when this might happen? Due to a previously infected seroma being drained I have a very deep, dented scar (along with my lumpectomy scar which is faint and SNB scar, now barely visible). I consulted a PS about possibly filling in my dent (the seroma was drained and left as an open wound to heal so this is like a belly button kind of hole thing, collects lint, etc.) and he said he could try fixing it but radiated skin is "tricky." I really don't like the hole in my breast, but am afraid to even try fixing it for fear of making it worse-more scarring and/or another infection.

doxie

At my last visit to my RO, he said my breast was still slightly swollen, this over 3 years from rads. It is, but I've also have truncal LE from time to time. Could be that instead, or both combined.

My radiated breast is more tender than my healthy one. Radiated skin is more difficult to work with. When I had nipple reconstruction, even after a full course of antibiotics, I still got an infection around the stitches. I doubt that would have happened on a non-radiated breast.

Morwenna

koshka,

I live in Alberta, so I would think BC would be similar. You need to ask your breast surgeon, or I think any other doctor you are seeing if they will refer you to a plastic surgeon.

The provincial health service should fully fund for any surgery to correct deformity or asymmetry resulting from breast cancer surgery, including reducing the non-cancer breast if that's the most effective way.

It might not happen quickly, but it should happen!