Cooling the Fire Babies

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okbecca
okbecca Member Posts: 106

I don't know if this will work for anyone else, but it worked -- at least once -- for me.

I call the burning divots (the hollows where my breasts once were, experiencing that burning sensation) "fire babies." I've learned that it calms the fire babies if just place my hand in the divot and caress them. Also, if I wear the pressure bra the doc prescribed, it calms them for a while. Then, when the pressure bra begins to irritate and sets them off again, taking the bra off and leaving them open to the air helps.

Then, two days ago, the itching started. Every significant wound I've ever had has itched as part of the healing process. So, I welcome the itching as a sign that I'm healing. But it is maddening. I can endure it during the day. But at night, both it and the burning sensation are sleep wreckers. If I don't sleep, the deep exhaustion that is like none other falls on me and I'm sick with it all day. If I don't sleep for night after night, my whole recovery slides down in a hole.

Last night I remembered that I had a couple of those twist and cool tube cool packs left over from the hospital. I got one, twisted, and draped it across the itching fire babies. It worked. The babies settled down, and I got a good night's sleep.

So ... if the itching is driving you nuts, try an ice pack.

Hope this helps somebody else.

Comments

  • Denise-G
    Denise-G Member Posts: 1,777
    edited April 2016

    Good advice - I had terrible itching so this would have been very helpful.


  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited April 2016

    Arghhh.... I am four years out from my recon surgery, and in the beginning I expected itching, along with all the other fun sensations following BMX and Exchange surgery.

    But lately, my implants have been itching... twice so bad I got up in the middle of the night to put calomine lotion on them! (it was all I had....)

    One caution about ice packs - make sure you never allow them to directly touch your skin... with the lack of nerve endings in some places, it's possible to actually get frostbite on your chest.

    I got that info when I sunburned my TEs really badly through a thin shirt. The PS said cool compresses only.

    But this itching - yikes! Good thing I see the MO tomorrow. Will keep the ice packs in mind.

  • okbecca
    okbecca Member Posts: 106
    edited April 2016

    Denise, I checked out your blog. It's very helpful. Really made me mindful of lymphedema.

    Blessings20, that's good advice about the ice packs. I will heed it.

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