How long will post-surgery (nerve?) pain last?

AnotherMichelle

Background: I've had two surgeries in the last four weeks: a lumpectomy and SLNB and then a full axillary dissection. Like many of you, I had little pain after surgery. The incisions are numb and not at all painful.

But about four or five days after both surgeries, I developed significant pain on the underside of my arm between the armpit and the elbow (closer to the armpit)--about three to five inches from the actual incision. It hurts when my T-shirt brushes it even, so I find myself not moving that arm to avoid contact with anything, which I know isn't good. It doesn't hurt much at all when I lie still in bed as long as nothing is touching it. It hurts A LOT (six or seven) when I get goose bumps or when I wear the compression sleeve (five or six) that my surgeon gave me to wear (only five days after surgery). It gets worse every day. I suspect it's nerve pain.

1) Will this get better or worse with time?

2) If improvement is more typical, WHEN will it start to improve?

3) What should I do?

Thanks!

Kelli