Feeling so weak and in pain days before 1st surgery

LoveandLightinLA

Hello ladies,

I don't know what is going on with me. I have a nipple delay procedure and sentinel node biopsy scheduled for this Friday. I am definitely feeling very anxious and stressed.

Of course when it rains it pours, I feel overwhelmed as life is so hectic right now. Lots going on - backed my car into a pole, broke a tooth, my 6 year old daughter is scared and worried about my upcoming hospital visit, husband is stressed and worried about me and dealing with intense work drama, and I barely have the time or energy to juggle all my doctor and dentist appointments while keeping on top of the endless housework and helping my daughter with her schoolwork everyday.

I decided to get a massage this past Friday, as my whole body is so tense from all the stress. I have had a kink in my neck for the last few months, I could barely move it. I decided to go to a neighborhood massage place with awesome yelp reviews and requested the woman that everyone raved about. I got a combo thai / swedish massage. It hurt, but I figured that I had such tight and tense muscles that I needed a deep massage to work all the knots out.

Well, ever since, I feel awful. My body is sore and aches. Especially both breasts and armpits and my lower back. The last few days, I was feeling better during the day, but by night, my body starts feeling so weak. Yesterday, I was out trying to run errands, and I had to go home. I was feeling heavy pressure on both breasts and felt like I had no energy at all.

I know it is too late now, but I pray that the massage didn't do damage to my body. I hope the deep massage did not cause my cancer to spread more quickly. I've noticed I have trouble lifting ordinary objects like bowls, or reaching into high cupboards. I haven't even had my surgery yet but my body is already acting like it has been through it. When I told my breast surgeon about my aches and pains in the past, she dismissed it and said cancer is usually pain free. I know this is not in my head. I've had to take painkillers every night this week.

This has been the hardest week for me so far. Up until now, I didn't really "feel" like I had breast cancer. I was relatively pain free except for a few aches here and there. This has been constant all week. I feel very weak and vulnerable.

I'm sorry to be venting. I thank you for listening. If any of you have felt similar aches and pains before surgery, please let me know. It would make me feel a lot better.

LisaAlissa

Sounds like you've been having a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad week. I'm so sorry that something that should have helped you feel better may have (instead) made you feel worse.

I am not a massage therapist (or any sort of medical professional!), but it sounds to me as if you're experiencing post-massage pain. There are risks to massage and if you haven't talked with your massage provider, you may want to. They are likely to say things like "drink more water," "consider OTC mild painkillers/anti-inflamatories," "massage can result in the same sort of pain as a heavy exercise session (that pain is typically caused by muscle break-down which leads to rebuilding a stronger muscle)."

But it could be something more serious. And this seems to have gone on for longer than the 24-72 hours that massage therapists typically mention in their literature. For example, you mention that you had a "kink in your neck." There are at least some anecdotal stories of strokes precipitated by massage to the arteries in the neck resulting in breaking lose clots in those arteries (if you have any clots there to be broken lose, of course). Other alarming risks mentioned are nerve damage and heavy bruisng. There is, of course, no reason to think that you are experiencing any of these (or other) complications.

I had found a few articles which I thought were helpful, but lost them when I tried to post. I'll try to edit this post to add them back when I have time later.

At any rate, if you haven't already, please do contact your massage provider, and tell them about how you're feeling and see what they say. Tell them that you think you're going to see your doc for help with the pain, and that you want to accurately describe the massage you had, so that your primary care doc can tease out the effects of the massage from anything else.

But no matter what the massage therapist says, call your primary care provider first thing tomorow morning. Ask to speak to your PCP's nurse and tell them about what happened. You need medical advice about how to relieve the pain you're feeling and advise you on how to proceed. Both on how to address your current pain, and if you should delay surgery because of it. I wouldn't think you would want to have your surgery when your body is already stressed by pain, but that is the question for your PCP and your surgeon to discuss together. Ask your PCP to reach out to your surgeon on this question, unless you're completely reassured that there is no risk after speaking to your PCP. If the two of them think that the pain you're currently experiencing could be a reason to delay surgery, decide when you need to make the decision about whether to delay.

Hope you're feeling much better, very, very soon!

LisaAlissa

JWoo

L&L,

I am sorry you are going through so much right now. It sounds like the worst week ever, and I am sure you are feeling it extra due to worry.

I am an RMT, have been since 2004. I have spent most of my career as a volunteer for hospice, so am versed in patient care on a more clinical level. Some important questions I have for you are:

Have you been undergoing any other treatment? chemo? or is surgery your 1st treatment?

Do you take any medicines that can cause issues with magnesium, sodium, or potassium levels in your body?

How much water do you drink daily?

Did your therapist have you fill out a medical info sheet?

If you've been in chemo, having a massage will be extra tough on you because your tissues are more sensitive, you have a harder time staying hydrated, and you are probably achy all over to begin with.

If you take any meds that may interfere with your body processing magnesium, sodium, or potassium, massage will make your muscles ache.

Dehydration is a major cause of that muscle pain and fatigue. Massage really moves a lot around. Your body will be expressing any kind of virus or bacteria that may have been sitting around, you've got lactic acid moving around, lymph fluids, and will have (if they did deep tissue) generalized muscle swelling. So we tell people "Up your water intake" to at least 2 quarts or more a day, and take an epsom salt bath to soothe those muscles a bit, for a good reason.

It does not, however, move cancer cells from a tumor. Cancer can be a contraindication for massage, but as long as you discussed it with your therapist, they should know what to do and what not to do (ie: breast massage, deep lymph massage).

I would call your MO, PS or your GP and discuss it with them. They need to be aware of your current pain levels and your concern. Your cortisol levels will be through the roof with all the stress you are under right now, and this is adding to your worry, which is not helping matters. That in itself can cause fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and gastric issues.

I did chemo first, then had my DMX 3 months after. The day before surgery, I had a massage that included breast/chest massage by an well trusted therapist. I was very sore, but it was the level i expected for my physical condition at the time + extreme stress. I can't gage your pain level or tolerance, but know that it is normal to be sore for a few days, sometimes longer, depending on how deep into the muscle she went.

Hope this info helps you a bit.

Best of health to you, and carry us all in your pocket with you for your procedures.

LoveandLightinLA

Thank you so much LisaAlissa and Jwoo for you compassion, concern, and words of support. You have both made me feel much better. I did email my breast surgeon about the way I am feeling. And I will be meeting with my pcp for my pre-op surgery physical today. So hopefully they can help me figure out if this is just a normal reaction to my deep massage.

And thank you for the tip about drinking water! I definitely do not drink enough. I will start drinking a lot more water from now on.

I am so thankful that I can express my fears and worries safely on this board. I appreciate all of the support so very much. {{{hugs}}}

JWoo

You are so welcome!

LisaAlissa

You're very welcome!

Please let us know how you're doing.

LisaAlissa

Falconer

Love and Light-

I am so sorry that you're having such physical pain. I too experienced increased physical symptoms before my MX. I had a lot of tenderness just where you are describing- breast, armpit, shoulder and neck. I had been through an awful biopsy that required me to hold my arm over my head for 1 1/2 hours. I think my whole body was responding to the stress-including my lymphatic system. Like you, I was worried about my children. I'm still feeling the effects of the stress but managing it with acupuncture exercise and a reminder to myself that Im alive today. You will get through it! You are not alone

Falconer

I forgot to add that I was given a muscle relaxer to help with the tension. Your PCP can help with that.

LoveandLightinLA

Falconer - thank you so much for sharing! I am glad I am not the only one feeling such aches and pains before surgery. It's a scary feeling. I did get a muscle relaxer from my PCP, it definitely helps!

JWoo

L&L-

was thinking of you today- hope everything went well for you and that you are resting well at the moment. Remember to take it easy, and give yourself plenty of time to heal before rushing back into your daily life.

(((gentle hugs)))

Falconer

love and light- Been thinking about you too, ❤️. Hope the next few weeks go smoothly, and that you and your family are in good hands. Please let us know how you feel and if you have questions about the next steps in this process. We've all been there

LoveandLightinLA

Thank you so much for thinking of me Jwoo and Falconer!

It was a long day at the hospital, so glad to be home now resting. Glad to have 1st surgery done...can't wait to have the 2nd surgery done and over with on 2/13 so I can just focus on recovery.

I hope you are both doing well too.

{{{hugs}}}

Ashweb901

thank goodness for you posting your 2016 experience bc even with the reassurance of my doctor that it’s mild swelling due to my biopsy I had June 25 ( ! ) I’m freaked out about mybreast achiness prior to my surgery.

Ashley