Recovering from breast cancer and...

It's intersting you mentioned your issue.  I just came across someone else with a similar addiction issue to pain killers.  She is called Lursa5 and her note can be found under the forum index section labeled something like 'sugery before during and after'.  Her note was labeled 'To tell or not. Need advice.'  I think you two should talk.  You may be able to help each other out.  Good luck and stay strong.  Your are making to first right steps!

No problem, Lisa.  I have been trying to find someone who has had nerve damage or something like that and found successful treatment.  I don't have the issue of becoming addicted to painkillers because I haven't found a pain killer to kill the pain yet.  I have tried several and nothing kills it.  I have been so frustrated for months now and had months of PT and no success with that either..I actually am worse now!  Go figure!

Sorry I haven't been on in about a week.  The pain is getting worse and I am getting more disgusted.  The pain is from my inital surgery last September.  They think the nerves are inflamed or something from it.  The pain is in my chest and goes all the way down my arm through my hand. One of the dr's think it might just go away in time.  My PT and one of the pain specialists thinks it might be RSD, which doesn't really go away.  I am going to my primary dr tomorrow to see if he can give me another PT to help me or someone/something.  I am just so frustrated and getting more depressed.  Living with this pain, working full time and having kids that want my full attention as soon as I get home is killing me.  How are you doing?

I can see why you would sleep with it on..you want to feel normal.  You want to feel like your old self again as much as possible.  I totally get it.  I had the lattismus dorsi resonctruction surgery and I hate how I look without clothes.  The surgeon tells me how great of a result it is but it actaully indent and the nipplea area looks huge now that it is tattooed...it looks ridiculous!  I keep referrring to it as a stop sign!  I never finished the final touches due tot he pain I am in...but I can certainly empathize with you about wearing prosthesis to feel as close to you use to as possible.  I went to my primary dr this week.  He said there is defninitely something wrong with me.  He thinks it is RSD and frozen shoulder.  He said I have limited mobility and barely any strength left in my hand.  He gave me to prescriptionns ..one to help me sleep and the other to help my muscle relax...neither worked...I still can't sleep fromt he pain.  I have an MRI scheduled for Monday.  I am still so frusrtrate.  But at least he recognizes something is wrong and is trying to find out what.  I also understand what you mean about your family not understanding...I hear my husbadn on the phone when people call asking about me...he says, 'Oh she's fine, her arm hurts, but she's ok'  on a scale of 1-10, I am at a constant 7!  I wouldn't say I'm ok.  This is driving me insane!  It is so draining and I can't exercise like I used to and I can feel myself getting more depressed.  I am not the person I used to be.  But he thinks everything is ok.  If you ever want to PM me, let me know. I'm here!  God knows I'm not out exercising like I used to be!