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me1ani
me1ani Member Posts: 38
edited June 2014 in Working on Your Fitness

  Hi Everyone,
 
       I had a unilateral mastectomy and snb three days ago and i'm still so sore and nauseous from the antibiotic and painkiller I can barely do the range of motion exercises suggested. The most excruciating stabbing and burning pain seems to be coming from tricep region on the back of my arm.I can't sleep at night for more than 30 minutes at a time because I can't get comfortable.
 
     This is so discouraging- I was in great shape, marathon training right up until a day before the surgery. I thought my prior fitness would surely help. Any suggestions for how to promote recovery mentally and physically? I know we all recover at different rates....
 
   me1ani 
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  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 8,458
    edited August 2009

    me1ani, your last sentence is the best I can tell you!. Give yourself time to heal. 3 days from major surgery is only 3 days. There's not only healing from the physical part oif the surgery, there is also the general anesthesia which takes a toll. The emotional component should also be taken into account.

    Painkillers might also help you. When I had my mastectomy, the nurses in the hospital told me that at one time, the thinking was that it was best not to take them if you could avoid them, and people were encouraged to "tough it out". They said that now the thinking is that it's best to take painkillers when you need them so that your body uses energy to heal instead of to fight pain. You need to sleep, and if you're too uncomfortable and in pain to sleep that will slow your healing.

    Best of luck to you.

    Leah

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  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited August 2009

    Hi there, I would call the doctor's service and tell them about your symptoms..

    there could be something else going on, also he'/she could prescribe  a different

    med without the nausea...I used compazine in a suppository form so it didn't 

    go through my stomach for nausea..

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  • hbcheryl
    hbcheryl Member Posts: 5,113
    edited August 2009

    Hi Mel1ani,

    I'm sorry you are having a hard time but the tricep pain you are having is normal, it is the nerve, I descibed it as a sunburned feeling on the inside.  I used aloe vera and did gentle massage and that helped a lot.  As for sleep, you can ask your doctor for something or there are many OTC sleep aids, I use Simply Sleep or Calms Forte and quite by accident when I was sufferig from allegeries I discovered Benadryl was a great help sending me off.  Everyone does recover at a diferent rate but your athletic training will have helped greatly even though you don't feel it at the moment. Big gentle (((((HUG))))).  
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  • me1ani
    me1ani Member Posts: 38
    edited August 2009

    Hi Leah,
     
    I'm taking the painkillers 3x a day- though it says I can take them up to 6x a day. They make me incredibly nauseous. I've tried eating various things and at differing times to try to find what works. Nothing keeps the nausea away so far. The latest experiment is a pb and j sandwich 10 minutes before the pill.
     
      me1ani 
     
     
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  • Dawnmrn1
    Dawnmrn1 Member Posts: 446
    edited August 2009

    me1ani!  Try sleeping in a recliner,I slept in a recliner for 2 weeks after both of mine. It gave me a place to put my arm and I did not roll over,that just made it hurt more. I also used Tylenol pm for sleep, helped alot at first.  Please give yourself time, this too shall pass!  Good Luck! Dawn

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  • me1ani
    me1ani Member Posts: 38
    edited August 2009

    Thanks for all the suggestions. I will call my doctor.
     
    Benadryl may be a good interim solution. The vicodin is giving me headaches and making me feel as though someones sitting on my chest (or is that from the surgery?)....
     
      I hate feeling like a whiner, yet here I am full pitch.  
     
     
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  • Jellydonut
    Jellydonut Member Posts: 1,043
    edited August 2009

    Me1ani,

    For heaven's sake, you are not a whiner!!  You just had major surgery three days ago!  Give yourself a break.  Women used to be hospitalized 10 days or longer with mastectomy surgery before the world of medicine changed.

    Two suggestions for the nausea problems:  ginger ale is good along w/a prescription from your doc for anti-nausea  meds (like phenegran, compozine or zofran). Secondly, it helps to be horizontal when taking the pain meds and staying that way for at least 30 minutes afterward.  Try your best to not move -- just lie still.

    IMHO, three days is way too soon to begin range of motion exercises.  Please give yourself at least two weeks before undertaking such things.  Your body is trying to recover from a major surgical and anesthesia attack and you need to give it time to heal.

    Do you have help at home?  Perhaps you could utilize a visiting nurse?  If so, ask your surgeon to please request one through your insurance.  I had one after my mastectomy and I'm glad I did.

    Please keep us updated on your progress. 

    We care.

    Hugs,

    Jelly

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited August 2009

    me1ani ~  So sorry you're having such a rough time, but I totally agree with SoCalLisa -- you definitely need to call your BS's service STAT.  It sounds like the Vicodan isn't agreeing with you.  There are other painkillers they can switch you to.  They can also RX an antinausea med if necessary.

    Being a runner should put you at an advantage for circulation and healing issues, as well as recouping your strength quickly.  But it won't make you tolerate meds your body doesn't want in it.  Is there someone there with you who can pick up new meds for you? 

    If you have or can get some crystallized ginger, it's possibly more potent than ginger ale if you want to try a natural approach to the nausea.  Also, if you haven't done it already, propping pillows up behind and around you, so that you're almost in a sitting position with your arm propped on a pillow when you sleep may be more comfortable than lying down.      

    Please keep us posted!    Deanna

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  • jpernot
    jpernot Member Posts: 112
    edited August 2009

    I had a mx three WEEKS ago and I'm still in pain.  Give yourself a break.  I also had major trouble tolerating the pain meds.  fortunately now I'm down to only taking them before I go to sleep at night.  When I was taking them during the day, I needed to take Zofran 30 minutes before the pain meds.  I learned this in the hospital the hard way when I had a vomitting episode.  BTW, I had a DIEP flap recon, so that was no fun with the 53cm abdominal incision.  Get some Zofran! 

    Jude

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  • hollyann
    hollyann Member Posts: 2,992
    edited August 2009

    I can tell you from experience the pain in the back of your arm is from nerve damage.....It eventually goes away but can takes months....Mine took about 5 months and i still have a little pain in that area.....ALso it hurt like you knowwhat when anyone just placed their hand on that area and firget about anyone patting me there!>.....Talk about wanting to scream!.......I had the TRAM bilaterally immediately after my masts......My doctor told me to sleep upright and to keep my chest very warm.....I also used ice packs on my back for the pain for like 10 minutes at a time.....If you don't have enough pillows to sleep upright purchase one of those wedge pillows...Get 2 actually  one for the head of the bed and one for under your knees as this will keeo you form sliding down and ending up flat on your back.........My hospital sent me home with so many pillows I had enough to not only prop myself up but to use on either side of me to prop my arms up to keep the swelling down in my arm and back........Gentle hugs to you and I wish you a speedy recovery...........

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  • me1ani
    me1ani Member Posts: 38
    edited August 2009

     Sorry to hear about your pain, Jude. I have heard stories about the additional pain involved in reconstruction.  

     Coincidentally, a male nurse friend also just emailed me about zofran.  I'll call the service about it. I just tried room temp ginger ale and that helped slightly. I tend to be blaming this all on the painkiller- but the antiibiotic is nasty too. Sleeping upright is difficult at best though after another few days of sleep deprivation I may just pass out wherever I am. 

     Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

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  • trigeek
    trigeek Member Posts: 916
    edited August 2009

    me1ani, cut yourself some slack. I was diagnosed with my bc 3 weeks after I finished an Ironman and yes all that training served me really well in recovering. But I do recall not doing much motion that early. (check the link to my blog in my signature you will need to go to the posts from 2 years ago I documented all my workouts after surgery during chemo/rads)

    Pain meds caused the nausea for me too, it was a chicken egg situation until my dh put a stop on it. Have pain .. take the pain meds.. they cause nausea take the antiemetics.. then they caused headached.. it was a nightmare and then I switched to OTC painkillers and things felt more normal.

    Now is the time to show your body some tlc and rest as surgery has caused major stress and there is so much that it can handle at one point Listen to your body.. catch up with some reading, music movies. there will be ample time to start running again.

    Hugs !

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  • me1ani
    me1ani Member Posts: 38
    edited August 2009

    it was the hospital that wanted me do the exercises before they even discharged me. I had to sign off that I would not participate in their "class."

    being homebound and bored keeps me moving around and the stiffness has already improved. i've noticed that the quality of the pain changes: now it feels like pins and needles, yesterday it was stabbing. its almost all centered in the armpit area now and morphing into exquisite tenderness.

    i've never been so hypervigilant about my body before....too much time on my hands and too anxious about the report to relax.

       

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  • Jellydonut
    Jellydonut Member Posts: 1,043
    edited August 2009

    I've never heard of such a crazy thing of exercising right after surgery!!  Say what?????

    The pins and needles is very normal  -- I remember going through that as well and it too will pass.

    You'll find yourself improving each day but don't overdo.  Take it slow and give your body time to adjust.  Also, if you can tolerate food try to eat well; protein, vegetables, fruits, etc will also aid in your recovery.

    Jelly

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  • me1ani
    me1ani Member Posts: 38
    edited August 2009

      All I could imagine was a class full of moaning women trying to do arm circles so I assertively declined. I was still high on the fentanyl and I almost started laughing.  I was amazed too that it would start right away. They scared me re developing a "frozen shoulder" and said I needed to start right away. They gave me a DVD that was produced by the hospital that demonstrates the exercises. Easy bits of housework have accomplished the same thing.
     
         Melani 
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  • jillisucat
    jillisucat Member Posts: 451
    edited August 2009

    I had complications after my uni mx and DIEP which prevented me from doing much immediately (I kept passing out whenever they got me up after surgery and it turned out to be my heart and they decided I needed a pacemaker - I'm 46 and an aerobics instructor so imagine my shock! But it was an underlying condition).  So between the pacemaker and the mx my range of motion was limited for a while and I worried about the frozen shoulder thing too.  But as soon as I got out of the hospital (9 days after I went in for the mx) I started walking on the treadmill and working on flexibility as permitted.  It all came back, including my fitness, pretty fast.  I was back teaching my step and yoga classes at 2 months!  Be patient with yourself and do what you can.  You sound like a fitness buff and I think going into it in good shape really pays off -- don't worry too much, it will all be in your past before you know it.  Gentle hugs! -- Jill

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  • digger
    digger Member Posts: 590
    edited August 2009

    I don't want to burst anyone's bubbles, but I would be careful not to get frozen shoulder.  I was fine after my unilateral mastectomy last November, but after my exchange surgery in March of this year, I developed frozen shoulder.  I'm now starting to get it in my other shoulder as well (I had a lift/augmentation on that side for symmetry).  I think I was careful to do all my range of motion exercises after the initial surgery, but after the exchange surgery, I was perhaps too nervous these darn implants would move, so I was a bit more cautious.  I did plenty of walking, but I guess I didn't move my arms enough, likely because for some reason, I had a lot of pain from all the internal stitches from that surgery.  Also, I think I was holding my arms in front of my chest, in a kind of protective mode, and didn't even realize I was doing that.  When the physical therapist saw me the first time, the first thing she said was to stand up straight!

    Anyway, now that I have frozen shoulder, it's a *itch.  It's very painful, and it will take between 12 and 18 months to resolve, even with physical therapy.  I've switched up my exercise routines so I'm not biking as much (that leaves the arms in the same position for too long) and running more.  Still can't do much in the way of group exercise classes because they usually put too much strain on the shoulder.

    So, just be careful, but be sure to do those ROM exercises.  You really, really don't want frozen shoulder. 

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  • jillisucat
    jillisucat Member Posts: 451
    edited August 2009

    Digger - I'm sorry you are going through all that :(  gentle hugs

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  • jpernot
    jpernot Member Posts: 112
    edited August 2009

    FROZEN SHOULDER YIKES!  I just started with my physical therapist yesterday.  I'll be sure to do those ROM exercises! 

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