Still numb?

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kimber3006
kimber3006 Member Posts: 586
edited June 2014 in Stage III Breast Cancer

My upper arm and entire armpit area (including side and around to my back) are still numb after my mastectomy 11/11/09.  According to my surgeon, it should be better very soon, but others have said it takes a couple months and I've even heard one say she never got it all back???

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  • jenn3
    jenn3 Member Posts: 3,316
    edited December 2009

    I had surgery 06/25/09 and the arm pit area and a little lower on the side where 14 of my lymph nodes were removed is still numb and the other side where they did the sentinal node biopsy is better, but it took about 4 months.

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  • Leslie1962
    Leslie1962 Member Posts: 233
    edited December 2009

    I had my surgery one day prior to yours. I still have numbness, pain, tingling sensations. I also have a lot of pulling at the stich sites bilaterally. Has anyone ever said what we can put on our skin to help this problem?

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  • maryannecb
    maryannecb Member Posts: 1,453
    edited December 2009

    I am still numb...makes shaving tricky...I know i am not supposed to shave...but old habits hard to kick.

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  • kimber3006
    kimber3006 Member Posts: 586
    edited December 2009

    Okay, so I guess this is "normal".  I haven't had any pulling on my stitches, so I have no clue what we might be allowed to use.

    My husband bought me this really fancy men's electric razor to use, but I have no clue how to use it.  If I procrastinate long enough, maybe it will just all fall out with the chemo.... 

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  • Diana63
    Diana63 Member Posts: 773
    edited December 2009

    I had my mastectomy 2 years ago and I am still numb in a lot of places, I am getting some feeling back but its kind of patchy.

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  • Pure
    Pure Member Posts: 1,796
    edited December 2009

    I got feeling back along my side about 2 months laters. Literally one weekend I got weird sensaations and it was the feeling coming back.My upper arm get numb on some days and is fine others.

    Armpit has about 50% feeling and came back the same weekend. I don't shave -I don't have to but she said not too. I don't put deorderant on that arm either just to be safe.

    So all in all 3 months later I have about 75% feeling back.

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  • lorieg
    lorieg Member Posts: 802
    edited December 2009

    I haven't had surgery yet but just from my lymph node core biopsy I have numbeness in my axilla.  I can't imagine what it will be like after mastectomy!

     What is this about no armpit shaving and no deodorant???  I am having a b/l MRM and this notion is very scary to me!!  I can see the shaving having to do with an accidental cut and not healing well, but the deodorant thing?  Please explain.

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  • kimber3006
    kimber3006 Member Posts: 586
    edited December 2009

    I read to not use deodorant for at least 6 weeks after the surgery.

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  • kim40
    kim40 Member Posts: 904
    edited December 2009

    It's almost a  year for me and I'm still numb in someplaces, especially in the armpit area. 

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  • tamlyn110
    tamlyn110 Member Posts: 195
    edited December 2009

    I am still numb 5 months later.My Bs said I will probably remain that way.

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  • everyminute
    everyminute Member Posts: 1,805
    edited December 2009

    I am 18 months or so out from surgery and have some small numb areas on the back of and under my arm.  My breasts are numb (I had bilat) :-(

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2009

    Kimber,  I still have numbness in different areas of my left side.  It has lessened over time.  I had my left breast mx in March of this year.

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  • Celtic_Spirit
    Celtic_Spirit Member Posts: 748
    edited December 2009

    I'm ~18 months from bilateral mx and axillary node dissection. About 80% of the feeling has returned to the back of my arms. My armpits have about half of the feeling they use to. It kind of weirded me out at first; now I'm used to it.

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  • debbie6122
    debbie6122 Member Posts: 5,161
    edited December 2009

    It's been about 10 months since MX and im just now starting to get more feeling back, even more so than i expected at this time, im however getting a lot of itching across my left side where i had my mx and it dosnt help when i itch it, i was wondering if that is normal, anyone know or have that too? Alos i didnt know we werent suppose to shave on that side, is there a time limit on that or is that never? but KIMMER you should start getting some feeling back with in a few more months, some get it sooner than others.

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  • Lifeisbeautiful
    Lifeisbeautiful Member Posts: 36
    edited December 2009

    Had my partial/lumpectomy and dissection on October 26th.  The back of my arm is still numb but now and then will tingle and feel really strange.  I often think it's swelling up on me but I believe it's just the nerves trying to regenerate.  My entire armpit is numb so I stand in front of the mirror to apply deodorant.  lol  Hubby bought me a new Remington wet/dry electric shaver that you can use in the shower with sudsy soaps and it's fabulous!  I wouldn't dare take a blade to my pit.  Too risky. 

    I didn't start using deodorant again under my affected arm until my drain incision had healed completely.  Wore that disgusting drain tube for three weeks.  Then had a sacrificial burning.

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  • LindaLou53
    LindaLou53 Member Posts: 929
    edited December 2009

    Usually with a modified radical mastectomy and axillary dissection it is necessary to cut some nerves that innervate a portion of the axilla and an area on the backside of the upper arm.  There may be permanent loss of sensation in these areas. The usual widespread numbness across the chest incision line may also linger years later due to cut nerves.  Nerves CAN repair themselves but it is a slow process.  I still have numbness in a portion of my axilla and across my chest incision lines from my bilateral mastectomy 4 years ago.  It is not as bad as it was the first year though. Most of the sensation to my upper arm area has returned except for a tiny little patch close to the axilla.

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