Lumpectomy after-effects

I had two lumpectomies to get clear margins.  I also did radiation for 6.5 weeks.  My breast is a little sore sometimes, not always.  I did not lose sensation at all.  It actually looks and feels pretty normal.  My last surgery was about a year ago and the scar is fading nicely.  Beware of inappropriate comments--there's a good thread on here that will make you LOL at people's insensitivity.  Everyone's case is different--it will depend on how much they need to take off.  Talk to your surgeon and ask as many questions as you need to.  Good luck.

I know women who have lost sensation from lumpectomy, but I had no loss of sensation.  If anything, for a while afterwards my nipple was overly sensitive though that seems to have subsided now.  I am 10 months out from surgery and I have occasional twinges of pain but not very often or very bad, my scar is almost invisible (the surgeon cut around the edge of my aereola which makes it less visible) and even though the surgeon removed a good sized piece he moved things around so my breast is the same shape as before (though slightly smaller).  In any event, good luck and let me know if there are any questions I can answer for you.  I am by no means an expert but I certainly am willing to share my personal experience. 

Oh, also, I would take your neighbor's words with a grain of salt (as it sounds like you are).  I've had people tell me all kinds of strange and ridiculous things -- like "maybe since you don't have a palpable lump you don't have cancer" or "if you eat two organic apples a day you won't have this happen to you again" or "I have a healthy diet so I don't need to get mammograms" or "my daughter had a bump on her eyelid and when we eliminated dairy from her diet it went away, that might work for you."  I figure as long as people are well meaning I don't get offended, but there were a couple of people I avoided during treatment when I was more thin-skinned because I had a hard time coping with some of the things they would say.

I had a lumpectomy almost three years ago. My scar is barely visible and no loss of sensation at all.

Well, I guess I am odd man out, I had 2 lumpectomies and I do have  some loss of sensation along the scar area. The only real problem with it is if I get itchy I have to be careful because I can't totally feel the scratching and don't want to cut into my skin. I have asked a couple of rads about it and since I am only 1.5 yrs out, they said sensation could still come back as the nerve endings take a long time to regrow. Is this a real problem for me, not at all, most times I do forget. AlohaGirl, I had the twinges of pain too but those have since gone, that is why I am hopeful the small loss of sensation I do have will come back as well.

I had a lumpectomy and SNB.  The Dr. cut around the areola and down toward my chest, armpit scar from the SNB.  I have more than full feeling  It is looking better, the scar I mean.  Lumpectomy was in Dec.  In answer to a question you didn't ask...  hubby doesn't mind the look and it all works just fine.  Yea, I know, you didn't ask

Katie 

Just want to say that I have had 1 Lumpectomy and 3 excisional biopsys two around the nipple and one on the side. I too had the super sensitive nipple for several months and that went away. Other than two medium size scars my breasts look the same and I have never lost any sensation except the scar itself feels a little numb, but thats with any scar I think.

Hope all goes well for you.

Also, know that your breast 'settles' in over time and the fat redistributes itself for about a year. So when you come out of surgery, if you go "YIKES!" dont' be too alarmed by how it looks, give it some time. I had a pretty large chunk out and hard ridgey scar, but (3 years out), everything has smoothed and evened out nicely. It is still a little tender, and needs to be 'handled with care ). My doctor says the occasional 'zaps' one feels are the nerves growing back, and that takes a long time. Good Luck!

From some of the well meaning comments here, I conclude that it all depends where your lumpectomy was on your breast, if you will lose sensation.  Certainly your surgeon knows this since he/she knows EXACTLY where the nerves are vs only lobules, fat etc. In my case, my lesion (I have DHP and LCIS not "cancer") was right behind the nipple and you betcha I lost "good" sensation and now have definite lingering subtle pain, minor but present 80% of the time.  It's a constant reminder that I am "high risk".  Ironically, my surgeon  offered me a bilateral to "eliminate anxiety about developing "cancer".  I thought, yikes, if a lumpectomy biopsy hurts this much afterward, why would I risk a bilateral mastectomy to take care of a problem that I have a 75-80% chance of NEVER getting.  I'm told "massage" will ease the pain-and it usually does... for awhile. From what I've learned in my anatomy and physiology classes as a nursing student (career change at 53), when nerves heal and regenerate, there may be pain as the nerve endings "run into" scar tissue.  That's how massage can help--reroute the regenerating nerve endings.  Anyone out there with better Anatomy and Physiology knowledge than this--please add input.

Not so sure the surgeon will be able to accurately predict.  In a breast lift and reduction, they actually move your nipple, and my surgeon couldn't say for sure one way or the other what would happen.  Most patients retain sensation, but it does vary.

Kitchenwitch, this is completely off the subject but I wanted to tell you I PM'd you - only found your message a day or so ago. Kelly xxx

5 days out after lumpectomy here. What do I feel? Itchiness. Lots and lots of itchiness. I have a c-shaped incision mark which is very red, but it's not too close to my nipple. My BC tried to cut closer in, but was unable to, due to the location of my DCIS. So, I will have a scar that is further away from the nipple, closer to my "cleavage"area on the inside of my left breast. I am wearing a bralette with no underwire because the thought of a regular bra gives me the heebie jeebies.

After my lumpectomy I wore a sports bra all the time for the first couple of weeks (I recommend "Fiona" by Moving Comfort, then "graduated" to sleeping in a lightweight bra from Soma at night (not very supportive for me -- I am somewhere between a D and DD but I needed something at night still, especially because my nipple was very sensitive and my shirt would hurt it without a bra) for a while.  I also used 2 sports bras when I ran for a while after surgery thanks to the advice of some women on another thread here, which was great.  I found when I started running again it was quite painful for a while until I figured that out.  I don't remember exactly when I went back to regular bras but I think I did briefly before I started radiation (then went back to all non-underwires, sports and otherwise until a week or two after that finished).