Breast swollen and hard

Oh please seek further treatment from someone. I am about one month out of treatment and had the same issue. I told my Medical Oncologist that I had to take vicodin to sleep the pain got so bad and that it literally felt as though my breast was going to burst. I was not running a fever so he poked around at it and stated it was normal and fine & sent me home with a new RX for vicodin. I went back to work and sure enough, my breast burst open right at my surgical incision site. I called the on call nurse who told me this was normal, keep it covered and they would see if they could get me in the next day to be checked. When I went in the next day, I saw the Radiation Nurse Practitioner who used a long swab to see how large the hole was. It was my entire surgery site where the tumor was removed. It never healed and she stated that it was def. not normal. They immediately set me up with an appointment with my surgeon for the next day. He examined it and said that now that it is open - there is bacteria in there. I am scheduled for surgery tomorrow (Monday) where he will reopen my incision, do a wound debreidment by scraping out the entire cavity then I will have a wound vac installed which I will have to wear for weeks or until it heals. I would suggest you call your Radiation Oncologist Nurse and tell them you would like to be seen asap. My thoughts and prayers are with you and I will pray that yours is just normal scar tissue as a result of the radiation.

swansea, I'll second LoisC's suggestion that you consider an evaluation by a well-trained lymphedema therapist. Breast/chest lymphedema )called truncal lymphedema) is fairly common after either surgery or rads, but our docs can be slow to recognize it or unsure about where to refer you for help. You need a referral from any doctor on your team. Here's how to find a well-qualified lymphedema therapist near you:
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Finding_a_Qualified_Lymphedema_Therapist.htm

And here's information about truncal lymphedema:
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/breast_chest_trunckal_lymphedema.htm

Do keep a close eye on it for evidence of infection (itchiness, new swelling, increased pain or redness, warmth to the touch) and get help immediately if you suspect that may be happening -- cellulitis can spread quickly and be hard to treat if not caught early.

Huge hugs! Let us know what how you're doing,
Binney

Jules, I'm so sorry about this new "gift" from treatment. I hope the lymphedema treatment is going well and you're finding some relief. There are a lot of options for breast compression -- check out the links at the bottom of the page about truncal lymphedema that I linked to above. Some are more comfortable than others, for sure!

Gentle hugs,
Binney

Hmmm, that sure doesn't sound like a rant to me -- in fact, as a reaction to lymphedema, it's pretty calm!

Do come join us on the "Lymphedema" discussion board (just a couple of boards above this one on the index) and you can "talk" to lots of other women trying to solve the same problem. Personally, I like the WearEase Slimmer best -- it's a cami, so no uncomfortable bottom band or "smooshed" feeling, but lots of other women have other solutions they've found workable.

Hang in there! It gets easier, honest!
Binney