Still Uncomfortable with Implants

About three weeks after deconstruction, I could feel things tightening and I felt like I needed to stretch. I had been told from the beginning to lift my hands over my head so I wouldn't get a frozen shoulder, but I needed to move more. I was told I could lightly stretch, but no forcing. I had the urge to do what I would call a gentle yawny morning stretch so I could release my chest and shoulder tension. So I did those each day until the sixth week when the 5 lb weight restriction was lifted and I could do even more stretching. I was still careful and increased the stretching slowly, and my posture is now almost like pre-mast. It feels great! Those implants had my muscles pulled forward and down, which didn't look or feel good. My scars are so minimal and flat. The PT guy that sat in with my LE physiatrist appt couldn't believe my scars were so recent, so I haven't played with them at all.

Faith - I agree with the PT appts. I think that once I am a few weeks out, I will try and do the exercises that I've been shown previously on my own. If I can get my right side to feel half as good as the left, I'll be happy!

mlp30 ,mahometmom62,and others with frozen shoulders or armpit pain, or loss of rom i am right there with you! After my mx i had the rom problem and started pt got slot back BUT my armpit on mx side is SOOOOOO tight. After exchange june17th i started back to pt again. built my rom back up im now 8 weeks out today and my armpit is still so tight when i lift my arm and feel the tissue ?muscle its hard and is much more pronounced then my other armpit. I did go to my family dr who sent me to an ortho d.r who has now ordered an MRI i hope this will show what is going on in there and i am able to help all of us!!!!!!! I cannot live with my armpit and rom like this ,i will search the end of the earth till i find a DR. that can fix this!!!! Been one year of this the foob are ok not liking the tightness in mx side or size of the augumented side BUT i can live with that BUT not the armpit and rom wish me luck hope i get answers to pass on !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

beacher - I am soo anxious to hear how you make out! This has been an issue for over a yr with me and was hoping with deconstruction I would find relief. I'm trying to remain optimistic because I'm not even 2 weeks out. I'm praying that this is part of the healing process and with time will get better. I also have a very hard tissue area and it looks and feels swollen. It feel like I'm holding a book or something in my armpit that I can't put my arm against me because there is something there. When I saw my PS last Tues. he told me that it looks fine, he saw nothing when he was in there and all biopsies came back fine. This has been my frustration - I KNOW something isn't right! My rom has always been limited on that right side (cancer side). When is your appt? If I find no improvement, I will also see my primary care dr. He's more about finding the root of problems and more sympathetic!

Mlp, I sent you a PM.

          Has anyone ever had a MRI on the armpit, shoulder,arm area that has the tightness /pain?

mlp - I'm sorry you are having more challenges, that something is going on not related to post-op.  Does he think it is LE? Keep us posted, we are hear to listen and encourage.  (hugs)

mlp didn't you just have deconstruction because of pain ect? my goodness and you still are having pain? i was thinking of deconstruction as my last resort, looks like it may not be the answer . i hope you find someone to help you its just so dam unfair  

Kate33 - I do not know how it is diagnosed but hope to get some info on Tues the 16th. I have a consult with a LE therapist. My primary care dr. did not mention what else it could be but hope to have more info next week. I will update after my consult.

beacher - Yes, I did just have deconstruction on 7/28 so I am only a little over 2 wks out. My left side feels pretty good but the right has been an issue from the very beginning with the incision never healing properly, an infection and rom much worse on this side. In reading some of the posts regarding truncal LE, I felt maybe I should see my pcp to discuss what's going on. He has been more help/support through this journey than my PS. He recommended an LE therapist as well as some people here to have a consult.

Dancetrancer - I will have to check that out axillary cord - I've not heard of that but will definitely check this link out.

Hoping for some answers on Tuesday!

dancetrance...... i have been looking at that web site you posted about cording and gotten more info and i really think that might be what i have going on. Now i just got to figure out which dr. to go to and show them all the info and hope they agree and have some ideas where to send me for help thanks for the info......

beacher4209, yes, I had MRI's of my brachial plexy (I may have misspelled that), shoulder area, chest, etc.  My radiation doc sent me for them because I continue to complain of pain. They didn't find anything. My pain used to be very diffuse, leading me to think it might be post mastecomy pain syndrome, but has since narrowed to a cut nerve under my arm and the implant itself. I think my pec just can't get used to something underneath.

Mlp, good luck at your appt today.



I think Kriserts' diagnosis demonstrates there are a variety of causes for implant pain. It's really important to have possibly several doctors and therapists carefully examine and rule out causes. There can be more than one cause at play.



My causes for implant pain: truncal lymphedema; a torn pectoral muscle; capsular contracture; scar tissue in the chest beyond the implant capsule; and the weight of the implants creating tension in back, neck and shoulder muscles. Once the implants were removed, only the LE issue remained and all the other pain was gone. The medical professionals I saw: besides my original BS and PS, an additional PS to diagnose CC; a LE therapist to diagnose and and treat truncal LE; a LE physiatrist to help determine cause of implant pain and assess pros and cons of switching implants or deconstructing and how it would affect my LE; a myofascial release PT who worked on the scar tissue in my chest and helped ease back, neck and shoulder pain; and my primary physician, who at times prescribed pain meds. I am fortunate to also have a close friend who is a PT to discuss my issues. After two years of LE and myofascial/PT, I decided to deconstruct and consulted three completely new PS's to get their opinion on the condition of my implants. I asked them to explain exactly what they would do during the deconstruction surgery. I also had concerns about impact of surgery on my LE and how they would address.

mlp, I've had an emg done for nerve damage in my back/leg.  Usually it is done with a nerve conduction velocity test.  Basically in the emg they put tiny needles in your muscle and measure the response.  It's not too bad in terms of pain.  With the NCV test they zap your nerve at various points and measure the response.  That can be uncomfortable, but it isn't the worst pain I've ever had, for sure!  With all of this they can determine if there is true damage to the nerve and hopefully they can determine where along the path of the nerve the damage has occured.

I have had myofascial release, too, for my back/leg issue.  It did wonders for me.  Now you'd have to ask your LE (I assume that is for lymphedema therapist?) if that is safe for you - you wouldn't want someone making that condition worse b/c they rub the wrong direction, etc.  However I would highly recommend investigating it further.  P.S.  Not all therapists are trained in MFR.  My recommendation would be to ask the person if they took any courses with John Barnes, PT.  

I found out it was a bad nerve at the pain doc. I pointed to a spot under my arm that bothers me and he showed me how it's a little bump that is the ends of the nerves trying to grow together from each side. They're bunching up forming a little cauliflower.

Tina, thanks for all the stuff you listed. What you say about the weight of the implant makes sense; my shoulder wings out and I know it's because of the implant pulling it forward. How did you find you had a torn pec muscle? 

kriserts,so wat r they doing for the bad nerve?