Regaining Sensation After MX Without Reconstruction

CLC,its odd but I got a bmx with TE and it was skin sparing. I am almost 4 wks out now and my skin over the TE is same as b4 except for a few spots near the incision which seem like there is fabric over them or that I am wearing clothes even when I'm not. It is unusual I guess cuz my PS doesnt seem to take me seriously when I tell her I am not numb like everyone says they are. Did they miss cutting the nerve?

Whether one has reconstruction or not, it's not unusual to regain skin sensation.  Some of us regain almost all skin sensation, most of us regain some skin sensation, some of us unfortunately regain none.

Where there's confusion is that too often when women say that they've regained sensation or feeling, others think that they are referring to breast sensation (as in "inside the breast") and not just skin sensation. After a mastectomy, there is no more breast sensation, since there are no nerves left inside the breast, even for those who have reconstruction (an implant certainly doesn't have nerves, nor does body fat).

I have implant reconstruction. I've regained most of my skin sensation - I can feel when my breast is touched.  Despite this, if I lean against something with my 'breast', I still get a distinct feeling of numbness. And if my breast is poked, I feel nothing.  So there are different types of feeling and sensation; some we get back and some we don't.  And strange as it may seem, it's possible to regain skin sensation, as I have, and yet still feel numbness, as I do.  

My non-recon breasts (what do we call this part of our body now??) are not really numb. My underarm where they took my lymph nodes is still numb, and I'm over two years from that surgery. I have the same feeling in my breast area as I do on, say, the inside of my arm. I can tell I'm touching it. But yes, those special nerves that used to be there are definitely not there anymore. That hasn't been a big deal for me. When I wear my prostheses I feel like I have breasts....someone hugs me and I feel the hug as I did before. I forget about not having breasts all the time.....when I'm busy during the day I never give it a thought.

Hi ladies, I had BMX 6 months ago, no recon, and I am definately getting some sensations back. Like Badger, I too have the odd "bolts" of pain. Apparently this is a good thing!! My BS said that many women do get feeling back, partial or whole. I still have areas under my arms that are numb, but can now feel when I shave my armpits! I hardly ever wear my prosthetics (have worn them maybe 4 times in 6 months) but find when I do that I get "phantom pain" in my non-existant boobs! Very wierd and disconcerting.....I also get the itching, like CLC, which is also really annoying at times because no matter how I rub it I can't get rid of it. Only lasts a minute or so though, so not so bad. All in all, am feeling really good and haven't looked back

I really like hearing that there is hope for some feeling to come back! For me, at just over two weeks out, I have full feeling in armpit with snb, but areas of numbness above my incision across my chest and some areas of numbness below the incision, not quite everywhere. I occasionally get the zinger feeling, but can't pinpoint where it is zinging

when I first looked at the area and felt it or placed gauze over the incision, it was like the numb thick feeling I would get with novacaine in my lip/cheek at dentist. I did not want to touch or have anyone else touch my chest (drs and nurses included!)... But, it feels less "fat" this past week, still numb.... I wanted to get over the dread of touching the area, so, at first when I got out of the shower and patted myself dry, I would take the towel between my hands and gently put pressure above or below the incision and massage in circular motion... I now use my fingers to do this when I am in the shower.... (not on the incision yet since it is still crusty) I feel like I am keeping these "thick" numb areas from adhering to whatever below and maybe stimulating things to grow I hope!  Cotton feels best to me on my skin, I can't wear anything that is tight or puts pressure on my ribs... I am itching like crazy all over my abdomen and arms, not just near the incision. Drives me crazy!

 By the way, I have two great aunts who had mastectomy without recon about 20-25 years ago and they told me they have full feeling on their chests, but they couldn't remember how they felt right around the surgery time. One of my aunts has one spot in her armpit without feeling, but she is satisfied it is only a small area.

Steph

Thanks for the good advice, Badger. I shall certainly try it. Aren't our brains amazing things!!

Hi All, Very interesting discussion.   I am a little over 22 mos out from BMX, 4+ mos out from center dog ear removal, and 2+ mos of wearing prosthetics.  I think I have seen the most regain of sensation over the last 6 mos.  The biggest and most recent surprise is that anywhere I barely touch the silicone forms, I feel it exactly as if I had actual real breasts and I am flat as a pancake. The feeling is there somewhat with foam forms but not remotely as strong The only real noticeable dead spot that I still have is the end of the incision under the right arm (proph side).  In my case, the one disconnect with wearing forms is that they "feel" like they have migrated up when in fact they are exactly where they belong.  And yet touching them or a hug feels exactly as before.

Barbara

hi Kraemermom, I wore a mx camisole for a month after BMX that had pockets and light-weight poofies.  If memory serves, my chest felt 'sunburned' and very sensitive for six months post-BMX.  So I couldn't imagine wearing anything heavy.  Luckily, there are lots of light-weight options.

Here's a website founded by someone here that is extremely helpful: http://breastfree.org/

I don't use prosthetics myself but do understand why you'd want to.  Best wishes!  ((hugs))

Another thing on the zaps...Last summer I was laying on the sofa. We had a terrible bee problem last summer, didn't realize till fall there was a giant fully complete bee hive in a tree. Anyway, I got  up screaming running outside for Brian cuz I swore I was being stung by a bee. Never did find anything. A few weeks ago I was putzing in the kitchen and there it was again....feeling like I was being stung by a bee. Then I realized it was just the stupid nerve zaps...