Poll on Sentinel Node Biopsy Pain

A year ago I had the worst pain of my life, when my podiatrist stuck a huge, long needle directly into the bottom of my foot, in the middle of my heel, and injected a huge amount of thick cortisone. He kept pulling the needle back and forth, angling it in as it went in sometimes up to two inches.

I was sobbing and begging for him to stop - that I couldn't take the pain any more. DH had a death grip on my arm....not to comfort me, as it turns out, but to keep from passing out himself.

After that, the doc grinned and patted my leg, and said "I knew you really didn't want me to stop!"

Fortunately, I've known this guy for years and absolutely love him, despite the fact that he tried to kill me that day.

My point? Whenever I am asked about my pain on a scale of 0 - 10, THAT day was a 30!!!!

Nothing else has ever come close.

When I had my BMX, I first went down to Radiology for the Radioactive Isotope injection in my left breast. Their policy was to use no lidocaine or numbing agents at all. Yes, it hurt, and I had to laugh as the little tech tried all sorts of conversation to take my mind off the shots. But I kept thinking of my foot, and the pain didn't even come close.

Even when the Radiologist was finished, it still hurt, and the tech told me to keep massaging the breast, as it would both ease the pain, and allow the radioactive material to spread more quickly.

So back I went to Pre-Op, calmly massing my breast and chatting with DH. Only later did I realize that my bed was at the end of the room, in full view of all the staff and other Pre-Op patients. Perhaps they just thought breast massage was a calming technique.

The SNB itself was done during the BMX. I did have severe nerve pain in my armpit for a few weeks that has completely subsided.

I had my SNB shots on Monday afternoon.  I was completely psyched out from reading online how painful the procedure was and was more afraid of this than the surgery the next day.

They put a numbing cream and ice pack on 30 minutes prior to the 2 injections. The Radiologist warned me it was going to hurt but would go away. And that is exactly what happened. By the time it registered to me how bad the pain was it was already going away. To be honest, the tattoo on my foot hurt worse, lol.  

I have to say this thread scared the daylights out of me before my surgery.  I am a total wimp and I was terrified.  The thought of it kept me up all night before the surgery.  The nurse held my hand tightly and they joked that it was to keep me from punching the doctor.  It stung a little but I can honestly say it was no big deal.

 I was terrified about the wires, so I called ahead and asked for numbing cream, to which BS responded.  "You have a palpable lump - there will be no wires."

 Two nodes lit up, so he took those.  I have had nearly complete use of my arm since I got home.  The SNB scar looks amazingly good after two weeks.

Wow, just wanted to chime in in case in helps someone.

I, too, was prepared for "the worst pain of my life, but for under a minute."  Ooooookaaaay.

 Upon arrival at the hospital and changing into a gown, they put a ring of numbing cream around my nipple and held it on with a ring of plastic bandage.  Then, say 1/2 hr-1 hr later, when I was on my back for the dye injection procedure, they sprayed it a lot with cold spray.  They told me it would be four shots in a ring around the nipple, and that yes, it would hurt.  The doctor appeared out of nowhere with a giant needle.  I braced myself.

And it was practically nothing!  I mean like the teensiest tinsiest prick.  After all that stress, I practically fell asleep while they mapped out the sentinel lymph node on the screen!

So I guess everyone needs to ask ahead of time about numbing medicine.

 forgot to mention that mine was last week.

New here but have been lurking for over a month now. I was terrified after reading through this board of having the SNB. I had that along w/ a LX this past week. I felt that I must comment about my experience. After basic pre-op, they took me to the breast center where the girl from radiology came in and told me I could either have the lidocaine or not. After reading this forum, I said shoot me up even though it made 8 shots instead of 4. The lidocaine hurt but was bearable and then I felt nothing but pressure from the dye shots. It was not nearly as bad as I imagined. My vac assisted needle biopsy was much worse. Then I went to the mamm lab for the wire placement, then to surgery. I realize everyone's experience is unique but if I would not have read this forum, I would have probably opted for the less shot version and maybe had more pain. The not knowing what is going to happen, with the mind imagining the worst, makes for an extra stressful experience. Hope this can help someone.

I had one shot on each breast behind each areola with no numbing creams or lidocaine. It was like a bee sting that lasted less than 15 seconds. I also read this thread and dreaded this SLN injection more than the PBMX. I lost several nights of sleep for nothing. Just do what you have to and get it done. No worries.

I thought the sentinel node was the signal node---the first one on the chain of lymph nodes on each breast?

I was told by my BS and the admiting nurse that this procedure would be painful and ask for drugs.  When the doctor called the night before my surgery I told him to make sure I did not feel this procedure.  It had to be done in nuclear medicine and could not be done when I was already under for surgery.  By far the most painful thing ever done to me.  Mind blowing pain that I still have nightmares over.  I am no wimp.  Did all the needle biopsies with no problem.  Had two kids one high forceps without drugs.  This was beyond barbaric.  Stupid doctor gave me a Xanax only as my preop.  I seriously would attack him verbally  if I ever saw him again.  I have such anger over what was done to me.  Never would a man go through this without drugs.  I now do not trust any of my doctors.  I hate cancer and hate the way the some of my doctors treated me.

My local hospital told me the injection of the radioisotope for the SNB was no big deal as a numbing agent (lidocaine) would be given at the same time.  I had my surgery at a different hospital and they told me they don't use numbing agents as it interferes with something (I don't remember what).  The injection just about sent me through the roof.  The tech was very apologetic about it, warned me ahead of time and just asked that I please not hit him.  There is no way I would ever go through that again without some sort of pain killer.  They told me it would take 2 hours for the isotope to travel to the lymph nodes and that is why I couldn't be knocked out for that long.  Although a friend of mine had the same procedure done at a different hospital and they did knock her out.  By the time I had the 2 wire locators and the SNB injection, my breast was so mangled and mutilated and painful, I couldn't wait to be knocked out for the surgery.

Mine didn't hurt at all.  The dr numbed it first, but was very concerned since I was scared after reading everything here.  After it was over, he said  I shouldn't go looking up procedures on the internet before I have them.  I think he's right since I had really worried myself over this for weeks before my surgery. 

When I decided on a prophylactic mast of the other side she wanted to do a snb on that side too just to be safe and I said NO FREAKIN WAY!!! She even offered to make sure the anesthesia guy did it and I was so traumatized I wouldn't even trust that.

I had my isotope injection on Wednesday and apart from a tiny scratch of the needle I felt no pain at all.



I had my sentinel lymph node biopsy the following day under general anaesthetic so of course didn't feel that. Just left with an achy arm pit now!

Had my SNB on Thursday before mx.   Hurt like a beatch...but was over in seconds.   Crazyride, I agree I wouldn't want to do it again, but not as bad as I feared either.   I had no painkillers or numbing cream either.

I am 9 days post lumpectomy and SNB and all of a sudden I have this pain in my armpit.  It is almost like a deep bruise.  Is this related to my SNB or did I do something else to injure that area?  You wouldn't think this would take 9 days to kick in.  This isn't a minor case of lymphedema is it?

I have written previously on this subject.  I still think this procedure caused me more intense pain than anything else I had done.  I am furious that we as women are forced to "deal" with this when it is so unnecessary.  I understand that for some women it is not painful.  I get that. But for me the FOUR needle sticks hurt horribly and continued hurting until they wheeled me into surgery.  I was in severe pain for the hour before surgery while also being scared out of my mind.  It continues to haunt me and give me nightmares.  I hate that my pain has been excused and brushed off.  I did not complain about anything other than this procedure so please believe that it hurt.  I spoke with the pain management coordinator at the hospital and she said for some reasons some women think it hurts no more than a bee sting and for others like me it hurts terribly.  She could not explain the difference.  She thought it might just be pain sensitivity but all the biopsies hurt me but didn't in anyway cause me to have nightmares.  I told her about this site and this thread that I think she should read.  I cannot imagine an ob telling a patient that some women can handle childbirth with breathing exercises therefore no one should get pain relief.  Nor can I even fathom a man having four needles stuck into the tip of his penis without any pain medicine.  I so still wish that on the doctor who told me it shouldn't hurt more than a second.