Burning sensations after mastectomy

Georgie, the point isn`t to `pretend` nothing is different, but to make your brain realize something IS different. I knew what crystal meant when she posted...soldiers in war get phantom pain in legs that have been amputated. After all, your brain doesn`t realize the leg is gone!! In this case, breasts. I found using a camisole that I could sense on my skin felt good too. Not too lose, yet not too tight. It`s a fine balance...but very do-able.

So sorry you are having more pain, but an infection will do that:) I hope it heals quickly.

I too, got a bit of an infection in my incision and had to take antibiotics. It is a bit of a setback for you, but should pass fairly quickly.

This is a huge adjustment, and a very brutal surgery. Try to take it a day at a time and let your body heal at its own pace. It won't be too long and you'll be feeling more in tune with it all. We are all different, but probably all need to learn a little patience:) Take care!

You're so welcome georgie, I think we all expect too much of ourselves, and aren't used to really taking care of ourselves, over others. This is a time to really focus on your self.

This infection will heal, and the sensitivity will pass. You will get into the "New Normal", it's all just time and acceptance. Take care of yourself, and try to rest, and eat well for healing. Let us know how you're getting on.

(((((HUGS)))))

Georgie, Yes, you have to be on top of this infection and be on the right antibiotic. Your pain is completely different from what we are talking about which would be "normal" pain...and you are certainly feeling some normal pain too. This really is a traumatic surgery, and while we may thing we are cool with it, there is a lot to wrap your head around.

For now, be comfortable, this is your healing time. My first mastectomy I rushed with everything, to wear a cami, to wear a foob...to get into my clothing...the second one (unfortunately) I rested. And I did things that made ME happy, and I rested.

I got that terrible burning, itchy feeling, painful areas (whole chest, armpits, sides of chest and going around the back a few inches deep inward, and upper back of arms).

My surgeon put me on Gabapentin about a month after the surgery. This January will be 3 years since my BMX with node removal and I STILL have terrible pains that I can't function normally. I have other meds I take and get IV Lidociane infusions about 8-9 weeks.

Some people get better, some get a little better, and some have pain problems for years.

I hope you get better!!!

Cinnamon, that is just NOT fair!! You have done all you could and then to have the nerve pain is insult to injury!! Have you tried Neurontin(?) - it's just a different version of Gabby. Maybe the slight change would make a difference?? Good luck, sweetie, I wish you only the best....

so, i have weird sensations as well, but i think much less severe than what folks here are describing. i did have a period of time during which i NEEDED something like a little bralet against the scars so that i wouldn't have fabric moving over them…

anyway - fast forward quite a lot… and what i've found to be VERY EFFECTIVE is embrocation with capsaicin (hot pepper oil). takes a few days to get used to… but once you do, it's amazing. it has made everything better, and i also feel like my scars are flattening up. NOTE - take care to not get this stuff in your eyes or on other sensitive bits…

embrocation - what is it? it's belgian knee warmers - we use this stuff so that we can race bare legged when it's cold. i won some locally produced embro in a race, and i've completely fallen in love with it. i had used embro in the past, but nothing like this stuff. it's by a minneapolis company called "donkey label" and the embro i like the best is the medium heat embro. it's essentially capsaicin cream like what you can find at a drug store, but the ingredients are organic and much much higher quality.

you wouldn't want to put this stuff on until your scars are healed over… i think waiting until you're cleared to swim is probably about the right timing… but i've got to tell you - the weird pains that i used to have under my arm on the sentinel node biopsy side??? so much less… i don't think i realized how much weird pain i had before i started using this stuff.

so, there are my two cents… there are a few companies that make embro, but i really like the product from donkey label.

good luck.

weird pain sucks.

Dechi, I forgot about that hot feeling down the back of my arm...I would check with a mirror 1000 times because I was positive I was burning up...but it looked normal!

You are right, time does heal.

Hi Georgie

Crumbs! An infection! I'm glad it got sorted out.

Very intersting post.

Best wishes

Alice

Good point Ariom! I often feel like my nipples have almost responded to cold, almost but not quite.... I even had the nerve (pun intended, but true story!) of asking my surgeon WHERE did the nerve end up when he cut it??? I mean, seriously!! That amazing nerve got cut and shrunk back to....where??? He told me to have fun looking!!

Curious, I feel my "nipples" too! It is the craziest feeling and doesn't happen all the time, just sometimes, so somewhere I have a nipple nerve trying to find it's path :-)

Barbe, I agree with you.... nipple sensation after a MX is a phantom feeling. We tend to think about phantom feelings as only being painful (i.e. the term "phantom pain") but phantom feelings can be pleasurable too. I used to 'feel' my nipple at lot in the first few years after my MX, but now that I'm 8 years out, it's pretty rare that it happens.

So often on these boards we'll see posts where someone who is just a short time past her surgery talk about how she has wonderful breast and nipple sensation. If it's just a discussion, I won't say anything. But if she is offering advice to someone about what to expect with a MX, I try to gently point out that those sensations most likely are phantom sensations that will ease off over time, as our minds finally come to realize that the breast and nipple are gone.