Mastectomy scars still sore after 10 months

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coffeelatte
coffeelatte Member Posts: 209
edited June 2014 in Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy

Hi, I posted this question earlier today in the DCIS forum but I see I have not received any responses so I thought I would try posting here to see if anyone will have a comment - thanks!

I was wondering if anyone else experiences tenderness and soreness at the mastectomy scar line months or more after a single or double mastectomy. I am trying to get exercise since the cancer diagnosis (read on bco this is a good thing to do) so I walk most days for about 30 minutes. Often after I walk I notice parts of the scars really get tender. Many times when I am in the shower the scars are tender when I gently rub a washcloth over them. On days with low activity, the tenderness gets much less. The scar will also get sore if I sleep on my side for too long and sometimes just from a shirt rubbing on the scar. I just wondered if anyone else ever had this issue. I still get a little nervous and think I might have like a thousand cancer cells under the scar or something...

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  • Zillsnot4me
    Zillsnot4me Member Posts: 2,687
    edited June 2014

    If my area gets sore, it's usually because of fluid buildup. Too much exercise/stretching, too much processed, salted foods or sleeping on that side. 

    Have you been stretching gently? Those exercises we were given after surgery? Do you notice any swelling? You may want to check with your dr and maybe get a referral to a PT. It could be fluid or scar tissue. 

    Good luck! 

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  • wrenn
    wrenn Member Posts: 2,707
    edited June 2014

    i notice with fluid build up as well...salty days.....just over 9months for me.

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  • Morwenna
    Morwenna Member Posts: 1,063
    edited June 2014

    I'm still variably tender, after Mx December 2012. Hmmm salt! I didn't think of that!

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  • coffeelatte
    coffeelatte Member Posts: 209
    edited June 2014

    Fluid build-up. I never thought of that. I did have a little trouble with some lymphedema on the cancer side after surgery and again this past winter so I did have PT for a few weeks. The cancer side is the side the scar hurts more and that side is definitely more puffy. I never gave that a thought. I know it has been connected to the walking and now I wonder if walking is a bad thing to do because both of my hands really do swell during every walk. Hmm, I need to get those exercises back out and cut down on salt. I love salt. Thank you so much.

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  • coffeelatte
    coffeelatte Member Posts: 209
    edited June 2014

    Hi Wrenn, so good to see you again. I remember you from the August2013 surgery forum. You are sure a brave woman; you had a really rough go of it with the slow healing as I recall. I was just starting this scary cancer rollercoaster ride one year ago today as my regular mammogram was on June 3 last year, and you know the rest of the story. So good to have that initial huge ride behind us! Now to the day to day remains of the cancer battle! Just so happy to see you again.

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  • wrenn
    wrenn Member Posts: 2,707
    edited June 2014

    Hi Coffeelatte, What a difference a year makes hey? I am only now starting to calm down and I only had one chemo treatment. I am sure it takes much longer for people enduring the entire cycle (there is brave in my opinion....wow).  Lets hope things stay calm from now on.

    I like coming back and seeing familiar names too. Take care of yourself. 

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  • Jennie93
    Jennie93 Member Posts: 1,018
    edited June 2014

    I still have that tenderness around the scar as well as pain in the armpit.  I pretty much assume that after this long, it's not going away and I better learn to live with it.  But it still sucks.   :-(

    Pretty common though.  Here's an article: 

    http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/post-sur...

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  • Zillsnot4me
    Zillsnot4me Member Posts: 2,687
    edited June 2014

    Saw RO today. Told to keep stretching and massage with vitamin e oil.

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  • crystalphm
    crystalphm Member Posts: 1,138
    edited June 2014

    2 years out I am still very tender with pain at the scar and in armpit as well as where lymph nodes were removed. It has been explained to me all of our nerves lie in different pathways, and sometimes they get cut. or not cut. Thus we all feel different things afterwards.

    With respect to walking, if you are swinging your arms, this can account for tenderness, so I try to do a few over the head fist pumps as well as keep elbows bent so there is not so much arm swinging.

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  • coffeelatte
    coffeelatte Member Posts: 209
    edited June 2014

    I feel much better knowing this is not really unusual. I have more swelling around the scar and all above it where the node was taken out and I was starting to think maybe it was "something bad". I was rubbing the scar area the other night wondering if I could "feel" a lump or something. I feel a lot better now. I do think it is probably some fluid build up as was mentioned earlier and maybe some truncal lymphedema. I have not walking in two days and it is feeling much better. Crystalphm, I do swing my arms the entire time so I will need to see if I can fist pump and bend at the elbow. Also, I will keep the walking to 30 minutes and no more, even though I love to go further. I may need to do some other activities to fight off the fluid. I am not surprised, those mastectomy scars are big.

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