post op pain 1 month later

Hi cwayman, I am so sorry to hear you are suffering. Welcome to BCO, it is a great place for support and advice, many of the women here have been exactly where you are right now, with the same concerns and I am sure there will be others along to offer advice, about their experiences.

I didn't reconstruct and had a Umx with SNB, I was fairly tight and sore, but I couldn't say it was actual pain. I did have a lot of zinging and zapping from the cut nerves and the windburn sensation on my skin. I did massage my chest a couple of times a day with aromatherapy oil blends in carrier oils and I did the PT exercises religiously ,4x daily to keep my chest supple and also had myofascial release by  a massage therapist. I found all this helped me get great range of motion in my arm and helped with the cording I had, too.

It is still very early days for you, you have been through a really brutal surgery, with nerves being cut and large incisions, it will get better, just try to take it easy and don't overdo it. Easier said than done, I know! Be careful with the ice and heat too. The skin is very thin on your chest now and it is easy to actually give yourself an Ice burn, especially since we have a lot of loss of sensation and numbness, so can't really feel how cold it is. The same goes for heat, but it is easier to regulate than ice

I wish you all the very best with your recovery. It is a very personal thing, so there is no absolute rule about how long it takes to get over the pain or uncomfortable sensations, which are  a part of this type of surgery. For me, I was feeling pretty good after the first couple of months, but there are, even now, sensations that I feel, but don't bother too much about.

Take it easy and let us know how you are getting on. . 

Hi, cwayman, this is what I use, and have used for probably 15 years or more. There will likely be brands where you are that are similar. I swear by these ones, they help me a lot.

I understood what you meant to say:)

http://www.aroma.com.au/be-relieved-pain-relief.ht...

I have been having a massage every 2 weeks for many, many years for my RA, I had to wait about a month, I think, after the Umx and we were very careful of my right side. I found my underarm where the node was taken, was the most uncomfortable part of the whole thing for me. My surgeon was very good about explaining what the different sensations were, most being the cut nerves trying to regenerate and the underarm weirdness, was from the nodes being disturbed. There are lots of sensations and tightness at the beginning, but it does improve over time with gentle stretching and massage. I would stick with the PT and do self massage if it feels ok. It is very new for you, and it is a very brutal surgery, so just give it some time. Ask your Doctor about the under arm, if is it really painful.

All the best and let us know how you're doing.