After Mastectomy..when will I feel "not sore"???

You are only 10 days out...be patient.  Do not push yourself more!   I remember at the 10 day mark post mastectomy, someone called me and asked me to go to lunch.  I said no, I am not up to it.  They proceeded to give me a big lecture on how I can't sit there and feel sorry for myself!!   Needless to say, I wasn't happy with them! 

It took me 4 weeks to get out, but I was sore for a long time. 

And enjoy those things like staying in the house and surfing the internet, watching Blue Bloods on Amazon and doing jigsaw puzzles.  That will end soon enough!!   Let your body rest!!

Sending my best!

I was in hospital for 8 days after my mastectomy and axillary clearance with no reconstruction. For the next week after I stayed at home surfing the net and watching Netflix. By the third week I started venturing out on short outings for groceries and the like. At one month after I was pretty much back to normal. So in my experience I would say give it a month

Luna, thank you for posting this message. I had BMX + AND 19 days ago and I'm asking the same question!--when will I feel better? I have one drain left in place. But my drain output, my pain level, my energy level--nothing has changed significantly for at least 10 days. I feel like I'm just stuck. The AND armpit is still extremely painful. My surgeon recommended a few mild stretching exercises twice a day, which I do, and I go for walks as my AND pain permits. Anyway, I guess I'm not asking a question here--just venting, and thanking you for starting the thread. The answers have been interesting.

By the way: I had another major (open-abdomen) surgery 6 weeks before this one, to remove a pheochromocytoma--not directly related to the breast cancer. Maybe my BMX recovery is hampered by that.

Luna, I join you in enjoying flatness! I think it's an uncommon perspective, though. I read these posts and marvel at the pain & suffering women endure for the sake of reconstruction. Of course, I respect everyone's right to make their own choices and I understand that we all have different perspectives.

Also, I agree with you about the brain-fog effect of multiple anesthesias. One of the anesthesiologists told me that they actually give a drug that induces amnesia. That's to cover the possibility that you were conscious but immobile during the surgery--any memory of that gets erased. I wouldn't be surprised if that drug has a more far-reaching effect.

Question: Doesn't the compression bra stick to your scars? It did to mine. I hated having to peel it off. Stopped wearing it.

Luna52 I'm starting to kind of try to wean off of it as my suspicion is my 'need' for it is mostly psychological as the side I lay on swells a bit and I kind of mildly panic and think, "Oh no! Swelling, better put the compression top back on!" when all I really need to do is just settle down because even without compression on it, the extra swelling is gone within 30 minutes. I even asked my PS about it and she said that's 100% normal for side sleepers to experience the first 6 months or so as you're still healing. She said if it's painful to call her, but if it's just a little extra swollen for awhile in the morning that's normal and fine, and it's not painful at all, it's just...a little more swollen in the morning.

When I sleep with the top on, it keeps me from 'squishing' that side of my chest, which means there's not that extra morning swelling, and that leads to me not mentally having the, "Swelling means I need compression again!" thoughts.

just thought I'd chime in to add my experience...i had BMX May 12th, with TE's put in. It took a good 4 weeks to not feel "sore". Like somebody said before, just putting a seatbelt on, or reaching for things, that you'd never notice before become very painful/uncomfortable. Its the breast area PLUS the armpits, and underneath the armpits, upper arms, torso, you name it. I was so tender it hurt just when my arms would lightly brush my side. Definitely have some pillows ready to rest your arms on AWAY from your body. I've had gallbladder, hysterectomy surgery, the BMX was a lot harder.

i have a desk job and was wondering how long I should plan on staying home after my double mx? I work for an attorney and my job is really not that strenuous. I'm his only secretary/assistant and it would be impossible to train someone else, I've worked for him for about 40 years, Also my office is not far from home. I keep thinking that if I can make it to my desk that I should be able to work a few hours a day. Am I dreaming the impossible dream?

I was back at work after 2 weeks with my BMX; I have a desk job that doesn't require a lot of lifting or moving, and I didn't have reconstruction so there was no increased heal time or having to deal with TEs, so that likely helped on that front.

Technically, I was back after 1 week, but I did 1 week off, 1 week working from home, then was back in the office at the start of the 3rd week.