New here! And neoadjuvant armpit pain?

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JustKeepSwimmin
JustKeepSwimmin Member Posts: 5
edited June 2021 in Stage III Breast Cancer

Hi all,

I'm new here but I'm six months since diagnosis, still on neoadjuvant chemo for stage 3 triple-pos, 3.6cm tumor (multifocal) with one lymph node identified on MRI. I'm 48 with a wonderful husband and two kids. Like all of us this has pretty much turned everything upside down!

I have one chemo left and then mastectomy. The tumor hasn't moved much... only shrunk 3mm but it is taking up much less contrast on MRI (if you view just the contrast, that has shrunk a ton and seems almost gone). Nobody can say what that means (has anyone here had that happen?) but the oncologist thinks it could maybe be killing the cancer but leaving a shell. Guess we'll find out!

Can I ask if anyone has experienced this? I don't see anyone mentioning it anywhere.

When I palpated my lump back in December, I had no symptoms and the lymph nodes were identified as normal on US. Very quickly I started to get a buzz in my armpit, within two weeks one node was 14mm on MRI and then by the time chemo started five weeks later, it was a pinch. That still happens now, five months later. Also I sometimes get a bit of a mild burning sensation in the upper chest on cancer side where you would place a corsage. Now, I tend to tense that side, so it could be muscular or nerve compression too... 🤷

Anyway, with all these weird sensations I envision like 20 affected nodes and cancer spilling everywhere! Gah!

Has anyone else experienced this? Would love your perspective!


Heather

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  • trinigirl50
    trinigirl50 Member Posts: 343
    edited May 2021

    I had 20 affected nodes and felt nothing at all. They were removed before chemo. During chemo I had all kinds of strange zings and pinches and weird pains.

    I still have weird pains and pinches and zings 6 years later (I assume it's scar tissue and nerves coming back to life after surgery chemo and radiation.


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  • JustKeepSwimmin
    JustKeepSwimmin Member Posts: 5
    edited May 2021

    Thanks Trinigirl! It's so hard to know what to expect, I figure if I can feel a painful node when most feel nothing it must be everywhere. So glad to see you are doing well six years later! 🤗

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited May 2021

    Hi JustKeepSwimmin and sorry you've joined the "club". It can be very difficult to manage the aches, pains, sensations emotionally when we don't know what is going on. When is your surgery planned? We're glad you found us here, and please keep us posted!

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  • Lucca06
    Lucca06 Member Posts: 69
    edited June 2021

    JustKeepSwimmin I had loads of aches and pains both before and after chemo and mastectomy. Still do get the odd one! It is such a hard time and your whole body is struggling. I think I had the burning too, but remember my oncologist saying it was probably a good sign that the chemo was working. Also my tumour didn't shrink much in diameter but it got lots of holes in it and the chemo sort of broke it down. I was 43 when diagnosed with 2 kids of 2 & 4, it was a tough time but I passed 10 years from diagnosis in March and am healthier than I can remember.

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  • JustKeepSwimmin
    JustKeepSwimmin Member Posts: 5
    edited June 2021

    Thanks for replying Lucca! So happy to see you're 10 years out, that gives me hope! ❤ You're right, the aches and pinches and buzzes do make you wonder... it's hard to know what is normal or what to expect.


    I had my last chemo on Friday and SMX will be July 6. 👍 Time to get this thing out!

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