Numbness starting to subside

Options
butterflylvr
butterflylvr Member Posts: 944
edited May 2011 in Breast Cancer #1
I had a double mastectomy and tissue expanders put in on Feb. 28, 2011. Two and a half months later I think my chest area is finally starting to come back to life. I don't know when it exactly happened but I am starting to feel the presence of my expanders (fully inflated)especially along the inside of my torso. Most of my numbness is still in the vicinity of my armpit area (only had sentinel nodes removed)both below and towards my back. I know it could be months if not years before any or all of the feeling comes back. I hope my new awareness isn't going to cause issues with my radiation treatments that are about to take place.

For those of you that had mastectomies when did your numbness start subsiding and when did it finally go away?

Lorrie


Oh my gosh I talk a lot, I just noticed this is my 155th post and I've only been here a month. YIKES !!!

Comments

  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #2
    Options
    When does the Numbness subside
    Hi Lorrie,

    I had a mastectomy with a tissue expander on February 2010. 22 lymph nodes were also removed. The expander was partially filled when it was implanted and I had the 2nd and final fill about 2 weeks ago. My exchange surgery is scheduled for June 13th. It is now 15 months since my mastectomy and a portion of my chest the size of my palm is still numb. When a doctor feels that area (or my husband) I know in my mind that I am being touched but I really cannot feel it. When the reconstructive surgeon added the saline with the syringe he did not even have to give me any topical numbing medication because I was already numb. I would say though that the underside and back of my arm has feeling over a slightly larger area than it used to. It is my understanding that permanent numbness over some area is quite likely after a mastectomy. Complete recovery is in all likelihood not going to occur.

    Good luck with your rads. IRENE
  • AMomNETN
    AMomNETN Member Posts: 242
    #3
    Options
    jessiesmom1 said:

    When does the Numbness subside
    Hi Lorrie,

    I had a mastectomy with a tissue expander on February 2010. 22 lymph nodes were also removed. The expander was partially filled when it was implanted and I had the 2nd and final fill about 2 weeks ago. My exchange surgery is scheduled for June 13th. It is now 15 months since my mastectomy and a portion of my chest the size of my palm is still numb. When a doctor feels that area (or my husband) I know in my mind that I am being touched but I really cannot feel it. When the reconstructive surgeon added the saline with the syringe he did not even have to give me any topical numbing medication because I was already numb. I would say though that the underside and back of my arm has feeling over a slightly larger area than it used to. It is my understanding that permanent numbness over some area is quite likely after a mastectomy. Complete recovery is in all likelihood not going to occur.

    Good luck with your rads. IRENE

    Numb
    I'm still numb. I had a double mastecomy on Mar. 16, 2010. I really don't expect to have any feeling back for the most part. I was numb pretty much up to my port. I'm slowly feeling it when they flush my port. I'm like Irene that I know when Im touched there but I don't feel it. Just another price to pay to get rid of cancer. It is my understanding too that this is pretty much a permanent way of life now.

    Janie
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #4
    Options
    AMomNETN said:

    Numb
    I'm still numb. I had a double mastecomy on Mar. 16, 2010. I really don't expect to have any feeling back for the most part. I was numb pretty much up to my port. I'm slowly feeling it when they flush my port. I'm like Irene that I know when Im touched there but I don't feel it. Just another price to pay to get rid of cancer. It is my understanding too that this is pretty much a permanent way of life now.

    Janie

    Numb, yes. Mastectomy on 1/12/10
    staph infection late April 2010 (contacted while on vacation at the Grand Canyon) - right infected TE removed (2nd surgery) .. walked around lopsided for awhile. Plastic Surgeon replaced my right TE (3rd surgery) .. Late July 2010 - exchange (4th surgery) .. right breast with implant dropped .. on September 29th -- alloderm and lift to right breast (5th surgery) .. September 30th .. my health insurance expired/terminated. 5 surgeries in 9 months .. my numbness is starting to go away, I can now feel tugging and pulling in various regions of both breast.

    If I touch my breast with my finger tips, I can at times feel a sensation, other times still numb.

    Tissue Expanders are odd, at times I push them to the center of my chest, as they settled under my arms ;-) LOL Tightness came as a packaged deal with my expanders. Didn't have alot of sensations. Numbness ensued for months, then again I had to deal with 5 surgeries to my breast region in 9 months. No wonder I am having a hard time making a decision to add 'nipples', or just go in for the 3D tatt's.

    We are all different, healing comes with time and patience. Numbness, I am told goes away by the end of year 1.
    Vicki Sam
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #5
    Options
    VickiSam said:

    Numb, yes. Mastectomy on 1/12/10
    staph infection late April 2010 (contacted while on vacation at the Grand Canyon) - right infected TE removed (2nd surgery) .. walked around lopsided for awhile. Plastic Surgeon replaced my right TE (3rd surgery) .. Late July 2010 - exchange (4th surgery) .. right breast with implant dropped .. on September 29th -- alloderm and lift to right breast (5th surgery) .. September 30th .. my health insurance expired/terminated. 5 surgeries in 9 months .. my numbness is starting to go away, I can now feel tugging and pulling in various regions of both breast.

    If I touch my breast with my finger tips, I can at times feel a sensation, other times still numb.

    Tissue Expanders are odd, at times I push them to the center of my chest, as they settled under my arms ;-) LOL Tightness came as a packaged deal with my expanders. Didn't have alot of sensations. Numbness ensued for months, then again I had to deal with 5 surgeries to my breast region in 9 months. No wonder I am having a hard time making a decision to add 'nipples', or just go in for the 3D tatt's.

    We are all different, healing comes with time and patience. Numbness, I am told goes away by the end of year 1.
    Vicki Sam

    I was told by my breast

    I was told by my breast surgeon and plastic surgeon that the numbness may never go away. I still have parts of my breast and armpit that are numb and also my stomach because I had DIEP flap. My surgery was 1/5/10.
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #6
    Options
    mariam_11_09 said:

    I was told by my breast

    I was told by my breast surgeon and plastic surgeon that the numbness may never go away. I still have parts of my breast and armpit that are numb and also my stomach because I had DIEP flap. My surgery was 1/5/10.

    Mariam ... that you for the posting
    regarding the numbness may "NEVER" go away. Interesting prospective from your PS.


    Cheers to getting feeling back!


    Vicki Sam
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #7
    Options
    Lorrie
    I had bilateral mastectomy and sentinel nodes removed June 2010 and I still have numbness in the area of the nodes. I have "angel wings" on the sides of my body which I will have removed next month. That is the area that is numb. My breast surgeon said it could stay numb for a long time. I did not have reconstruction. I'm not numb near my incision anymore. I'm not sure when it actually stopped feeling that way. I had 6 weeks of rads January - February 2011. I was constantly putting cream on and massaging the mastectomy scars. You post all you want and we will listen and respond.
    {{hugs}} Char
  • thull
    thull Member Posts: 1
    #8
    Options
    mariam_11_09 said:

    I was told by my breast

    I was told by my breast surgeon and plastic surgeon that the numbness may never go away. I still have parts of my breast and armpit that are numb and also my stomach because I had DIEP flap. My surgery was 1/5/10.

    Diep Flap
    Hi I'm scheduled to have a Diep Flap done 8/31/11, were you happy with your outcome since it's been over a year?

    Traci

Discussion Boards