pains one year later

rhatch

A year and a half ago I had a lumpectomy followed by 6 weeks of radiation and 6 months of chemo. Things seemed to be going well with little discomfort. For the last 2 months I have suffered with significant ache/pain across my breast,arm and upper back. It can be quite intense at times. Eight months ago a bone scan was clear and a recent lung x-ray was fine. Has anyone had this happen to them? I need rassurance that it is not cancer again.

murphy

Hi, I just read your post and I don't know how much I can help but I had a mastectomy in July of 99, and 6 months of chemo, I too was doing quite well and just started experiencing pain across my breast (that is gone) my arm and upper back also, and have the same concerns as you have, I was just to my Onc. the end of Feb. all my blood work was good. I did not have this problem until after my check up so I didn't discuss it with him, so I have been trying to decide what course to take. Cancer sure changes things doesn't it, now we worry about every ache or pain, or if we are to tired. When is the last time you saw your Onc.? I know I did not reassure you but at least you know you are not the only one. Murphy

boonkie

I to have had pain the last few months, sometimes quite intence. My mastectomy was one year ago yesterday. I know my pain is not cancer related because I just had all the tests done. I'm sure healing takes time and is differnt for every one. I think you need to speek to your Doctors. As we both know ,all to well, Leave nothing to chance.

Unknown

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

mking

I had a mastectomy 5 years ago, and just last year I was telling my oncologist that I now have worse pain than when I had surgery. Go figure. He tells me that some women have that to happen to them. I know a lot a nerves were cut; but sometimes it hurts so much. I also had 8 months of chemo and 36 radiation treatments. I try not to think of it as reoccuring cancer. Everything else is ok. Blood work, x-rays, and all. I hope you find out what is causing all your pain. I'll be thinking of you!! M.King

pamtriggs

You need a complete spianl exam to be sure this is not mets to the spine. Your symptoms sound like mine. Spinal mets cause pain spasms right around from the vertebrae to the breast. Please get to you oncologist as quickly as possible & have this checked out. Plain film xray will show any area of concern & then further investigation can be done. Please do not delay. I know bone mets are excrutiatingly painful when well established & I ignored the earlier pain to me later regret to the point I know have mets to all my spine & pelvis. Please keep in touch & let me know you have taken this further. My love & thoughts are with you. Pam

Unknown

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24242

Hello in pain,
I have to say that it has been 3.5 years and it hasn't been but recently that I now have found a life beyond my pain. I unfortunately suffered most side affects from my treatments so am now left with 5 different diseases to fight. You need to keep expressing your pain to doctors and don't settle for anxiety being the reason for your pain, or your just a little depressed. It took me 2 years to convince doctors that I had pain and no quality to my life. It took many drug trials to find one that I could tolerate. I am also very sensitive to the medications themselves. I found that you must not settle for the pain keep looking, keep saying.
Hope you find the help you so diserve, Tara

clegs53

24242 said:

Hello in pain,
I have to say that it has been 3.5 years and it hasn't been but recently that I now have found a life beyond my pain. I unfortunately suffered most side affects from my treatments so am now left with 5 different diseases to fight. You need to keep expressing your pain to doctors and don't settle for anxiety being the reason for your pain, or your just a little depressed. It took me 2 years to convince doctors that I had pain and no quality to my life. It took many drug trials to find one that I could tolerate. I am also very sensitive to the medications themselves. I found that you must not settle for the pain keep looking, keep saying.
Hope you find the help you so diserve, Tara

Pain One Year Later
I'm having pain too under my left breast. Mine feels like a pulled muscle and other times like there is tissue being pinched between my ribs. The pain occurs if bend or twist the wrong way. Stress seems to make the pain worse.
I had lumpectomy in August 2008, no chemo and 33 rounds of radiation. My follow-up mammogram was fine. The pain began in spring 2009. I told my oncologist about this and he ordered a full body bone scan and CT scan of my torso. The only thing found was some scarring of my left lung. The surgeon said I most likely developed additional scar tissue in the chest and that scarring can occur for as long as 18 months after radiation.
I then began physical therapy to break up the scar tissue and to stretch the muscles in my arm and shoulder. It’s helping a little, but it’s very slow going.
In addition, the radiation made my heart condition worse. So in November 2008 I had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted in the right side of my chest and I'm having a problem with that too.
All of this is getting me down. I had retired at age 55 and 4 months later got the cancer diagnosis.
All these after effects were news to me. No one told me about them. What other long term effects are possible?
Have anyone else had similar problems with scar tissue? How was it treated?

Akiss4me

clegs53 said:

Pain One Year Later
I'm having pain too under my left breast. Mine feels like a pulled muscle and other times like there is tissue being pinched between my ribs. The pain occurs if bend or twist the wrong way. Stress seems to make the pain worse.
I had lumpectomy in August 2008, no chemo and 33 rounds of radiation. My follow-up mammogram was fine. The pain began in spring 2009. I told my oncologist about this and he ordered a full body bone scan and CT scan of my torso. The only thing found was some scarring of my left lung. The surgeon said I most likely developed additional scar tissue in the chest and that scarring can occur for as long as 18 months after radiation.
I then began physical therapy to break up the scar tissue and to stretch the muscles in my arm and shoulder. It’s helping a little, but it’s very slow going.
In addition, the radiation made my heart condition worse. So in November 2008 I had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted in the right side of my chest and I'm having a problem with that too.
All of this is getting me down. I had retired at age 55 and 4 months later got the cancer diagnosis.
All these after effects were news to me. No one told me about them. What other long term effects are possible?
Have anyone else had similar problems with scar tissue? How was it treated?

Hello Clegs and welcome
I have delt with scar tissue for 8 surgeries now in my breast. It can last up to 18 months to stop the stabbing and pinching and pricking that seems to go on underneath your breast. Regular massaging helps to break the scar tissue up. The symptoms will eventually go away on their on from your natural body movement breaking the scar tissue up. This is the first time I have had to include radiation in the picture and not sure how this will effect the symptoms this time around. I was told that it is a side effect of you surgery, but now with radiated tissue, I don't think it breaks up that easily. I hope we both get relief soon!! :O) Pammy

dmc_emmy

Akiss4me said:

Hello Clegs and welcome
I have delt with scar tissue for 8 surgeries now in my breast. It can last up to 18 months to stop the stabbing and pinching and pricking that seems to go on underneath your breast. Regular massaging helps to break the scar tissue up. The symptoms will eventually go away on their on from your natural body movement breaking the scar tissue up. This is the first time I have had to include radiation in the picture and not sure how this will effect the symptoms this time around. I was told that it is a side effect of you surgery, but now with radiated tissue, I don't think it breaks up that easily. I hope we both get relief soon!! :O) Pammy

Pain...
It seems to be part of the program.

I have learned to deal with it by taking meds (not too many though, but that's another story).

Anyway, I was told that during surgery nerves were cut and, since nerves don't mend, that there will always be some degree of pain. I know what kind of pain to expect now, as a 3-year survivor, but if a new pain appears I run to the dr for a check-up. In time, your body becomes, for lack of a better word, immune to the pain and you don't notice it as much.

Before I had surgery, chemo, and rads, my drs only told me some of the effects (both short and long term) that I should expect. I think, in retrospect, they didn't tell me everything because there was already a whirlwind of info-and fear-racing through my mind. Now, after many questions and some reading, I know why my heart murmur has worsened, why my pain will not go away, why I cannot do many of things I use to do...it's hard accepting these realities, but we find a way because we don't want cancer to define us (even if it never goes away).

I have yet to find an exercise program that I can do long-term to help with the toning of those damaged muscles. I was exercising at Curves very regularly, even losing some weight, but have needed to stop a couple of times for medical reasons (I'm currently on another med'l leave). I hope to return to my Curves program soon, even though it will be more modified than it was before. The curcuit coaches at Curves will help you set-up a program that fits your needs. When I return, I will need to establish a new program so I don't cause more injury to myself and have to quit again. What's nice, too, is that membership fees cease while on leave and, when you return, they help you ease back into excercising. It's almost like having your own personal trainer. Well, just a thought.

Like Pammy said, keeping those muscles moving is the best medicine, but when all else fails,a little pain med goes a long way.
dmc

jnl

clegs53 said:

Pain One Year Later
I'm having pain too under my left breast. Mine feels like a pulled muscle and other times like there is tissue being pinched between my ribs. The pain occurs if bend or twist the wrong way. Stress seems to make the pain worse.
I had lumpectomy in August 2008, no chemo and 33 rounds of radiation. My follow-up mammogram was fine. The pain began in spring 2009. I told my oncologist about this and he ordered a full body bone scan and CT scan of my torso. The only thing found was some scarring of my left lung. The surgeon said I most likely developed additional scar tissue in the chest and that scarring can occur for as long as 18 months after radiation.
I then began physical therapy to break up the scar tissue and to stretch the muscles in my arm and shoulder. It’s helping a little, but it’s very slow going.
In addition, the radiation made my heart condition worse. So in November 2008 I had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted in the right side of my chest and I'm having a problem with that too.
All of this is getting me down. I had retired at age 55 and 4 months later got the cancer diagnosis.
All these after effects were news to me. No one told me about them. What other long term effects are possible?
Have anyone else had similar problems with scar tissue? How was it treated?

A year later? I am so
A year later? I am so sorry. You have so much to deal with. I don't have the scar tissue problem yet, and, I hope I don't. I wish you good luck. I hope that your health improves.

lanie940

Scar tissue can hurt! I had
Scar tissue can hurt! I had a cervical laminectomy in 2000. I have a 7 inch scar from it. Every so often it really really bothers me, I try massaging it myself, and take some extra strength Tylanol. This morning I had an ultrasound on my left breast in the lymph node area. I have one enlarged node and another small. The Radiolgist didn't seem terribly concerned as he did the first time when he said right outthat the tumor in my Rt. breast looked like cancer. He said because of my history that maybe my Oncologist Dr. will want to do a needle biopsy, that would be Monday when I have a follow-up visit. ARRGh, I'm so tired of this already!

DianeBC

lanie940 said:

Scar tissue can hurt! I had
Scar tissue can hurt! I had a cervical laminectomy in 2000. I have a 7 inch scar from it. Every so often it really really bothers me, I try massaging it myself, and take some extra strength Tylanol. This morning I had an ultrasound on my left breast in the lymph node area. I have one enlarged node and another small. The Radiolgist didn't seem terribly concerned as he did the first time when he said right outthat the tumor in my Rt. breast looked like cancer. He said because of my history that maybe my Oncologist Dr. will want to do a needle biopsy, that would be Monday when I have a follow-up visit. ARRGh, I'm so tired of this already!

Good luck Lanie! Let us
Good luck Lanie! Let us know what you find out on Monday.

Hugs, Diane ♥

aurora2009

DianeBC said:

Good luck Lanie! Let us
Good luck Lanie! Let us know what you find out on Monday.

Hugs, Diane ♥

Lanie
<font color=green.So sorry you have to go through this, I sending prayers and positive thoughts your way.

Good Luck on Monday,

God Bless

♥ Aurora

Kylez

aurora2009 said:

Lanie

Good luck on
Good luck on Monday!

Please post and let us know.

Keeping you in my prayers.

♥ Kylez ♥

lanie940

Thanks Ladies
Well, I had
Thanks Ladies
Well, I had the ultrasound. The Radiologist wasn't overly concerned this time, last time with my right breast when I ended up with the biopsy and lumpectomy, he said right away it was probably cancer. this time, he said he would send results to my Oncology Dr. and he could decide if he wants to do an needle biopsy on the two nodeson the left breast/armpit area.

lynn1950

Pain more than year after surgery
I finished rads last October; my surgery was in April (2008). I still have pain and issues with my shoulders. It feels like the left shoulder (my cancer side) is very slow to heal. My fingers are very stiff (from the Arimidex) and humiliatingly, my tailbone aches! (Hard to sit for Yoga). It's reassuring to know that the breast pain is still my body scarring/healing from rads. Thanks everybody for sharing your experiences. xoxoxoxo Lynn

jnl

lanie940 said:

Thanks Ladies
Well, I had
Thanks Ladies
Well, I had the ultrasound. The Radiologist wasn't overly concerned this time, last time with my right breast when I ended up with the biopsy and lumpectomy, he said right away it was probably cancer. this time, he said he would send results to my Oncology Dr. and he could decide if he wants to do an needle biopsy on the two nodeson the left breast/armpit area.

Wishing you good luck Lanie!
Wishing you good luck Lanie! Praying for you!

Leeza