How long will it feel like a lump after lumpecomy?

Taina
Taina Member Posts: 166
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I had a lumpectomy and 8 lymph nodes removal 07/09/09.
My breast still feels like i have a lump and under my arm also.
Doctor said it will take months....
anyone else with the same situation???

Comments

  • teresa41
    teresa41 Member Posts: 471
    #2
    lumpectomy
    i had a lumpectomy may 14,2009 and 36 nodes removed and mine is the same way also i have a lump.and my underarm is numb i dont feel anything .my dr told me i could have cosmetic surgery to fix my breast but i think i will just keep it the way it is.


    teresa
  • Taina
    Taina Member Posts: 166
    #3
    teresa41 said:

    lumpectomy
    i had a lumpectomy may 14,2009 and 36 nodes removed and mine is the same way also i have a lump.and my underarm is numb i dont feel anything .my dr told me i could have cosmetic surgery to fix my breast but i think i will just keep it the way it is.


    teresa

    thanks
    i know...
    so i guess i will not make a big deal doing my self exam on that area...
    is just crazy....
    my feeling is coming back slowly under my arm 2....
  • Sher43009
    Sher43009 Member Posts: 602 Member
    #4
    I had my lumpectomy on 6/17
    I had my lumpectomy on 6/17 then more margins removed on 6/26 (left side) with 6 lymph nodes removed. I still have lumps between my lymph scar and breast scar. My surgeon said she didn't want it touched for 4 months. That she moved a lot of tissue around in there and it has to heal. Now that I'm in radiation, the shape has changed again. I figure if I'm back to normal after a year I'll be happy.
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #5
    Sher43009 said:

    I had my lumpectomy on 6/17
    I had my lumpectomy on 6/17 then more margins removed on 6/26 (left side) with 6 lymph nodes removed. I still have lumps between my lymph scar and breast scar. My surgeon said she didn't want it touched for 4 months. That she moved a lot of tissue around in there and it has to heal. Now that I'm in radiation, the shape has changed again. I figure if I'm back to normal after a year I'll be happy.

    I had lumpectomy last June,
    I had lumpectomy last June, with 22 nodes removed. Just had 6 month check up with surgeon. I just asked him that question about when the lumps will go away. He said alot of it is scar tissue. He said I will get to know my new breast with the new lumps and bumps. My arm pain he said may never go away. The loss of feeling will probably never come back.
  • roseann4
    roseann4 Member Posts: 992 Member
    #6
    It does take months.
    I had a lumpectomy on March 30th. I had some blood pool up to fill in the area and it was a small ball which felt like a lump. It gradually dissolved and now it feels like a flat area of scar tissue. I was told that there would always be some scar tissue build up filling the area. I had a mammo yesterday and they marked the scar with special tape so they would know where the scar tissue is while evaluating the mammo. I don't think it will ever feel like it did before bc but I really don't care. I love my "perkie" right breast and I hope it continues to stay cancer free. Otherwise, I'll give it up. Living well is my ultimate goal with our without my breast.

    Roseann
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #7
    roseann4 said:

    It does take months.
    I had a lumpectomy on March 30th. I had some blood pool up to fill in the area and it was a small ball which felt like a lump. It gradually dissolved and now it feels like a flat area of scar tissue. I was told that there would always be some scar tissue build up filling the area. I had a mammo yesterday and they marked the scar with special tape so they would know where the scar tissue is while evaluating the mammo. I don't think it will ever feel like it did before bc but I really don't care. I love my "perkie" right breast and I hope it continues to stay cancer free. Otherwise, I'll give it up. Living well is my ultimate goal with our without my breast.

    Roseann

    I think it takes awhile for
    I think it takes awhile for any scar tissue to go away and some of it never does. That is why they want a mammo as soon as possible after your surgery so that they have a baseline mammo showing where the scar tissue is.

    Hugs, Diane ♥
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #8
    Scar tissue
    Taina, I had a left breast lumpectomy in November 2008 with 2 nodes removed -- so over a year ago. My left breast is now extremely lumpy -- it feels like a bag of marbles. I had a mammo and sonogram last month and they said it was all my own tissue, but it is still disconcerting, I know. I also went from premature menopause to getting my period back, so lot of mine is hormonal, too. But it is definitely weird feeling tons of lumps in my breast. I hope they even out at some point.

    Mimi
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #9
    mimivac said:

    Scar tissue
    Taina, I had a left breast lumpectomy in November 2008 with 2 nodes removed -- so over a year ago. My left breast is now extremely lumpy -- it feels like a bag of marbles. I had a mammo and sonogram last month and they said it was all my own tissue, but it is still disconcerting, I know. I also went from premature menopause to getting my period back, so lot of mine is hormonal, too. But it is definitely weird feeling tons of lumps in my breast. I hope they even out at some point.

    Mimi

    It seems that most of us are
    It seems that most of us are left with some scar tissue. I didn't really have any, so, I guess I was lucky. Your doctors will keep a close eye on any changes they might see or feel. That is why our mammo's and ultrasounds are so important in our future.

    Hugs
  • padee6339
    padee6339 Member Posts: 763
    #10
    I don't have the lumps, it
    I don't have the lumps, it looks like someone took a big bite out of the side of my breast. And after a year I still get achey (sp?) under the arm where the lymph nodes were removed.
    Pat
  • Cat64
    Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
    #11
    mimivac said:

    Scar tissue
    Taina, I had a left breast lumpectomy in November 2008 with 2 nodes removed -- so over a year ago. My left breast is now extremely lumpy -- it feels like a bag of marbles. I had a mammo and sonogram last month and they said it was all my own tissue, but it is still disconcerting, I know. I also went from premature menopause to getting my period back, so lot of mine is hormonal, too. But it is definitely weird feeling tons of lumps in my breast. I hope they even out at some point.

    Mimi

    Taina
    Very good question. Just had mine 11/30 and hadn't even thought of that YET.
    Hugz,
    Cathy
  • crselby
    crselby Member Posts: 441 Member
    #12
    lumps
    Hi Taina,
    I had a Stereotactic Core Needle Biopsy in June. From then until just recently I have had lumps come and go. The more anxious I got through the time of having further tests and waiting for results, the more sore the lumps got. The MRI biopsies left me with two, whistle-causing huge sized hematomas. I had a lumpectomy 7/17. She took a LOT of tissue, but I have big breasts so it is not very obvious. In the affected breast there is a bigger, gradual dip in the natural slope of my droopy breasts. Then I had multicatheter accelerated partial breast irradiation. Lots of changing lumps due to the tissue dying and healing internally. Through all of this, I made lumps and then they disappeared. Now that I am on Tamoxifen, the estrogen blocker, the lumps are going away, except for the ones under my arm leading into the affected breast. I can only guess that these are estrogen driven lumps, like I used to make every month before my periods. I went through menopause, natural, 8 years ago, though, so all this was kind of new, in a familiar way.

    Why my body was fluctuating estrogen so much during the time between the first biopsy and taking the Tamoxifen is a mystery to me. Can anxiety do that? It's almost like the estrogen-driven cancer was making a last hurrah effort at spreading! Awful thought.

    Our bodies are going through a lot of changes and repairs! The 'new normal' is that we have lots of lumps. For me to notice a new lump is no big deal.

    Even the docs never know what to do with all the bumps they feel in my breasts. Until DCIS was found on my mammogram, the docs just said, "you have naturally lumpy breasts (fibrocystic disease which is benign) and must get to 'know your own breasts'." I honestly think that was a cop -out since they couldn't tell anymore than I could if these lumps should be of concern. And since I didn't have any risk factors for developing breast cancer, they said not to worry. Shows how much they DON'T know, eh?
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #13
    crselby said:

    lumps
    Hi Taina,
    I had a Stereotactic Core Needle Biopsy in June. From then until just recently I have had lumps come and go. The more anxious I got through the time of having further tests and waiting for results, the more sore the lumps got. The MRI biopsies left me with two, whistle-causing huge sized hematomas. I had a lumpectomy 7/17. She took a LOT of tissue, but I have big breasts so it is not very obvious. In the affected breast there is a bigger, gradual dip in the natural slope of my droopy breasts. Then I had multicatheter accelerated partial breast irradiation. Lots of changing lumps due to the tissue dying and healing internally. Through all of this, I made lumps and then they disappeared. Now that I am on Tamoxifen, the estrogen blocker, the lumps are going away, except for the ones under my arm leading into the affected breast. I can only guess that these are estrogen driven lumps, like I used to make every month before my periods. I went through menopause, natural, 8 years ago, though, so all this was kind of new, in a familiar way.

    Why my body was fluctuating estrogen so much during the time between the first biopsy and taking the Tamoxifen is a mystery to me. Can anxiety do that? It's almost like the estrogen-driven cancer was making a last hurrah effort at spreading! Awful thought.

    Our bodies are going through a lot of changes and repairs! The 'new normal' is that we have lots of lumps. For me to notice a new lump is no big deal.

    Even the docs never know what to do with all the bumps they feel in my breasts. Until DCIS was found on my mammogram, the docs just said, "you have naturally lumpy breasts (fibrocystic disease which is benign) and must get to 'know your own breasts'." I honestly think that was a cop -out since they couldn't tell anymore than I could if these lumps should be of concern. And since I didn't have any risk factors for developing breast cancer, they said not to worry. Shows how much they DON'T know, eh?

    I don't have the lumps
    I don't have the lumps Taina. I never got any scar tissue with my lumpectomy. My oncologist wants me to have a mammogram and an ultrasound in a couple of months. I just finished rads not long ago. I think then he wants a mammo every 3 or 6 months for a few years.

    Merry Christmas Taina!

    Sue :)
  • Taina
    Taina Member Posts: 166
    #14
    Ritzy said:

    I don't have the lumps
    I don't have the lumps Taina. I never got any scar tissue with my lumpectomy. My oncologist wants me to have a mammogram and an ultrasound in a couple of months. I just finished rads not long ago. I think then he wants a mammo every 3 or 6 months for a few years.

    Merry Christmas Taina!

    Sue :)

    thanks
    Sisters....and Brothers..........
    Thanks a lot...now i don't feel like is just me...

    I wish you all Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy and peaceful new years!!!!!!!!

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