Mastectomy, messed up armpit

Chrispea

Is it just me, or is everyone's armpit a mess?

I had my surgery on April 1st, and my armpit still feels messed up. It's like there is extra stuff there when I put my arm down. It's very annoying.

Maybe, if and when I get "fixed" the plastic surgeon can remove this excess skin.

I feel like I got hacked up. It's not pretty, not that I expected it to be, but it's like they just sewed me up and it puckered under my arm pit.

I hate it!!!

Chrispea

I guess I just needed to
I guess I just needed to vent... none of my friends or husband could possibly understand.

Dot53

Chrispea said:

I guess I just needed to
I guess I just needed to vent... none of my friends or husband could possibly understand.

I totally understand...
Mine doesn't look great either.. I also feel hacked.. how is it that we have come so far medically but they can't make these incisions smaller and less horrible.. I have asked my PS about my underarm area b/c it seems hollow in spots with loose skin.. he said he will try to fix it when I have the implants put in..

The first time I saw myself after the surgery I thought OMG I looked like a monster.. but I am starting to get used to it... I guess we have to consider them our "battle wounds"....

Sending you a cyber hug,
Dot

Aortus

Chrispea said:

I guess I just needed to
I guess I just needed to vent... none of my friends or husband could possibly understand.

This husband understands.
Moopy's surgeon here in town did a great job with her mastectomy. I know it sounds like a weird topic to brag about, but even her oncologist up in St. Louis (who thinks all civilization ends west of St. Louis County, MO) said it was excellent work.

Even so, Moopy has been undergoing physical therapy since radiation was over, to help restore things like motion and feeling. It gets a bit frustrating for her, but she will undoubtedly beat the aftereffects of surgery the same way she is beating SC.

Best,
Joe

cats_toy

sort of like an extra little boobie under the armpit
I remember that too, after all the swelling finally went away (and it did take some time), since I only had a partial mastectomy, it looked like a big chunk removed from the breast, and I ended up with a little boobie in the pit. My PA said they happen in most cases when a lot of tissue is removed, so it seems to be part of our "normal".
Vent away, that's what we are here for!
Cat

CarrWilson

Chrispea said:

I guess I just needed to
I guess I just needed to vent... none of my friends or husband could possibly understand.

Not my armpit
It was not my armpit that looks funny, but I now have a nipple on the top of my breast. Well, not really a nipple, but a strange puckering with a constant THO in a weird place, and then an indent in the middle breast area. I did not expect perfection, but what the heck!

My PS said he would fix it when he did the replacement, so I have my fingers crossed. --XX

Please vent away, we all understand!

Take care - Carrie

Rague

Give it time!
It gets better with time - Surgery for me was Oct. 21 09. Thought the underarm area was 'horrible'. I had a large seroma that extended into the area and then was badly burned by rads. Feeling - well it may or may not come back to what it was - I still have no feeling there. I'm glad that there was no feeling in that area as that's where my deepest burns were so I never felt the worst of the pain. It's finally starting to look not that bad though. I'll definately be wearing my tanktops this summer - some of the scar (from rads) area will show but OH HA Well - If you don't want to see - don't look!

Give it time - will get better.

jamiegww

My armpit is a mess too.
I'm glad you brought this up because I was wondering if I was the only one feeling like my surgeon messed me up. I have, as you said, extra stuff there and my surgery was Dec. 7th. I don't have any feeling in my arm or my side but when my arm touches my side, it feels horrible like there's a tennis ball stuck between them and I hate that feeling. I also have a raised area next to my remaining breast that looks like a tiny boob. I used to wish I could have gotten both breast removed but I don't think I could stand that feeling on both sides so I'm glad my insurance wouldn't allow the other breast removal. Maybe you can get some comfort in knowing you are not alone.

jnl

Chrispea said:

I guess I just needed to
I guess I just needed to vent... none of my friends or husband could possibly understand.

This is the place to vent.
This is the place to vent. So, I am glad that you felt you could. I hope your PS can help you out. I don't have this, but, I can understand your wanting it taken care of.


Good luck, Leeza

Christine Louise

Pitted pit
My surgery Jan.25 left me with a bizarre, deep underarm crater where the surgeon removed a chunk of fat with the nodes. No problem on the other side with the same number of nodes removed. (Her reputation is as such an "artist," so why was she so careless?) But, it has normalized a lot in 3 months. And, the numbness, shooting pains, etc. are slowly going away, too.

Your April 1 surgery is fairly recent, so hopefully it will smooth out in the coming weeks.

My plastic surgeon said he can do a couple of fat injections into the crater, if necessary, when I get my implants put in. He also said he can smooth out a lumpy place along an incision. I hope he turns out to be the "artist" he's said to be.

jworkman

armpit
.. I too have a crazy armpit : / I had surgery April 3rd 2010. So .. I understand that it will change as time goes on but my armpit looks crazy. I haven't talked to a plastic surgeon yet because I still have chemo to go through so the oncologist thought it would be good to wait for reconstruction. When I first got my masectomy I felt great because I had a grapefruit sized tumor removed so I was just happy to have it gone .. but now I look at myself and see this crazy, weird person staring at me. I just hope this weird armpit look goes away. It's been 4 weeks and I can't put deodorant on that side still : / .. just on the right side. LOL. Goodluck on your journey. : )

Kat11

jworkman said:

armpit
.. I too have a crazy armpit : / I had surgery April 3rd 2010. So .. I understand that it will change as time goes on but my armpit looks crazy. I haven't talked to a plastic surgeon yet because I still have chemo to go through so the oncologist thought it would be good to wait for reconstruction. When I first got my masectomy I felt great because I had a grapefruit sized tumor removed so I was just happy to have it gone .. but now I look at myself and see this crazy, weird person staring at me. I just hope this weird armpit look goes away. It's been 4 weeks and I can't put deodorant on that side still : / .. just on the right side. LOL. Goodluck on your journey. : )

I had a lumpectomy,with 22
I had a lumpectomy,with 22 nodes removed and my arm and arm pit are still sore and I have no feeling in parts. Kinda weird looking in the pit area, cuz there is a pit. My surgery was last June.

Ritzy

Kat11 said:

I had a lumpectomy,with 22
I had a lumpectomy,with 22 nodes removed and my arm and arm pit are still sore and I have no feeling in parts. Kinda weird looking in the pit area, cuz there is a pit. My surgery was last June.

Why so many nodes removed
Why so many nodes removed Kat? 22 seems like so many to remove. And, I think numbness in the armpit after node removal is fairly common.

Sue

katznc

Puckers and craters
I had left mast on March 30. I still have numbness and pain plus it is puckered and cratered (4 lymph nodes removed) . It seems to be improving as time goes by. The worst is the underarm hair that is growing out of the end of my incision. My surgeon said I just need to live with it for awhile. I told the nurse next time they want to see how high I can lift my arm sideways I'll make her clip it off. They laughed, I was serious. It the right underarm and I am right handed. Makes it hard to wear a bra too.

I'm more worried about the arm movement. Its only about 70% And my surgeon is getting tough with me on it.

susie09

jamiegww said:

My armpit is a mess too.
I'm glad you brought this up because I was wondering if I was the only one feeling like my surgeon messed me up. I have, as you said, extra stuff there and my surgery was Dec. 7th. I don't have any feeling in my arm or my side but when my arm touches my side, it feels horrible like there's a tennis ball stuck between them and I hate that feeling. I also have a raised area next to my remaining breast that looks like a tiny boob. I used to wish I could have gotten both breast removed but I don't think I could stand that feeling on both sides so I'm glad my insurance wouldn't allow the other breast removal. Maybe you can get some comfort in knowing you are not alone.

This is the one place where
This is the one place where we can vent and get whatever concerns us off of our mind. It looks like you are not alone. I hope that gives you some comfort.

1maladywc

jamiegww said:

My armpit is a mess too.
I'm glad you brought this up because I was wondering if I was the only one feeling like my surgeon messed me up. I have, as you said, extra stuff there and my surgery was Dec. 7th. I don't have any feeling in my arm or my side but when my arm touches my side, it feels horrible like there's a tennis ball stuck between them and I hate that feeling. I also have a raised area next to my remaining breast that looks like a tiny boob. I used to wish I could have gotten both breast removed but I don't think I could stand that feeling on both sides so I'm glad my insurance wouldn't allow the other breast removal. Maybe you can get some comfort in knowing you are not alone.

arm pit mess
I had my left breast cancer
surgery In March 2001. HER2 16 lymp nodes taken 8 positive for cancer.
the extra boob under my arm is still there. I ask the Dr. to take that part and pull it up front and make a good boob.HA/could not do. went the chemo and the raid route. was out 5 years cancer free, NOT. I had a lump by my neck that I had before I had my breast surgery done told the Dr. I wanted that out when they did the breast surgery,oh that is nothing to worry about. I went to another surgery Dr. Had that lump taken off and it was cancer, the chemo Dr. put me on herceptin. that was in 2007 , Then in 2008 broke my left arm,
bone cancer now. still on herceptin. I kept telling the chemo Dr. that I was losing the use of my left arm and hand. then in march of 2010 I told my bone Dr. and my chemo Dr. that I was done with them, and I went to Zion Ill to american cancer center there. They found 3 large lymp nodes (cancer) that was pushing on my nerves that run my hand and arm. They put me on tykerb and xeloda , to try to swrink the nodes. Go back to Zion in June Sure hope that it has done what it is going to do. I have no use of my left arm and hand. Hope it will come back.
My bone Dr and my Chemo Dr both had a fit when a I told them I was done with them. If it is not working it is time to try some thing else. The cancer center treats me so good. and I don't have to wait months before I get the reports on my lab and MRI ect.
I have kept a sense of humor on all this. And Thank God for a daughter that has been there all the way. My husband of 45 years left could not deal with it. Oh well. I'm going to make it
I have cancer, It don't have me.

1maladywc

Ritzy said:

Why so many nodes removed
Why so many nodes removed Kat? 22 seems like so many to remove. And, I think numbness in the armpit after node removal is fairly common.

Sue

Hi
love the cat, Just had to laugh.

Ritzy

1maladywc said:

Hi
love the cat, Just had to laugh.

Thanks! LOL

Thanks! LOL

sherik

hang in there
I had a right breast mastectomy in September 09 and had similar armpit issues - hated it - didn't feel comfortable wearing anything without sleeves. part of the mess was from the mastectomy itself and part from the sentinal node biopsy. I'm still going through reconstructive surgery - #3 is on Friday...but things are looking much better! For me it just took some time. It will take a number of months for things to calm down in there - your body has been traumatized for sure. Hang in there Chris.

dyaneb123

sherik said:

hang in there
I had a right breast mastectomy in September 09 and had similar armpit issues - hated it - didn't feel comfortable wearing anything without sleeves. part of the mess was from the mastectomy itself and part from the sentinal node biopsy. I'm still going through reconstructive surgery - #3 is on Friday...but things are looking much better! For me it just took some time. It will take a number of months for things to calm down in there - your body has been traumatized for sure. Hang in there Chris.

Hey guys, there is light at
Hey guys, there is light at the end of the tunnel... the excess armpit skin was something I asked my plastic surgeon if he could fix when he did my reconstuction...and he said yes...I just had the work done a couple of weeks ago and he actually did some lipo and skin removal at the same time he put in the implant on my right breast mastectomy site...
it's still too soon to really tell if it's gonna be totally smooth, but it's definitely better! I also had the left breast reduced and an implant put in at the same time so that they would look more even. He also made me a nipple from the skin from the reduction. It's a little freaky looking right now , but looks better everyday as it heals....and eventully he will tatoo it so the color matches the natural nipple more too.So if you are having reconstruction, just tell the doctor that you would like him to make the underarm look better too.It's a long slow process from beginning to end, but you'll get there...be patient... : )

24242

Vent away
My body sounds much like yours though I am numb around half my chest shoulder and arm pit. Feeling is starting to return after all these years but I did not choose to have more surgery to take care of the side flaps. I just walk with arms crossed or in pockets so not rubbing often the cause of my lympnodema. The swinging causes the rubbing.
I decided long ago I would do as little surgery as possible since it too came with its own batch of side effects that affected me after all.
14 years later and I am starting to get some feeling back which I never thought was going to happen.
Hope you too find your comfort level and do what you need to do for that.
Yes surgeon left like this in case I decided down the line to have reconstruction something I haven't wanted after my double mastectomy.
Tara