New delima...with bad arm

jo jo
jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
After 3 weeks of recoperating from having my girls put in...im having really bad shoulder pain in my bad arm...one they took my lymphnodes from and im having trouble raising it. My PS said i cant go to physical therapy yet since i just got my stitches out and from my history of after my mastectomy with all the infections and incisions tryin to reopen they dont want to push it to soon....so what can i do cuz it feels like its locking up on me, like rubbing bone on bone but if i keep my arm down the pain is tolerable...I know...then dont lift my arm haha! Has anyone else had anything similair happen and what did you do about it or did you just grin and bare it like im doing at the moment.

Comments

  • Yvette39
    Yvette39 Member Posts: 17
    #2
    Dear Jo Jo:
    It sounds like what I started having shortly after my mastectomy and lymphnodes removed. I now suffer from lymphedema and have to see a therapist for treatment every week and wear a sleeve. I'm afraid to offer you any advice but I can tell you what I'm to do when I'm swollen. They have me use special bandages and wrap my arm from my fingers to my shoulder pretty tight so the fluid will go up my arm to my neck and in to the lymph nodes in my neck area. If you decide to do this just rub around your neck area real slow and easy about 15 times then put the bandages on and see if this helps any. You might need to see a lymphedema therapist. Good luck to you!
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    #3
    Yvette39 said:

    Dear Jo Jo:
    It sounds like what I started having shortly after my mastectomy and lymphnodes removed. I now suffer from lymphedema and have to see a therapist for treatment every week and wear a sleeve. I'm afraid to offer you any advice but I can tell you what I'm to do when I'm swollen. They have me use special bandages and wrap my arm from my fingers to my shoulder pretty tight so the fluid will go up my arm to my neck and in to the lymph nodes in my neck area. If you decide to do this just rub around your neck area real slow and easy about 15 times then put the bandages on and see if this helps any. You might need to see a lymphedema therapist. Good luck to you!

    Yvette i thought maybe it
    Yvette i thought maybe it was the start of lymphedema but i have no swelling...cuz ive been looking for it since the pain came on. Can you have lymphedema without swelling? I know it sounds like a stupid question...but i had to ask.
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #4
    I'm so sorry
    you have to deal with another problem )-: My sister who is 6 years out has trouble with the shoulder and arm where her lymph nodes were removed. I'm hesitant to give any advice. For now I would do as the dr says and not try lifting it. Give your stitches a little time to heal and then seek out therapy for the shoulder. I do know there are ones that specialize in lymphodema. I have no humeral head in my left arm because I shattered the bone and was a high risk for infection so it wasn't repaired. I have had therapy on it that helps, but for the past 4 years I'm unable to raise my left arm. My arm only moves from the elbow. A heating pad might help......
    Char
  • creampuff91344
    creampuff91344 Member Posts: 988
    #5
    cahjah75 said:

    I'm so sorry
    you have to deal with another problem )-: My sister who is 6 years out has trouble with the shoulder and arm where her lymph nodes were removed. I'm hesitant to give any advice. For now I would do as the dr says and not try lifting it. Give your stitches a little time to heal and then seek out therapy for the shoulder. I do know there are ones that specialize in lymphodema. I have no humeral head in my left arm because I shattered the bone and was a high risk for infection so it wasn't repaired. I have had therapy on it that helps, but for the past 4 years I'm unable to raise my left arm. My arm only moves from the elbow. A heating pad might help......
    Char

    JoJo, I experienced similar pain after lymp node removal, and found that heat was the answer. My grandmother made me a "corn bag" years ago, and it helped when I was younger to relieve the cramps before my period. She used soft flannel material, sewed it into about a 15" square, and filled it with deer corn (used in deer feeders, and found at either feed stores, or even Walmart). I made another one when the pain in my shoulder and neck started. You put it in the microwave for three minutes, and then apply to the area that is hurting. The corn retains heat, and also produces some moisture which helps the heat penetrate. I took my bag to bed with me many nights, and it helped. Good luck, and lots of hugs your way. Judy
  • webbwife50
    webbwife50 Member Posts: 394
    #6
    Hi Jo Jo
    It can be frustrating when things aren't going as smoothly after a big procedure. Remember, it only been 3 wks, I had much of the same complaints and pain last year when I was recoving from bilat. mast. chemo. then recon. in Dec. I was in pain and quite limited. I to had had a difficult time recoving from mast. I had drains in what seemed like forever.
    Anyway my point here is today, 9 months later, last week I went kayaking for the afternoon with my sister, I'm a little sore but I have regained full use of my arms and the lympho. has not returned. My self-esteem is also rising. God bless you and Relax, relax, relax...sending lots of love your way.
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #7
    webbwife50 said:

    Hi Jo Jo
    It can be frustrating when things aren't going as smoothly after a big procedure. Remember, it only been 3 wks, I had much of the same complaints and pain last year when I was recoving from bilat. mast. chemo. then recon. in Dec. I was in pain and quite limited. I to had had a difficult time recoving from mast. I had drains in what seemed like forever.
    Anyway my point here is today, 9 months later, last week I went kayaking for the afternoon with my sister, I'm a little sore but I have regained full use of my arms and the lympho. has not returned. My self-esteem is also rising. God bless you and Relax, relax, relax...sending lots of love your way.

    Yep ... know what you are referring to .. It sucks ..but
    take it all with a grain of salt. If I do too much, I suffer - no doubt.

    It will all get better in time, for all of us. Limit your activies on the days with more pain, relax - exercise. I baby my Lympho removal arm - good thing it's my left arm, as I am right handed.

    WebbMom .. I agree with you ..

    Relax, we are going in so many directions .. because we are WOMAN, WIFE and MOTHERS .. now that we have a little hair, reconstructed breast -- we can conquer the world. That is when our bodies are fully rested, and healed. It takes time, and I know that we are so sick and tired or being sick and tired of sitting on the sidelines of life.

    Vicki Sam
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    #8
    VickiSam said:

    Yep ... know what you are referring to .. It sucks ..but
    take it all with a grain of salt. If I do too much, I suffer - no doubt.

    It will all get better in time, for all of us. Limit your activies on the days with more pain, relax - exercise. I baby my Lympho removal arm - good thing it's my left arm, as I am right handed.

    WebbMom .. I agree with you ..

    Relax, we are going in so many directions .. because we are WOMAN, WIFE and MOTHERS .. now that we have a little hair, reconstructed breast -- we can conquer the world. That is when our bodies are fully rested, and healed. It takes time, and I know that we are so sick and tired or being sick and tired of sitting on the sidelines of life.

    Vicki Sam

    Vicki you nailed it...My
    Vicki you nailed it...My mind says i can conquer the world and my body is sayin hell no and we try pushin ourselves wanting to get better faster and find it just doesnt work that way.

    Thank you ladies for your input...its good to know im not alone in this and once again theres not much we can do about some of our little corks we experience during this journey.
  • natly15
    natly15 Member Posts: 1,941
    #9
    jo jo said:

    Vicki you nailed it...My
    Vicki you nailed it...My mind says i can conquer the world and my body is sayin hell no and we try pushin ourselves wanting to get better faster and find it just doesnt work that way.

    Thank you ladies for your input...its good to know im not alone in this and once again theres not much we can do about some of our little corks we experience during this journey.

    Boy so true Vicki and JoJo.
    Boy so true Vicki and JoJo. I wonder why I just want to lay around. I've always been so active. My head says do something and then my body decides not to cooperate. maybe I'm beginning to understand this 'new normal" everyone speaks of. I dont like it but guess I'm going to have to learn to accept it. Conpleted my last rad on June 15. After a year of surgeries, chemo, rads and whatever else I guess I need to cut myself some slack but boy its hard to do. :(
  • KayNYC
    KayNYC Member Posts: 495 Member
    #10
    give yourself a chance to heal
    Looks like you will have to wait on the evaluation of the arm by PT. The waiting until our body heals is so hard for so many of us- we just can't accept that the body needs time to heal so we push and push, judging ourselves negatively and increasing our misery. I am still working on acceptance of "what is."
    Hang in there. If it is lymphedema, yes, it can be there without significant symptoms early on, putting heat will increase swelling. Follow your doctor's recommendations.
    Hugs, K

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