I know, this sounds nuts....
I have heard of "phantom limbs" before, where you lose an arm or leg, but it sometimes feels like it's still there. But I didn't know a missing breast would do that too.
Anyone else ever experienced this?
CR
Comments
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Phantom painCR1954 said:Thank you!
Thanks so much! My family acted like I had completely lost it. So glad to know it is not abnormal!
CR
When I had bouts of bothersome phantom pain (tickly or itchy feelings usually), I turned to light massage. That made the nerves all fire off at once. That temporarily increases the weird feelings, but the nerves can only fire every so often. If you can get them to fire off one time with light massage, they will quiet down for the next little bit. I also noticed that light massage made the nerves start behaving more regularly after awhile. It was like they relearned a new normal and quite acting nuts and making me feel like someone was tickling me when no one was there. My operation was back in 2002 and after a few years the episodes of phantom pain mostly disappeared. I understand this is very common any time nerves are cut.0 -
Thanks!cabbott said:Phantom pain
When I had bouts of bothersome phantom pain (tickly or itchy feelings usually), I turned to light massage. That made the nerves all fire off at once. That temporarily increases the weird feelings, but the nerves can only fire every so often. If you can get them to fire off one time with light massage, they will quiet down for the next little bit. I also noticed that light massage made the nerves start behaving more regularly after awhile. It was like they relearned a new normal and quite acting nuts and making me feel like someone was tickling me when no one was there. My operation was back in 2002 and after a few years the episodes of phantom pain mostly disappeared. I understand this is very common any time nerves are cut.
Thanks for the advice! Much appreciated!
CR0 -
Thanks Char!cahjah75 said:CR
I haven't experienced it. I had bilateral mastectomy in June 2010 and my surgeon said I could feel phantom pain. It's all normal.
Char
If any of my docs mentioned it along the way, I have forgotten! But then again, I forget a lot of things anymore! So thank you!
CR0 -
: /
Something like yours. I have implants after bilat mastectomies. No nips,right, but when I get a sudden chill I feel like the nips are standing up. I have actually looked down to see if they suddenly grew. Lol Sometimes I have a horrible "itch" that cant be scratched. Weird phantom boobs.0 -
I've had reconstruction
I've had reconstruction after my bilateral mastectomy but i have phantom nipples quite often
*hugs*
heather0 -
Phantom nipples here too
Today it's -40 below windchill in lovely South Dakota and my phantom nipples have my attention. I thought I was the only one, so glad to here that, once again, I'm not. Massage works for me as well, I have to massage my implants anyhow, however; it seems when the phantom nipples are poking out (which is really bothersome) the massage helps immensely.
Hugz,
Kari0 -
My abdomen and chest (not
My abdomen and chest (not breasts) itch a lot. I had an abdominal pull-through reconstruction and I have always figured that it has something to do with the nerve cutting/damage done. Sometimes I take a rough dry wash cloth and rub my skin briskly and it helps. A nurse friend suggested it and it helps me a lot. Don't know if it would help if you tried it on your remaining skin?0 -
I am only a few weeks post
I am only a few weeks post double mastectomy and i immediately got the phantom pains/feelins. i could feel the side of my nonexistent breast itch, hurt, be in pain, even feel good now that i am recovering! i have even felt my nipples get hard! i have joked with my bf and friends that somewhere in a medical storage facility in a jar, my nipples are hard! i never thought it would happen with breasts, either, but when i told my surgeon at a check up last week, she wasnt surprised. its the strangest feeling isnt it?0
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