Update: Dent under the arm?

LoveBabyJesus
LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
edited June 2011 in Breast Cancer #1
Good morning pink sisters! I am wondering, has any of you had a dent under your arm when you lift it, at the top, right side? I had sugery back in February, and my sentinal nodes were removed (all came back negative). Now I just noticed when I lift my arm, there is a dent on that side, but far from the surgery site - at the top right side. Only when I lift my arm. I am calling my Dr. today to ask (my surgeoun). My Onco never worries.

Thank you.

Comments

  • Maurie
    Maurie Member Posts: 13
    #2
    Yes - there's a dent
    Hi. I had 5 lymph nodes removed, one positive, and yes, there is DEFINITELY a dent. For me it's a big one. No shaving there forever. I'm still on chemo so I have no hair there anyway. It's great all your nodes came back negative.
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #3
    Maurie said:

    Yes - there's a dent
    Hi. I had 5 lymph nodes removed, one positive, and yes, there is DEFINITELY a dent. For me it's a big one. No shaving there forever. I'm still on chemo so I have no hair there anyway. It's great all your nodes came back negative.

    No...
    No dent...
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #4
    Yep....dent....
    And, if I stretch my 'special' arm just right, I can see the path my surgeon took to remove the next 5 nodes cluster....just a little indentation from underarm to elbow...

    BUT 'when in doubt, shout out!' is my motto...your surgeon will know...

    Hugs, Kathi
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #5
    Thank you. It's just weird
    Thank you. It's just weird to me that I see the dent now. After almost 5 months? Its not on the incision, but at the top of the armpit, to the right. I lift arm, there it is. :/
  • JuJuBeez
    JuJuBeez Member Posts: 332
    #6
    LoveBabyJesus said:

    Thank you. It's just weird
    Thank you. It's just weird to me that I see the dent now. After almost 5 months? Its not on the incision, but at the top of the armpit, to the right. I lift arm, there it is. :/

    I had a dent show up a few
    I had a dent show up a few weeks ago in the same side as my lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. And it's only when I lift my arm. I noticed it when I was putting on deodorant. My lumpectomy scar is at about 12:00, the dent at about 3:00. I just went for MRI last Thurs so Dr can check it out. My surgery was 13 months ago.

    From what I understand, the dent could be from scar tissue, rads, surgery.. but we always should get any change checked out. I will find out tomorrow what mine is.

    Best wishes to you.
    Julie
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #7
    JuJuBeez said:

    I had a dent show up a few
    I had a dent show up a few weeks ago in the same side as my lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. And it's only when I lift my arm. I noticed it when I was putting on deodorant. My lumpectomy scar is at about 12:00, the dent at about 3:00. I just went for MRI last Thurs so Dr can check it out. My surgery was 13 months ago.

    From what I understand, the dent could be from scar tissue, rads, surgery.. but we always should get any change checked out. I will find out tomorrow what mine is.

    Best wishes to you.
    Julie

    Thanks Julie. I pray
    Thanks Julie. I pray everything is OK with your results tomorrow, and they will be. Please keep me posted.
  • TKMomma
    TKMomma Member Posts: 54
    #8
    Maurie said:

    Yes - there's a dent
    Hi. I had 5 lymph nodes removed, one positive, and yes, there is DEFINITELY a dent. For me it's a big one. No shaving there forever. I'm still on chemo so I have no hair there anyway. It's great all your nodes came back negative.

    Just curious ..... why are
    Just curious ..... why are you not allowed to shave your armpit forever? I had lymph node surgery also but all were negative. I wasn't allowed to shave during radiation.
  • lynn1950
    lynn1950 Member Posts: 2,570
    #9
    TKMomma said:

    Just curious ..... why are
    Just curious ..... why are you not allowed to shave your armpit forever? I had lymph node surgery also but all were negative. I wasn't allowed to shave during radiation.

    I think the reason we're not
    I think the reason we're not supposed to shave our surgery side armpit when we've had nodes removed is that if we shave we risk some kind of injury which may bring on lymphedema. You want to be careful with your surgery side arm. That means no blood pressure or "sticks" or injections on that arm. I also take care washing dishes, gardening, and with manicures.RE has posted good information about lymphedema on this site which you can find using the search function.
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #10
    lynn1950 said:

    I think the reason we're not
    I think the reason we're not supposed to shave our surgery side armpit when we've had nodes removed is that if we shave we risk some kind of injury which may bring on lymphedema. You want to be careful with your surgery side arm. That means no blood pressure or "sticks" or injections on that arm. I also take care washing dishes, gardening, and with manicures.RE has posted good information about lymphedema on this site which you can find using the search function.

    Electric razors
    I have heard that electric razors are okay instead of the razor blade sort. Of course, check it with your doctors before you decide what is okay and what is not.
  • missingtexas
    missingtexas Member Posts: 146
    #11
    LoveBabyJesus said:

    Thanks Julie. I pray
    Thanks Julie. I pray everything is OK with your results tomorrow, and they will be. Please keep me posted.

    I had 29 nodes removed.
    I had 29 nodes removed. Don't see a dent. They told me no shaving (with a razor blade) too and I think it's because of the whole lymphadema infection thing however, I also think they did some rewiring because I have a HUGE vein that runs up (and sticks out) my armpit now and wouldn't go near that with a razor anyway!!!
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #12
    JuJuBeez said:

    I had a dent show up a few
    I had a dent show up a few weeks ago in the same side as my lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. And it's only when I lift my arm. I noticed it when I was putting on deodorant. My lumpectomy scar is at about 12:00, the dent at about 3:00. I just went for MRI last Thurs so Dr can check it out. My surgery was 13 months ago.

    From what I understand, the dent could be from scar tissue, rads, surgery.. but we always should get any change checked out. I will find out tomorrow what mine is.

    Best wishes to you.
    Julie

    Hey Julie-- What happened
    Hey Julie-- What happened with the MRI? Hope all is well. Please keep us posted.
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #13
    Just wanted to give you guys
    Just wanted to give you guys an update. Ran to see my Dr. today - of course I wasn't going to sleep on this - and he said it could be a dent I had for many years that I am just noticing now. It does hurt when I touch it a little, but he looked at it, touched it, punched in, and all, and he still said its probably old. I do have a scar from a procedure that was done years ago. I am keeping my faith and staying positive.
  • Maurie
    Maurie Member Posts: 13
    #14
    TKMomma said:

    Just curious ..... why are
    Just curious ..... why are you not allowed to shave your armpit forever? I had lymph node surgery also but all were negative. I wasn't allowed to shave during radiation.

    Awkward underarm shape
    It's not that I'm not allowed to. It's that it will be quite prone to nicks because of the shape after the nodes were removed. I might give it a try when my hair grows back but I'll have to be very careful. (If this is the only permanent inconvenience as a result of all this I'll not complain...) LOL
  • JuJuBeez
    JuJuBeez Member Posts: 332
    #15
    LoveBabyJesus said:

    Hey Julie-- What happened
    Hey Julie-- What happened with the MRI? Hope all is well. Please keep us posted.

    I had my appointment today.
    I had my appointment today. Onco said it's scar tissue from radiation. He said it typically happens with the long treatments (6 weeks). He thought it was interesting that it happened to me with the 2x/day for 5 day radiation. He said because I was in the B39 Trial Study, he was going to make a note of it.

    I am SO relieved. Thanks for checking up on me! I appreciate it! :-)
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    #16
    JuJuBeez said:

    I had my appointment today.
    I had my appointment today. Onco said it's scar tissue from radiation. He said it typically happens with the long treatments (6 weeks). He thought it was interesting that it happened to me with the 2x/day for 5 day radiation. He said because I was in the B39 Trial Study, he was going to make a note of it.

    I am SO relieved. Thanks for checking up on me! I appreciate it! :-)

    Good news! Thank God. Ok
    Good news! Thank God. Ok good.
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #17
    lynn1950 said:

    I think the reason we're not
    I think the reason we're not supposed to shave our surgery side armpit when we've had nodes removed is that if we shave we risk some kind of injury which may bring on lymphedema. You want to be careful with your surgery side arm. That means no blood pressure or "sticks" or injections on that arm. I also take care washing dishes, gardening, and with manicures.RE has posted good information about lymphedema on this site which you can find using the search function.

    You are also not supposed to
    You are also not supposed to shave because if you cut yourself, you are supposedly more susceptible to an infection. However, I always used a razor blade until rads, but, was very careful. But, I don't have any underarm hair there now due to rads, so, no shaving now!


    Leeza
  • lynn1950
    lynn1950 Member Posts: 2,570
    #18
    missingtexas said:

    I had 29 nodes removed.
    I had 29 nodes removed. Don't see a dent. They told me no shaving (with a razor blade) too and I think it's because of the whole lymphadema infection thing however, I also think they did some rewiring because I have a HUGE vein that runs up (and sticks out) my armpit now and wouldn't go near that with a razor anyway!!!

    Wow. I totally forgot, but
    Wow. I totally forgot, but now remember. I had a huge cordlike vein after surgery. It was called Mondor's disease.It made for tightness in my under arm but some time over the past three years it has faded away! All gone! xoxoxox Lynn

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