Scar tissue

jazz53
jazz53 Member Posts: 5
in Breast Cancer #1
My body loves to make scar tissue after surgeries. I had a bilateral mastectomy that my doctor botched on June 8, 2011. 9 weeks later a plastic surgeon had to clean up his mess and remove breast tissue left behind. I am not cut from the middle of my chest back to my spine on both sides. The scar tissue is so thick that it has created a tight band around my chest that feels like a tight corset is on. I have been doing physical therapy for several weeks going 3 times a week. She says it is the worst scar tissue she has ever seen. It scares me as I am having trouble breathing. You all will probably recognize how you hurry up and wait trying to get help for yourself. I saw a physical rehab physician last week. He said the tissue is extra thick and fibrous. He injected on each side 5 injections along the scar line and two on each side in the rib area. It is cortisone shots and were extremely painful. He wants me to come a couple more times every 4-6 weeks. The thought of it makes me ill. Another surgery is out of the question. If anyone suffered from this to this extent please let me know and how you dealt with it. The fascia massage has relieved a lot on my back and underarm. However, there is no tissue and nothing but bone over the chest wall and rib area. I am so tired of struggling to breath but my doctor just says that "it will all work out in the long run." He forgets I am here and now and have been suffering for many weeks. I would appreciate anyone's thoughts.

Jazz

Comments

  • cupcake7
    cupcake7 Member Posts: 17
    #2
    your scar tissue
    have the same thing so I feel for you. Mine turned into these awful looking red spider streaks and that same lump tissue you feel. turns out to be the radiation killed all the blood vessels in the area and they grew back abnormal. My worst problem is the horrible muscle spams but they have gotten better. The lump is still there but I think you adjust to it. I did anyway. I had a clean up after my mastectomy too and a breast reduction on the other side. I have nothing but skin over too. You will get better....
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #3
    so sorry to hear of your
    so sorry to hear of your scar issues...I HOPE things get better soon..

    Denise
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691 Member
    #4
    Sorry to hear about your
    Sorry to hear about your scar tissue. It sounds really bad. I was complaining about mine but it seems like nothing compared to yours. I had my port removed and scar tissue has formed under the scar and around it as well asall along the line that went into my neck. It pinches and itches like crazy. Clothing irritates it and any strap across it hurts.


    The breast surgeon and plastic surgeon both recommended physical therapy but I can't get an appointment for 3 weeks and then only once per week. Since it is on my chest I have been doing light massage with tissue oil. It doesn't seem to be doing anything but it is worth a few minutes every day.

    I also don't have much tissue around the port area. As I said mine does not touch on the severity of yours. I do hope you feel better sooner rather than later.
  • Ballerina
    Ballerina Member Posts: 152
    #5
    I AM SO SORRY
    Jazz,I am so sorry you have to go through this. I hope things will get better for you soon. You are in my prayers. Lots of Huggs.

    Ballerina
  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #6
    Hi Jazz, I am so so sorry to
    Hi Jazz, I am so so sorry to have all those complications. We all have some kind of crap, don't we? There is another thread on here about the occupational therapy massage for scar tissue. Mine was terrible too. I had my mastectomy on 1/11/11 with nodes dissection and had terrible PMPS, and still do. I went to occupational therapy last spring to an OT who had know idea what she was doing. I quite after a month. In June, I got fed up with tx at the current clinic and got a second opinion. I got another OT referral for another place. They did wonders. I didn't realize my scar tissue was pulling so tight that my shoulders were hunched over and my head was hanging down. I was all pulled in inward. I had done the stretching and did chest massaging when I put vitamin e creme on.

    It took five months of biweekly OT appts to release my scar tissue. I haven't any since October, and I feel it tightening again. It is a rough, annoying, painful road.

    As far as the cortisone shots, you will have to decide if the injection pain is worth the benefits,if any, you receive.

    I got cortisone shots for my PMPS last summer. The first time they worked good, the second set, not so much. I decided that since I wasn't able to get consistent relief, it wasn't worth the pain.

    I truly wish you the best as you keep working on your scar tissue.

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