BAD POSTURE DUE TO DOUBLE MASTECTOMY??

SHERRRY
SHERRRY Member Posts: 5
edited March 2013 in Breast Cancer #1

I had a double mastectomy a few years ago without reconstuction surgery. I suffer from really

bad posture and always thought it was contected. Has anyone experienced the same?

Thanks,

Sherry

Comments

  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #2
    bumping up ...

    bumping up

  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #3
    Osteoporosis perhaps?

    How long has it been since you had a Bone Density Test?  Cancer TX does quite a job on the entire body, for some bones especially bad.

    I had been osteopenia for many years before TX and it remained very constant (last Bone Density Test was approx.2 months before DX).   About 3 1/2 months after end of TX I had my annual BDT and had advanced to "full blown' Osteoporosis.  If you are on an Estrogen Blocker this can also play havic on the bones.  Arthritis could also be developing and effecting posture.  The 2 can both exist at the same time and arthritis doesn't always hurt bad.  I've had a lot in my upper back for many years and only knew it was there from an x-ray done for other reasons.  Never had any pain from it til about 5 yrs ago.  I also found out last Friday when I got my cast off from surgery on broken wrist that according to my -rays I have a lot of arthritis in my wrist and hand but it has never bothered me at all.

    Just some thoughts to ask your Dr about if you haven't already.

    Winyan - The Power Withiin

    Susan

  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #4
    I had a BMX without

    I had a BMX without reconstruction on 1/11/11. I was in occupational therapy over 6 months that year.

    I have always had bad posture going back to when I was a kid, but it got worse after the BMX.

    Here is what my two occupational therapists told me:

    1. I hunched over worse because of pain.

    2. I hunched over worse because I simply had no breasts and could have been some pyschological reaction that I wasn't aware of.

    3. I hunched over worse because I had such severe scar tissue on the chest that it was pulling my shoulders inward.

    4. I was trying to compensate for no breasts to balance out a larger belly.

    You didn't state what  you think your theory is, so I don't know what you are thinking or if you had any issues or if you had radiation after your surgery.

    I had one occupational therapist who actually had to teach  me how to have better posture naturally with causing tightness. I had to keep shoulders at a good posture, but then drop my chicken wings on the back downward and together relaxingly. I had been trying to have better posture the wrong way.

    Breastcancer.org has a forum dedicated to specific issues related to breast cancer. They have one called Mastectomy With No Reconstruction. I use bc.org, as well as this forum.

  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #5
    Initially, I had a left

    Initially, I had a left mastectomy and had to wait on reconstruction.  On that side, so much breast was removed and the skin was pulled so tight (the skin actually had stretch marks from where the surgeon pulled it together)  that I always felt like my shoulder was rotated inward.  My PS said that would be alleviated by reconstruction because he would make the incision and let the skin edges spread back apart and put the new flap there.  It really did alleviate my problem--my shoulders felt like they popped back a few inches after the surgery.  Hope this helps.

Discussion Boards