fluid under my arm

tcbangels
tcbangels Member Posts: 111
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I had a masectomy in march of 1995 ,they removed 16 lymph nodes & 1 sweat gland. I have had problemns with it from the first day i had my surgery. I would walk that wall no matter how much pain I was in. I wouldn't stop.Well in this last year it has got so badthat I can't hardly raise my arm .My husband he gets & breaks that fluid up it gets in my under arms plus in the breast that I lost in the upper part of my back the pain is so crucial , but I don't want my arm to lock up so i try my best to work that arm .I can't hold anything thats heavy my arm will just give out on me,I'm so tired of dropping things all the time it is so embarassing everybody tells me that I just dwell on it & thats why I'm in so much pain .My husband tells them you don't see the fluid she gets but I do & I know shes in pain .Does anybody out there have a suggestion for me? I hope you do

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #2
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • cruf
    cruf Member Posts: 908
    #3
    Hi Cheryl! Did you ever think of going to Physical for a short time? They can help you with fluid reduction as well as increasing your range of motion and helping you increase your strength. Ask your MD for a referral and try it out. You may be pleasantly surprised. MDs don't always think of rehab and it really does work! I'm a PT and I went to a PT post mastectomy with great results! No swelling, Full mobility and normal strengtr(I restarted playing tennis 7 weeks after mastectomy and Tram Flap reconstruction). Good luck! Keep in touch! Cathy
  • nancys
    nancys Member Posts: 323
    #4
    Hi, I would surely ask my doctor for a referal to a lymphodema clinic. Often they are hard to locate, because they are somewhat new. Call local hospitals and ask the people in the physical therapy about lymphodema clinics in your area. If your doctor refers you, your health ins. should pay for it. You most certainly need help with this problem. Post back and let us know if you were able to get some help. Love to you, Nancy
  • tcbangels
    tcbangels Member Posts: 111
    #5
    cruf said:

    Hi Cheryl! Did you ever think of going to Physical for a short time? They can help you with fluid reduction as well as increasing your range of motion and helping you increase your strength. Ask your MD for a referral and try it out. You may be pleasantly surprised. MDs don't always think of rehab and it really does work! I'm a PT and I went to a PT post mastectomy with great results! No swelling, Full mobility and normal strengtr(I restarted playing tennis 7 weeks after mastectomy and Tram Flap reconstruction). Good luck! Keep in touch! Cathy

    Thanks for the advice ,I go for my year check-up in July & I will ask my Doctor for some physical therapy. thanks a lot
    cheryl
  • tcbangels
    tcbangels Member Posts: 111
    #6
    nancys said:

    Hi, I would surely ask my doctor for a referal to a lymphodema clinic. Often they are hard to locate, because they are somewhat new. Call local hospitals and ask the people in the physical therapy about lymphodema clinics in your area. If your doctor refers you, your health ins. should pay for it. You most certainly need help with this problem. Post back and let us know if you were able to get some help. Love to you, Nancy

    thanks nancy i go to the doctor in july & i surely will ask him i wish that I would of got a computer when I got sick 6yrs ago I think it would of help me a lot back than because i never went to a support group thanks a lot love you cheryl
  • tcbangels
    tcbangels Member Posts: 111
    #7
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    auntie:
    I have heard about the sleeve but how does that work some told me its like a blood pressure cuff & it pumps all the fluid out of your arm.I have all this fluid but its in the upper part of arm under my arm,breast that i lost in upper back right in that muscle in the upper part of my back its so much pain .What gets me its getting bad on me now 7 its been 6yrs since I lost my breast.It was bad back than but not how it is now. I use to crochet & write journal on my life 7 its hard for me to do that now.Ilove writing poems & its so hard to do that now.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #8
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • 24242
    24242 Member Posts: 1,398 Member
    #9
    It is hard not to dwell when this is happening to us. I had a lot of problems with pain after my surgery and want to remind you that our quality of life is affected by the amount of pain we suffer. There are nervous disorders that can be addressed with medication. It took over 2 years after my surgery till all my chronic pain was addressed at my insistance. YOU would be surprised at what is available now for pain and now go directly to the problem areas. Some doctors like to go the anti depresant route yet this is not addressing the actual physical pain we are left with. I also want to suggest that deferred pain can make it difficult to detect where your pain is originating as well. Don't give up and get some help.
    Be good to yourself,
    24242Tara
  • pcarver
    pcarver Member Posts: 18
    #10
    24242 said:

    It is hard not to dwell when this is happening to us. I had a lot of problems with pain after my surgery and want to remind you that our quality of life is affected by the amount of pain we suffer. There are nervous disorders that can be addressed with medication. It took over 2 years after my surgery till all my chronic pain was addressed at my insistance. YOU would be surprised at what is available now for pain and now go directly to the problem areas. Some doctors like to go the anti depresant route yet this is not addressing the actual physical pain we are left with. I also want to suggest that deferred pain can make it difficult to detect where your pain is originating as well. Don't give up and get some help.
    Be good to yourself,
    24242Tara

    Hi,

    I just had my left breast removed because of cancer. I had my right breast removed four years ago. I am dealing with a lot of pain now. What did you use for pain? Did it help? I am using Vicodan-extra strength, but it does not help at all. I am a teacher, and I start back to school tomorrow. It has not even been two weeks since I had surgery, but I do not have the days to be able to take off. Would really appreciate any suggestions.

    pcarver

Discussion Boards