After effects of breast cancer surgery

Marguerite
Marguerite Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
It will be three years next month since I had a Lumpectomy on my right breast. For the last year I have been suffering with a severe pain in the rib cage area, that is like an extreme muscle cramp. I need to know if anyone else has experience this? Reaching, bending, coughing etc. can bring it on, I even went to Urgent care once to be told, well your cancer may be back, but I saw nothing in an x-ray. The problem being I have no health insurance, he thought I needed a scan. Any feedback with be helpful.

Thank You,
M.

Comments

  • Cindy54
    Cindy54 Member Posts: 452
    #2
    You haven't said if you have had follow-up care in these past three years. I am sure hoping your doctors did mammograms. If you don't have insurance, they also do mammos for free. Contact the cancer society. They should be able to refer you to someone who can help. Not knowing is worse than anything. Please contact them. They will help you. And please post again so we know how things are going. Maybe some of the ladies here will have some better suggestions. Hugs, Cindy
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #3
    I wish I had more to offer also, but I agree with Cindy...contact American Cancer Society. They can help you get in touch with financial help and suggest other medical facilities in your area that might work with you.

    Maybe someone else will give you better help than I did. seof
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
    Hello M.
    I agree that this pain you are having should be checked out. Having said that, let me also say this:
    I had one radical mastectomy in 1986 and another in 1988. Can't speak to lumpectomy after-effects, but I can say that I STILL after all these years have 'cramps' in my sides and chest if I do certain things or sneeze wrong or whatever. Of course over the years I have learned to recognize these pains for what they are and not panic.
    Regular checkups help put my mind at rest as well.
    But since you call your pain 'severe', getting it diagnosed and treated is really the best course of action in my opinion.
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #5
    I had my right breast cancer surgery (lumpectomy) 5 years ago, and my upper rib cage on the affected side ALWAYS hurts! It actually feels bruised, tho nothing is visible on the outside. I have had mammograms, ultrasounds, MRI's and there is nothing "wrong". So...I don't worry too much about the discomfort anymore. Well, not every day, anyway! LOL

    Do contact the ACS~ they may help you to put your mind at ease.

    Keep us posted!

    hugs,
    Claudia
  • hward2007
    hward2007 Member Posts: 62
    #6
    Not sure if this helps or not but my mom is 8yrs out from her lumpectomy and still has the painful muscle spasms you are talking about and she gets check-ups regually, she does have some tissue or something they are watching on that side that just showed up but she not talking much about it yet, says its nothing but it that were true she might have spoke up by now.
    Heather
  • Jadie
    Jadie Member Posts: 723
    #7
    I too had a lumpectomy almost 5 yr ago. I do have severe cramps occasionaly in my side. They come and go pretty quickly. They too can be brought on by reaching coughing etc.

    Nothing is better than a peace of mind. Get it checked out so you can quit worrying.

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