How long will it feel like a lump after lumpecomy?

Sher43009 said:

I had my lumpectomy on 6/17
I had my lumpectomy on 6/17 then more margins removed on 6/26 (left side) with 6 lymph nodes removed. I still have lumps between my lymph scar and breast scar. My surgeon said she didn't want it touched for 4 months. That she moved a lot of tissue around in there and it has to heal. Now that I'm in radiation, the shape has changed again. I figure if I'm back to normal after a year I'll be happy.

roseann4 said:

It does take months.
I had a lumpectomy on March 30th. I had some blood pool up to fill in the area and it was a small ball which felt like a lump. It gradually dissolved and now it feels like a flat area of scar tissue. I was told that there would always be some scar tissue build up filling the area. I had a mammo yesterday and they marked the scar with special tape so they would know where the scar tissue is while evaluating the mammo. I don't think it will ever feel like it did before bc but I really don't care. I love my "perkie" right breast and I hope it continues to stay cancer free. Otherwise, I'll give it up. Living well is my ultimate goal with our without my breast.

Roseann

mimivac said:

Scar tissue
Taina, I had a left breast lumpectomy in November 2008 with 2 nodes removed -- so over a year ago. My left breast is now extremely lumpy -- it feels like a bag of marbles. I had a mammo and sonogram last month and they said it was all my own tissue, but it is still disconcerting, I know. I also went from premature menopause to getting my period back, so lot of mine is hormonal, too. But it is definitely weird feeling tons of lumps in my breast. I hope they even out at some point.

Mimi

mimivac said:

Scar tissue
Taina, I had a left breast lumpectomy in November 2008 with 2 nodes removed -- so over a year ago. My left breast is now extremely lumpy -- it feels like a bag of marbles. I had a mammo and sonogram last month and they said it was all my own tissue, but it is still disconcerting, I know. I also went from premature menopause to getting my period back, so lot of mine is hormonal, too. But it is definitely weird feeling tons of lumps in my breast. I hope they even out at some point.

Mimi

crselby said:

lumps
Hi Taina,
I had a Stereotactic Core Needle Biopsy in June. From then until just recently I have had lumps come and go. The more anxious I got through the time of having further tests and waiting for results, the more sore the lumps got. The MRI biopsies left me with two, whistle-causing huge sized hematomas. I had a lumpectomy 7/17. She took a LOT of tissue, but I have big breasts so it is not very obvious. In the affected breast there is a bigger, gradual dip in the natural slope of my droopy breasts. Then I had multicatheter accelerated partial breast irradiation. Lots of changing lumps due to the tissue dying and healing internally. Through all of this, I made lumps and then they disappeared. Now that I am on Tamoxifen, the estrogen blocker, the lumps are going away, except for the ones under my arm leading into the affected breast. I can only guess that these are estrogen driven lumps, like I used to make every month before my periods. I went through menopause, natural, 8 years ago, though, so all this was kind of new, in a familiar way.

Why my body was fluctuating estrogen so much during the time between the first biopsy and taking the Tamoxifen is a mystery to me. Can anxiety do that? It's almost like the estrogen-driven cancer was making a last hurrah effort at spreading! Awful thought.

Our bodies are going through a lot of changes and repairs! The 'new normal' is that we have lots of lumps. For me to notice a new lump is no big deal.

Even the docs never know what to do with all the bumps they feel in my breasts. Until DCIS was found on my mammogram, the docs just said, "you have naturally lumpy breasts (fibrocystic disease which is benign) and must get to 'know your own breasts'." I honestly think that was a cop -out since they couldn't tell anymore than I could if these lumps should be of concern. And since I didn't have any risk factors for developing breast cancer, they said not to worry. Shows how much they DON'T know, eh?