How long did it take you to get the feeling back in your arm?

jo jo
jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
in Breast Cancer #1
For those that had lymphnodes removed, i was wondering how long does it take to get the feeling back in your arm or if you ever did!
I had mine removed in Nov 2010 and i still have no feeling from my elbow up...huummm!
Good news is that im making great progress with the frozen shoulder...WOOOO HOOOO...im going to be able to use my arm like normal before long...even though i got aways to go yet...but its gettin so much better!!!!!! :):):) Can you tell im likin this...hehe!

Comments

  • pinkamazon
    pinkamazon Member Posts: 4
    #2
    i m still numb
    im nine years out still no feeling
  • ms.sunshine
    ms.sunshine Member Posts: 707 Member
    #3
    pinkamazon said:

    i m still numb
    im nine years out still no feeling

    1 year next month
    I am still numb, right around the armpit. It doesn't bother me, it beats the heck out of pain.
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #4
    wow...never heard of this
    I had feeling from day one..I am the odd one huh? maybe I had less taken..(no clue of how many they took)

    wow frozen shoulder..NOW that I had for over year and half..with manipulation, much PT daily (home excercises too)

    Denise
  • Katmy
    Katmy Member Posts: 93
    #5
    I, too, had a radical
    I, too, had a radical mastectomy in November. I have different sensations in different locations. The back side of my rib cage senses my touch in a fuzzy way. I could not tell you where exactly I am being touched. On my chest, because of radiation(?), I have a sore kind of feeling- hyper sensitive. The surgeon told me it would take a year to get my nerves back properly. What does yours say?

    Isn't it great to have most of your rotation back? Physical therapy works. I was skeptical, but did my exercises like I was told and slowly the progress was gratifying. I hope you get all your feeling and all rotation back.
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #6
    Katmy said:

    I, too, had a radical
    I, too, had a radical mastectomy in November. I have different sensations in different locations. The back side of my rib cage senses my touch in a fuzzy way. I could not tell you where exactly I am being touched. On my chest, because of radiation(?), I have a sore kind of feeling- hyper sensitive. The surgeon told me it would take a year to get my nerves back properly. What does yours say?

    Isn't it great to have most of your rotation back? Physical therapy works. I was skeptical, but did my exercises like I was told and slowly the progress was gratifying. I hope you get all your feeling and all rotation back.

    Hi JoJo
    Well, in Dec. of '09 I had 23 nodes removed. There are some areas in the underarm region, trunk, upper arm that I am still numb in. However, some of the numbness that has come back has been replaced by pain :( I think I like the numb better!

    I'm sure some nerves get severed and never re-attach. Anyway, you deal with what you have to deal with--right?! So glad your frozen shoulder is doing better. I have rotator cuff problems in my opposite shoulder and I know how painful that can be.

    Take care and good to see you back on the board!

    Hugs, Renee
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    #7
    disneyfan2008 said:

    wow...never heard of this
    I had feeling from day one..I am the odd one huh? maybe I had less taken..(no clue of how many they took)

    wow frozen shoulder..NOW that I had for over year and half..with manipulation, much PT daily (home excercises too)

    Denise

    Denise youve always been the
    Denise youve always been the odd one...LOL! Get with the program you have to have numb limbs to cuz thats just not fair...this is me pouting :< and this is me being a brat and sticking my tounge out at you :P



    Oh yah, they wanted to do the manipulation but decided against it cuz of the oestoporisis and the high risk of them breaking my arm in the process. So i do therapy and exercises at home to.
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    #8
    missrenee said:

    Hi JoJo
    Well, in Dec. of '09 I had 23 nodes removed. There are some areas in the underarm region, trunk, upper arm that I am still numb in. However, some of the numbness that has come back has been replaced by pain :( I think I like the numb better!

    I'm sure some nerves get severed and never re-attach. Anyway, you deal with what you have to deal with--right?! So glad your frozen shoulder is doing better. I have rotator cuff problems in my opposite shoulder and I know how painful that can be.

    Take care and good to see you back on the board!

    Hugs, Renee

    RE thats not good i dont want the numbness replaced by pain so i think i will keep the numb feeling! As if i have a choice right!
  • jendrey
    jendrey Member Posts: 377
    #9
    jo jo said:

    RE thats not good i dont want the numbness replaced by pain so i think i will keep the numb feeling! As if i have a choice right!

    ...
    About 5 months, only 4 lymph bodes removed. I wonder if how many nodes removed has anything to do with how long until the feeling comes back..
  • jamiegww
    jamiegww Member Posts: 384
    #10
    So happy to hear the frozen shoulder is getting better!
    You keep going with that physical therapy because we want you back to 100%. I had my lymph nodes removed in Dec. 09 and still have numbness in my upper arm and my armpit. I think it's a shame I can't get shots in that arm because at least I wouldn't feel them. It's weird because it itches a lot and I'm afraid I could scratch the skin off without knowing it. If it's going to be numb then it shouldn't be allowed to itch, right. I hope you get the feeling back in your arm but if you don't, obviously you aren't alone.
  • aisling8
    aisling8 Member Posts: 1,627 Member
    #11
    jamiegww said:

    So happy to hear the frozen shoulder is getting better!
    You keep going with that physical therapy because we want you back to 100%. I had my lymph nodes removed in Dec. 09 and still have numbness in my upper arm and my armpit. I think it's a shame I can't get shots in that arm because at least I wouldn't feel them. It's weird because it itches a lot and I'm afraid I could scratch the skin off without knowing it. If it's going to be numb then it shouldn't be allowed to itch, right. I hope you get the feeling back in your arm but if you don't, obviously you aren't alone.

    Six nodes
    removed and I haven't lost feeling in my arm. I did, however, have a seroma which turned into a hematoma, but that went away eventually.

    How many nodes did you have removed, Jo Jo?

    Hope it all gets resolved.

    xoxo
    Victoria
  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #12
    Numb Arm
    Hi jojo,

    I had an axillary dissection with 22 lymph nodes removed then 2 months later I had a right mastectomy. I had problems with range of motion after the axillary dissection but that improved somewhat by the time of the mastectomy. The exterior surface of my right arm is largely numb and my mastectomy was almost 14 months ago. I went to physical therapy for 3 months after the mastectomy but got too sick to continue. The range of motion problem was enormous. In 11/2010 I ended up having to undergo surgery on my shoulder to release the adhesions that built up in the shoulder joint. I have been going to PT now for 10 weeks. The range of motion is improving but is definitely not normal yet. I must admit that I wonder if it will ever be normal again. Both the PT and the orthopedist seem to think it will. I appreciated hearing that I am not the only one that had this problem.
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #13
    jo jo said:

    Denise youve always been the
    Denise youve always been the odd one...LOL! Get with the program you have to have numb limbs to cuz thats just not fair...this is me pouting :< and this is me being a brat and sticking my tounge out at you :P



    Oh yah, they wanted to do the manipulation but decided against it cuz of the oestoporisis and the high risk of them breaking my arm in the process. So i do therapy and exercises at home to.

    @JO JO...
    no pouting..yes I am odd man or woman out many times..i am just odd duck...

    no tounge sticking out either...

    i had to have should manipulation...frozen right to my side..like to hip bone..it was terrible..hardly could use arm for close to year / year and half...and lots of PT and at home...

    my hubby was bad pushing me...tears would roll down my face as he tried to push it back and he would stop...not like PT they just push away...


    i tell my kids all the time "LIFE IS NOT fair.."!!

    Denise
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    #14
    jessiesmom1 said:

    Numb Arm
    Hi jojo,

    I had an axillary dissection with 22 lymph nodes removed then 2 months later I had a right mastectomy. I had problems with range of motion after the axillary dissection but that improved somewhat by the time of the mastectomy. The exterior surface of my right arm is largely numb and my mastectomy was almost 14 months ago. I went to physical therapy for 3 months after the mastectomy but got too sick to continue. The range of motion problem was enormous. In 11/2010 I ended up having to undergo surgery on my shoulder to release the adhesions that built up in the shoulder joint. I have been going to PT now for 10 weeks. The range of motion is improving but is definitely not normal yet. I must admit that I wonder if it will ever be normal again. Both the PT and the orthopedist seem to think it will. I appreciated hearing that I am not the only one that had this problem.

    Thanks for the replys ladies
    Thanks for the replys ladies ...Victoria i had only 12 nodes removed. Im also glad im not the only one having shoulder problems and numbing issues!
  • Hippiechick58
    Hippiechick58 Member Posts: 320
    #15
    jo jo said:

    Thanks for the replys ladies
    Thanks for the replys ladies ...Victoria i had only 12 nodes removed. Im also glad im not the only one having shoulder problems and numbing issues!

    I had mine done back in Sept
    I had mine done back in Sept and I still can't feel a darned thing. Who knows, maybe I never will. Oh well, there are worse things..

    Dianne
  • BMS
    BMS Member Posts: 127
    #16
    jo jo said:

    Thanks for the replys ladies
    Thanks for the replys ladies ...Victoria i had only 12 nodes removed. Im also glad im not the only one having shoulder problems and numbing issues!

    11 nodes
    I had 11 nodes removed in January and the numbness continues in the armpit. My surgeon said it may never come back.
  • mollyz
    mollyz Member Posts: 756 Member
    #17
    BMS said:

    11 nodes
    I had 11 nodes removed in January and the numbness continues in the armpit. My surgeon said it may never come back.

    Nodes
    I had nodes removed years ago(10)for boils i was having under my arm and when i had those removed it stayed numb i think anytime you get nodes removed that's to be expected,I had mastectomy in June 2010 with 16 nodes took out 8 pos. and i have a lot of feeling back but it'll never be normal feeling again, keep up the good work of physical exercise we all can use that I was in aerobics until i had a mastectomy and just stopped cause you know you can't be jumping around with what we all had done LOL but i hope to get back to it soon.today makes #18 rads. hugs MOLLYZ
  • missingtexas
    missingtexas Member Posts: 146
    #18
    My surgery was August 2010.
    My surgery was August 2010. No feeling from my elbow up, chest and back. I was under the impression that it was permanent. Agreed, much better that pain but it is maddening when I have an itch and scratching doesn't really help!!
  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #19
    9 years out and still some
    9 years out and still some numbness. Removed all the nodes on the right side, chest has no feeling but back is ok. No problems with swelling or anything, except like I just read from missingtexas, what I call the Phantom Itch! Never can really find the right spot!
    Chest scars were awful and tatoo'd the whole right side with NO pain:) and now my chest is beautiful when I look in the mirror!
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #20
    JoJo
    glad to hear the frozen shoulder is getting better. I only had a couple of lymph nodes removed other than sentinel node. All were clear but I still have numbness below my armpit. My radiologist told me to continue to massage my mastectomy scars and incision as it goes to the side of my body. He said the numbness can last a year or two. Hope your arm feels better soon.
    {{hugs}} Char
  • 1acme
    1acme Member Posts: 77
    #21
    Hi Jo Jo
    I had Lumpectomy, Centennial note and 14 notes removed on my right side about 5 weeks a go. I had my operation on Valentine's day.

    First few days I cannot move, not even make a pony tail, but over the time and several times a go slow stretches, I would say that my right arm is about 80% recover. I still cannot stretch it completely straight, have little strength in it and some movements I cannot do yet, but it is getting better day by day.

    I never have problem with my shoulder after surgery, but since my shoulder is ruined from work (repetitive movement) I experienced that my shoulder frozen on the table during Biopsy and that was not fun when nurse tried to pull my arm down.

    I hope that your arm will get better.
    Helen

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