Nasty Pain

PinkGirl · 09-05-2007, 02:15 PM

I've been having some nasty pain directly underneath my mastectomy incision. It's a killer pain that I get when I lie on my side. As soon as I roll over onto my back, it goes away. I get the same pain, in the same place, if I lie on my other side (weird). I've had a chest x-ray and an ultra sound which were both okay. Now I am scheduled for a bone scan and a CT scan on Sept. 18th. The Cancer Centre that I go to is about a 5 hour drive from my home, so I have to wait until the 18th because that is the first opening when they can do both tests on the same day. When I was being examined, I felt the pain when the doc pressed between my ribs.
I hope I'm not joining "Club Met", but I know that is a possibility. It sure is hard to not think about it. I've added this pic of my pink hair extension.

Mary Anne in TX · 09-05-2007, 02:46 PM

How fun your hair is!!!!!

I'm praying for the pain to be just a harmless pain that is the pits to deal with! Please keep us posted after the test or before if those pains crank up more!!!
ma

hutchibk · 09-05-2007, 03:34 PM

Hi PG - Did you also have reconstruction? It could be scar tissue that is forming. Even if you didn't have recon, it could be scar tissue from the surgery. I had scar tissue on the underside of my implant that caused some pretty scary pain, about a year after my Mast. It could be that seeing your surgeon might also be in order to DX whether it could be scar tissue. (tends to cause tugging on tissue, nerves, muscles, etc... can be the cause of lots of weird pain. The pain can sometimes travel, too. Mine tweaked nerves under the opposite armpit and in my ribs). I went in and had the scar tissue removed in a day surgery.

PinkGirl · 09-05-2007, 06:48 PM

No Brenda, I did not have reconstruction. The pain feels like a very bad muscle spasm. My family doc. thinks it is from the muscle or tissue between my ribs. My onc. says that if it is a muscle, there could be something else going on to cause the pain. I have never had a CT scan. Will it show scar tissue if it's there?

hutchibk · 09-05-2007, 07:17 PM

Mine had a spasm like feel to it sometimes too. I don't know if it can be seen on a CT. Ask your onc. My surgeon DXed it clinically by feeling it. We did not see it on an MRI, so that's when my onc sent me to the surgeon for his opinion.

Another possibility might be truncal lymphedema. I get that as well around my implant if I am too active or use that arm or that side of my body too much - though it is not as painful as the scar tissue was.

PinkGirl · 09-05-2007, 08:36 PM

The nasty pain I get (while I'm trying to sleep) is worse if I have done anything strenuous with my right arm during the day. I also have mild lymphodema in my right arm.

hutchibk · 09-05-2007, 09:24 PM

Be sure and bring scar tissue and lymphedema up to your doc as a possibility... especially if you end up down a dead end road with scans, etc. Then perhaps see your surgeon, too.

PinkGirl · 09-06-2007, 06:59 AM

I will write this all down and take it with me to my appointments.
Thanks for your help Brenda.
Now I will try to not think about it (much) until the 18th.

karen raines hunt · 09-06-2007, 07:48 AM

HI,

I am almost 2 1/2 yrs out from stage 3 diagnosis and 1 year after herceptin completion. I had bilateral mastectomies and radiation on the left side. I still have a lot of pain above and below and basically all around the left implant. I also have considerable pain in my ribcage, especially on the left side. My doctors say it is from the surgeries and radiation. Oh.............NED!!

Karen

Ruth · 09-06-2007, 12:45 PM

Hi Pinky ~ It has been 4 years since my mastectomy and I STILL have some pain around that area. As with you if I lie a certain way in bed it is more pronounced. My plastic and general surgeon both attribute it to a cut nerve that happened during the mastectomy. Hopefully this is something that will be attributed to muscles and nerves. I also found that certain bra's made it worse.
Take care ~ Ruth

fauxgypsy · 09-06-2007, 01:59 PM

My mastectomy is recent but I often have pain on where my scar is and it feels like a muscle cramp. My physical therapist told me last week that it is important to very gently massage the scar. To just use one or two finges and just sort of roll your fingers across it. She said it would help with the pain and help prevent scar tissue. Also I have been told not to lie on the side that I had the surgery on, because it could increase the liklihood of lymphodema. I think someone on this board told me this. Anyway I have been very careful not to sleep or lay on that side. I hope you get this figured out soon and that it is nothing serious. The physical therapy is helping me already.

Leslie