Heavy & bruised boob after surgery

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Hi, I had my second wide local excision surgery last week on my left breast.  The first surgery I had, I recovered quite quickly but this time, my breast feels so heavy and looks bruised and sore, is there anything I can do to help relieve symptoms.  I return back to work tomorrow, luckily I only work 4.5 hours (which is long enough!), I'm just hoping I will be able to cope.  I have been taking paracetamols but don't really help with the pain. 

  • I would ask pharmacist if they recommend any other oau killers.  Remember work has to make reasonable adjustments for you as you are now covered for life under the disability discrimination act.  

    Can you have more time off work to recover xx

  • I went back to work this morning which wasn't too bad.  I've left a message for the breast care nurse to call me to check that this is 'normal' after surgery.  My breast feels like it weighs 20lbs! (slight exageration but it feels so heavy and sore).  I am big busted which doesn't help and it's so uncomfortable.

  • I am not big busted, but mine is very bruised and feels so heavy. I can't put any of the range of bras I have on, as the long cut under the armpit area is so low it rubs, but I feel better with no bra. I had my op on 22nd and could not imagine being in work feeling like this. I am being paid, so its ok. I am just on paracetamol, but codeine make me feel sick and I cant take ibruprofen. I heard cabbage leaves, they do work when breastfeeding, so perhaps an idea to look into. Hope it improves for you and me :)

  • I hope you feel better soon.  I am now going to see the breast care nurse tomorrow just to make sure everything is ok.  The nurse said to take paracetamols every 4 hours which I've started doing now.  She said that it could be trauma as I've had 2 surgeries within 4 weeks so perhaps my breast hadn't recovered from the 1st op properly.   

  • Hi 

    Wearing a good support/compression bra can really help recovery/speed up bruise depletion.

    Sam

    My secret? Being daft & staying positive.
  • Hello mar55, I had the same two ops as you, but found the first more painful because of the lymph node biopsy. Although I would say that it's now been about 6 weeks following the second WLE and my breast still feels a bit bruised and is lumpy. I found taking paracetamol on a regular basis helped through the two ops, even if I didn't necessarily need it. I then reduced the paracetamol gradually. I was also told that it could be due to having a second so soon after the first. Hope you get some comfort soon.

  • So sorry Gazeebo, I don't know what I pressed but I think I may have just flagged your comment for some reason. I was going to say that I had 3 ops on the same place before the tumour was removed.  Then radiotherapy and tomorrow I have a results appt after  biopsies in axilla. Hoping that they're negative as my sentinel nodes were  removed at the 1st surgery. My last surgery was in September and I still need to take paracetamol occasionally. 

  • I honestly don't know how any of you can go back to work after breast surgery. I had lumpectomy and sentinel node removed on the 18th of October, wasn't fit to do anything for nearly 2 weeks, then I had second surgery on the 1st of November,  this took longer to recover as I was very bruised and sore and not able to reach out or lift my arm up. Now I'm getting ready for chemo next week, I couldn't mentally go back to work and have been told not to as its too risky with covid and the chances of getting an infection is high.  Sorry for rambling on but do you really need to be going to work 2 weeks after a serious operation, even if it is only 4 hours.. just be careful and take it easy..x