Lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy

Well I ended up having to see my surgeon because my breast was so swollen, she took out 50ml of hemotoma!!!! Breast alot less swollen now.

What I have noticed today is that my under arm has started to hurt which I can't work out cos I've been good the last 3 days, I hope nothing is happening there as well, if it's not one thing it's another

Hi Elizabeth7

How did your results go?

Hi Silvabell Is it your armpit that hurts. Mine feels really sore and delicate but the wound doesn't look infected. My breast was pretty swollen but obvs not as much as yours. I think the liquid ended up draining by itself luckily. 

I have my results on Wednesday so will ask the team what it's meant to see like then..

Yes it's my armpit, surgeon looked at it yesterday and said all was good but it was today that the pain started

 2209 

Oh no!! Would you say it's just sore....or is it pain inside? When did you have surgery?

  ACharge80

It's strange, sometimes I can say it's sore then I can feel a bit of pain, seems to be getting worse as the day has gone on, if I wake up like this tomorrow I think I have to go and get it checked out yet again 

Hi well I was told that they got it all out, so no extra surgery required. No lymph nodes affected and I also don’t need chemo, just radiotherapy. They had initially thought I had a grade 3 mass but it turns out after biopsy that it was a grade 2. Consultant also putting me on anastrozole for next 5-10 years. 
I feel so lucky and blessed that I have got away so lightly. I am now able to get excited about my holiday in August, that for the last 2 months has been uncertain as to if it would actually happen!

I also found the underarm more painful than the actual breast. Although I healed really well and quickly, my bra was rubbing on lymph scar. I purchased some foam padded dressings which just gave me the barrier to prevent any rubbing. I also found underarm pain was down to nerves starting to work again and even after 6 weeks, if I’m wearing a top with a prominant seam, it gets uncomfortable underarm.

Hi ACharge80,

Sorry just seen this. Yes my armpit is achy ( wound ok) and right side of breast. I'm not cleaning my wounds as they are dry. Bruising dissipating but still around. You can use roll on deodorant after 2 weeks and spray after 6 weeks.

I'm still waiting for my follow up check so am going to ring tomorrow, as it's almost 3 weeks since surgery... Well done for getting yours!

That’s great news re your results. Same as mine, aside for the fact I had to go back for a 2nd op. Had a bit of a blip, when I was told there was 0 out of 2 lymph nodes involved, but then received a letter saying 2 out of 4 lymph nodes were cancerous! And that the tumour and surrounding cluster were much larger than initially measured. I thought this was due to the fact I had to wait 6 weeks from biopsy to surgery. Then, at my post op check, following the 2nd op, I saw a different surgeon (mine was on holiday), and was told that my radiotherapy would be the breast, armpit, and above the collar bone, and because there was lymph node involvement, I would likely need chemo! 

This was a shock, because my surgeon had all along, been so confident that this wouldn’t be needed. I had to wait another 5 weeks for my oncology appt! 

Turns out, upon seeing the oncologist, that there was a typo in the first post op letter, so he went back to pathology for the initial results! There was no lymph nodes affected, and if he hadn’t double checked, I’d be having chemo now, and 5 weeks of radiotherapy (which is on my left side, so puts the heart at risk). What a ride this has all been!!

im now 18 weeks post op (first op), and my armpit and scar still are tender to touch! I barely felt the breast surgery! Even the 2nd round didn’t cause a fraction of the discomfort that the armpit one did. May have been exasperated by the fluid collection, as that was under my lymph scar. 

 Elizabeth71 

That is fantastic news, I'm so pleased for you.

Have a fantastic holiday, you sure do deserve it after what you've been through, onwards and upwards