Difficult recovery quite a while after mastectomy

[lisalisa]

Hi everyone ,
im having a difficult recovery after a single mastectomy. The area is hard , painful and feels full of fluid but my surgeon says there’s not much fluid in practice . It hurts to close my arm and there’s intermittent pain too when I’m just sitting doing nothing .
I developed a very large hematoma there too literally from one end of the scar to the other and wonder whether the hard area feeling is due to that . I’m now just over 3 months after mastectomy and surely should be healing a bit better .
pls come and talk to me if you have had a mastectomy about your recovery

That sounds grim. I had a double mastectomy and had to be recovered enough for radiation therapy within four weeks because of my treatment protocol (I had to be able to raise my arms over my head and hold the position in a mould for 15 minutes or so) and I was. The best support I got post mastectomy was from my McGrath nurse (Macmillan equivalent here in Aus). Do you have one you can contact? She would be able to give you an idea of whether or not what you are experiencing is usual and hopefully be able to advocate for you if you need to see your surgeon again. Good luck.

Thanks @Flatandhappy - love your user name !
I will contact macmillan
anyone else any experiences pls ?
I guess I’m a bit worried I’ll stay like this

Just bumping to see if anyone else has any experiences pls ?

Have you got a breast cancer nurse? They can be really helpful. Will you have any physio? Breast cancer now also have a phone line for advice. Good luck.

Sorry you are having a difficult recovery. I had a very quick one when I had no reconstruction and just sentinel nodes out, a few days and no pain after that. When I had nodes out later there was pain for a week or so then better. Delayed reconstruction a week in hospital but not much pain after that.

I would try calling your breast cancer nurse. Macmillan also have nurses on one of their phone lines. Would have thought they could at least offer pain relief. I have found when I have had further surgery sometimes past issues resolve if you are due more.