Fibromyalgia and breast cancer treatments

[tamidenise]

I'm looking for advice as to how to handle pain from lymph node removal after a lumpectomy as well as having fibromyalgia.
Has anyone else gone through this, and how have they handled the pain and numbness
in the arm?  Is the numbness permanent?  

I am beginning to start radiation treatments and wonder how women with fibro have handled that.
Is the fatigue from the radiation long-lasting?

Any advice would help, please :)

Tami

[katarina777]

PS: I surely got your names mixed up and I hope you can figure out what I meant.

Sorry! Katrin

[katarina777]

Cheerpul says: ' Pick the activities that give you strength and feed your soul and limit the ones that wear you out as much as possible.'

Now, this is I think the most important truth, and advice for you to take in. Great comment, tamisenise.

[Cheerpul]

I am thinking of you.  I had a mastectomy and 19 nodes removed.  No radiation or fibromyalgia, so I can't answer that.  Beginning the day of surgery, I gently tried raising my arms over my head and stretching.  It pulled, was numb and was sore, but I have nearly all my range of motion and most of my strength back.  It has been 10 months since my surgery, and I had chemo which really knocked me for a loop.

Physical therapy and/or massage therapy can help with the range of motion and pain management.  I evidently have a high tolerance for pain, which is good, since I have a zero tolerance for narcotic pain killers.  They make me feel like I'm going to pieces mentally.  Anyway, I worked every day, gently, on my arm and got back all usage pretty quickly.

Numbness is likely there to stay.  A lot of nerves were cut/removed and I have little feeling in my armpit extending back toward my mastectomy scar.  Be really careful shaving if you can't feel anything.  Every once in a while my arm aches if I've overdone things, like hand whipping 8 egg whites with a fork last week.  (I work in a living history museum as an historic cook.  You can use KitchenAid and avoid the pain to make a lemon meringue pie!)

Cancer treatments in general make you very fatigued.  Be good to yourself and rest.  Pick the activities that give you strength and feed your soul and limit the ones that wear you out as much as possible.  Take up friends and family when they offer help.  (It's hard to accept, but it saves you for important stuff and gives them a chance to do something to help you.)  The American Cancer Society in many places has programs where people will come and help clean your house several times.  They are a good resource for information, support, and local programs.

Good luck and take care.  We will share our knowledge and experience to help you.

[katarina777]

First, tamidenise, you need to ask,  and then get a potent painkiller like hydrocodone or oxycodone, unless of course there is a special reason for you to avoid such meds.

Your arm and the places where the surgeon operated will ache and hurt for a while and then the pain will become less over time. It really helped me to work with a Physical Therapist..amazingly!

I thought the worst part as far as pain is concerned was having to put my arms back during the Radiation sessions. The radiation is very brief and painless, but having to put your arms back may hurt. (especially the first time and also when they do a CT scan for the purpose of placing your exact and individual measurments )because it takes so much longer for those.

The whole process is very doable and not a horrible thing to undergo. (the last week you may have some skin burning but that can also be medicated)

I don't know about your additional problems related to Fifbromyalgia, and I supect that the radiation won't make it much worse. mostly the tired is 'tiresome' but you can do it.

Best, Katrin