Lung surgery pain

[Guest DeeHee]

I had lung surgery over 3 mo. ago and back and chest/breast area still hurts! I'm a tough ole lady and didn't expect this to continue so long. Any suggestions except pain pills? DeeHee

[Snowflake]

Dee,

I don't know the extent of your pain, but I'm 14 months out and STILL have pain in the "fat roll" under my right arm above the incision site. Right breast is still tender close to the sternum, very sore areas that are "nothing" according to an ultra sound and slam-o-gram, but are painful to pressure and touch.

If the pain is extreme, talk to your doctor and take medication, it should ease some. I don't take pain medication now, but do have "annoyances" that have continued...

Don't despair, it's live-able.

Becky

aka Snowflake

[Hebbie]

I too am about 15 months out of surgery -- and still have numbness in the scar area of the surgical site and my right breast. About 6-9 months out of surgery I started getting "zinging" pain in my breast and under my breast. I thought for sure I had a met to my rib, but the surgeon assured me this was "normal" -- it was actually some nerve endings starting to rejouvinate in the area. (The pain has since subsided)

It's hard to pinpoint the phases of pain, but I think it is a safe bet to say that 3 months out of surgery, there was definetely some stiffness, soreness and sporatic shooting pains. I'm sure that everyone here will have their own pain story! I do know that stretching exercises and breathing exercises after surgery and during recovery can definetely ease some discomfort and stiffness.

Have you discussed the pain with your surgeon/nurse?

[Donna G]

I got "trigger points" in the muscles of my back, finally I say a doctor that treated that sort of thing and got some relief. Still hate to wear the femine "support". The ribs never healed so once in a while they pop and pinch. The weird "nerve" feelings ( numbness along ribs under breasts to armpit) I understand can be helped by meds as neurontin, that never bothered me so much that I felt I needed them. Donna G

[Connie B]

Hi Dee and WELCOME to LCSC,

Good to see you Post on the board! I just know you'll find good and helpful information from all these wonderful people.

Your still more then welcome to give me a call at anytime!

Hope your feeling better and hope the pain is better. Hope all went well at your doc's appointment. Keep us up to date and stay with us, your in a safe place and you'll find much comfort here. Wish we could take away your pain.

Maybe when you have time, you can post your story to the other members here, so they have a better handle on your diagnosis! You don't have to, but it's helpful to those that wish to lend a hand.

HUGS being sent to you!

((((((((((((DEE)))))))))))))))))

[Donna G]

Connie I just noticed that Dee Heeschen is right here in St Paul Minnesota. Perhaps Dee, you could tell us in person about your journey! We meet twice a month on the first and third tuesdays at Regions Hospital in St Paul ! Donna G

[chloesmom]

I found in my experience after surgery that the pain was mostly gone after a few weeks--to the extent that I didn't have to take any pain medication anymore. Then, out of nowhere and for no reason I could think of, the pain got really bad again, tingling, numbness, and also just plain hurt. No one could find a reason why it returned except, "you just have had very major surgery and it will take a while for this to be completely resolved."

They were right--the pain did subside and I am back to sleeping on that side whenever I want to and using that arm and side of my body the same way as I use the other one.

I hope yours starts feeling normal very soon......

[Frank Lamb]

Hi and ouch!!!!I had left lung removed last June.It takes a long time for pain to subside.I still have tender areas around the incision area and where they broke my ribs to remove the lung.It was probably about 3 to 4 months befor I quit taking pain meds.Good luck qnd hang in there,it will improve with time.

[slinaresholz]

Hi Dee,

I also had lung surgery a little over three months ago and my side hurts still, especially when I walk. I feel numbness and soreness and the bra is very difficult. Tylenol extra strength or motrin do not help at all so I take nothing. I guess I have to suffer with it. I guess it is either muscle they cut through or nerve endings. I really hurt when I try to lift the garage door or any exertion. I guess they also spread the ribs to work on the lungs. That is where most of the pain seems to be. Hope you feel better. Best of luck. I had a lobectomy of the lower right lobe.

Sharon

[close to the edge]

I had major pain management problems right from the recovery room from muscle spasams and nerve damage. I have never in all my life experience so much pain. as others have said it can take a long time to recover and the nerve recovery is constantly changing. I my self took the advice of one of the resendent docs upon discharge to see a pain management specialist. she has been the best help. she explained the entire surgery process and what your muscles and nerves have gone thru. it is no wonder we all hurt so much . some hurt more than others. she put me on zonegran. this medication is taken at night and aparently is good for getting the nerves to repair themselves faster. I am not taking as much of the pain meds now but do take them occasionaly when i am really uncomfortable (like yesterday)the pain manag specialist said it could take up to a year for it all to go away even on the meds.. what i can say for sure is my pain management team in the hospital for surgery let me down big time.

[elnodel]

My husband was operated upon (upper right lobe removed) on April 26 and is still feeling a great deal of pain/discomfort on the right front side of his diaphragm, directly under his lung (or at least I think it's directly under his lung). This came as a surprise to us -- we had expected pain at the incision spot and in the lung, and of course were not disappointed in that, but that disappeared fairly quickly. At first we thought this discomfort, which was accompanied by a hardness in the diaphragm, was caused by the usual post-op constipation, but our surgeon disabused us of that notion. He told us about the nerve pain to be expected and also said that it would, eventually, go away. We're still waiting -- but then it's only a month, so I guess we can't complain too much.

Len takes percocet occasionally, when he's really feeling the pain, but has been managing on extra strength tylenol for most of the time, using tylenol pm at night. It seems to be getting a tiny bit better but there's a long way to gok.

In the meantime, we're waiting and waiting. He's to have a PET scan on the 10th of June, then we meet with the oncologist to discuss treatment. I think the waiting is among the worst of it all. If only we knew what to expect....

And, of course, I worry. I know the PET scan has to be scheduled after there's been time for some of the surgically induced spots to settle down, for fear of all sorts of misleading "hot spots". But I worry about delaying the chemo, which was unanimously recommended by the "tumour board" at the hospital. As far as we know, only one lymph node tested positive, but since we never had a complete PET scan before (Len panicked in the middle of his -- he's claustrophobic) we don't know for sure what else is lurking out there. Not much I can do, but I wondered if other people had been through this same "hurry up and wait" process.

Ellen

[Tiny]

I'm over 2-years out and still have the "zinging" pain under my right breast and severe rib pain when I sleep too long in the "wrong" position. Bone scans have not indicated any mets, so far. Onc just says it is the nerve-thingy and may never go away. I can live with it.

Best of luck to you.