Underarm Pain

The pain under my armpit, which I have been told is normal after surgery, is intense. Sarah told me it could last for a long period of time.

I'm used to postoperative pain, been there - done that, with my 6 arm surgeries, but this pain is almost unbearable. Part of the discomfort is from the drains that were there. In addition to constant pain, I have numbness and burning sensations. It's very numb and feels very heavy, which Sarah told me is very normal.

The only time I should be concerned is if I have a fever, which I don't.

I never thought about my armpit before my surgery, but now, all of a sudden my armpit demands a lot of attention. In addition to the pain, I have swelling. I have numbness on the surface and soreness underneath. And with all the movement of my arm back and forth in that area, the whole area gets aggravated.

How do I control my underarm pain?

Percocet and ice. I haven't taken any percocet in two days because I don't want to rely on painkillers. If you can't feel any pain how will you know if something is wrong? This pain is nothing that I have ever experienced before. It's 2:15 am Monday morning. I can't sleep. Tomorrow I will call Dr. Frazier. I'm supposed to get rest so my body can heal but it is difficult with the constant pain.

Is it any wonder why cancer patients become addicted to opiates like morphine and Percocet?

I am doing my exercises everyday. My occupational therapist told me to do my exercises 3 to 4 times a day and to push myself as far as I can without feeling any pain. My range of motion is getting better and I can comb my hair, brush my teeth, take showers without help from my mom - normal tasks that most people take for granted.

Now I know why the nurse gave me 5 cotton ice bags when she gave me my discharge instructions. I wore 2 bags out already - on my third one. The ice helps with the discomfort and swelling and in turn alleviates some of the pain as a result of my sentinel lymph node dissection. The small pillow Sarah gave me that I position under my arm also helps some with the discomfort.

Pain. My 'new normal' ...