<<My lymph nodes incision hurts (it looks wadded up) and my
chest and back hurt also. I've had back pain for 42 years but since
surgery it seems worse. i didnt get any sleep last night at all. >>

OK... Mastectomy I know a little more about -- had a double, myself.

My incision didn't hurt either, but yes, for a while inside upper arm DID hurt
-- a lot.  It still does if I sleep in the wrong position. -- Top of shoulder
still feels bruised if I push on it, too. But it does get better.

Am 5 years out and it still occasionally hurts when I overuse my arm. Sometimes
there is a very sharp pain that I've come to think of as one of the titanium
clips that they use to tie those nerve endings together (instead of absorbable
sutures they used to use). Not all of it goes away, but most of it does, and
that 'hurt' lessens considerably over time.

The Aspercreme or its equivalent, softly stroked into the skin CAN and does
help. -- Yours may be in the extreme (these things happen, unfortunately) but
I've found that many of us have that "wadded up" feeling <and look> especially
in the beginning -- it's how our bodies mend after being cut sometimes. ---
Mastectomy bra makers even allow for that by providing 'balancing' inserts so
the other side is a full, too.

Try sleeping in an elevated position, that's something that helped me. (I used
a 'wedge' pillow).

Guess what I'm saying is -- unless you're infected (which DOES need to be
checked and treated) this pain can be considered 'normal' for post surgery.--
Aspirin or one of the other anti-inflammatories can help. -- It isn't fun, and
at first sleep can be a real problem, but that too eases with time.

Yes, your back can hurt too; all the nerves going around your chest tie-into
the spinal column (hope I'm explaining this right) so there can be
'telegraphed' pain that can take your breath away.I
went racing into the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. Wasn't, it was
just a nerve spasm, but scared the heck out of me. -- I don't know that
everyone suffers such horrendous nerve spasms, but think that spasming is
considered part of the 'healing' too.

Maria Weiss' book, "There is life after breast cancer" talks about such things
and might bring you some comfort, as does Susan Love's Breast Book. It helps to
understand what you're dealing with, of course.

I was fortunate in that my surgeon prepared me for what you're experiencing, so
it wasn't as frightening. I'm sorry yours wasn't as comprehensive.

I'm also sorry you can't sleep; sorry that you hurt. Know that it WILL get
better, but when our doctors tell us we should be 'healed' in say, 6 weeks,
they're only talking the skin scars, not the interior that can take a while. --
I CAN tell you it gets better.

Bless you; hang in there!
Lady8

I didn't have a lot of upper arm pain after my mastectomy/axillary
disection, but did have back troubles beyond what I had ever had before
(. . . resulting in extra bone scans, of course!).    I'm thinking that,
in part, the surgical discomfort causes postural or muscular
perturbations (holding your body oddly to "protect" the painful area),
in addition to any true directly-surgically-caused pain.

There were two things that I found very helpful:  Massage therapy
(significant improvement *immediately*, and even better long term
results), and exercise (both stretching to unkink things, then other
exercise to improve blood flow & strengthen the muscles).

At first, I was not able to lie on my stomach for massage, but my
massage therapist was able to do a *lot* with me on my back.  Be sure to
find someone professionally trained in therapeutic massage, not just
relaxation massage.

Stretching and exercise may be uncomfortable at first, but you just move
as far as you can without straining, do so regularly (daily or more) and
persistently.

These things may not directly help nerve pain, but do help the secondary
tightness & pain.  I hope your discomfort will resolve soon!

Ann T.
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Teddy wrote: <<  It's inside my upper
arm on the inside that is extremly sore. Another doc said my surgeon was
wrong to ignore my pain esp. this soon after surgery. (putting that
politely)  My lymph nodes incision hurts (it looks wadded up) and my
chest and back hurt also. >>

That is the area that for me is now numb because the surgeon did cut the
nerve--my choice.  My understanding is that as the nerve grows back it may be
painful but think, although am not certain, that that pain will lessen in time
as the nerve grows back.