From the first moment my wife discovered she had breast cancer, there was a deafening silence from the men I know. Even ones whose wives, mothers or girlfriends had breast cancer seemed to have received a gag order from some Central Cancer Command and did little more than mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I started this blog…
Every month, I’ll be
highlighting breast cancer research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from
different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into
understandable English and share them with you.
My wife wanted me to
find out the answer to this question: “Why do the implants make it feel like
I’m in a C-clamp all the time?”
I found out that she’s not alone. In addition to covering
other issues with breast reconstruction, the BREASTCANCER.ORG website has this
to say: “Some women feel pain or
discomfort from the tissue expander, the implant, or scar tissue putting
pressure on a nerve or other sensitive area.”; also “A breast reconstructed with an implant may move in
unnatural ways as you flex your chest muscle (pectoralis muscle).”
In both cases, the solutions while not “simple”, suggest
that exercise and massage may help alleviate the discomfort. Some suggested
exercises are: shoulder “shrugs”; should rolls; shoulder raise; arm swings;
body turns; lifting your arms above your head (while laying down!); “walking
your fingers up the wall”; same as the previous one, but “sideways”; “beach
pose”; and finally, the chest stretch.
The Breast Cancer UK site article “Exercises after breast
reconstruction surgery using implants” will give you specific details and
directions of how to do each one I mentioned as well as a time frame. They start
with immediately after the surgery and proceed to weeks and months later.
This doesn’t completely answer however, the concerns of
Roseanne Valletti (54) “...she is
uncomfortable. All the time. ‘It feels like I’m wrapped up in duct tape,’ [she]
said of the persistent tightness in her chest that many women describe after
breast reconstruction.”
It appears that
this kind of feeling is both common and unavoidable: “...it is major surgery.
Even with the best plastic surgeon, breast reconstruction carries the risks of
infection, bleeding, anesthesia complications, scarring and persistent pain in
the back and shoulder.”
“A syndrome
called upper quarter dysfunction — its symptoms include pain, restricted
immobility and impaired sensation and strength — has been reported in over half
of breast cancer survivors and may be more frequent in those who undergo breast
reconstruction, according to a 2012 study in the journal Cancer.” As usual,
when you’re talking about pain, there are a million voices all clamoring for
your attention. This site written by a chiropractor makes the startling claim
that everything from butt pain to deafness can be cured by breaking up
something he calls “fascial adhesions” with some sort of bruising method...he
does, of course, rail against the medical establishment because they don’t
acknowledge his methodology as effective. (http://www.doctorschierling.com/fascia.html)There
are claims that shots work (usual hydrocortisone) as well as surgical removal
of scar tissue all the way up to and including the removal of the implants
altogether.
What works will
likely be what you decide works. All of these methods are available and you
will find a physician somewhere who will agree to treat you with whatever
method you find online or through conversing with doctors.
I myself don’t
know WHAT to think.Resources: http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/reconstruction/types/implants/risks, http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/type/breast-cancer/treatment/surgery/reconstruction/exercises-after-breast-reconstruction-using-simple-implant, http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/no-easy-choices-on-breast-reconstruction/?_r=0
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