Question for the ladies out there

[Aggie85]

Is boobie numbness common and how long does it last? My girls are tingly numb for about half of their area each. Painful to have in a bra and painful hanging free. Very sensitive to ANY touch in a very negative way. I'm assuming the numbness is a result of everything being torn apart, but wonder how long it lasts.

I've also noticed they seem bigger. I'm no longer retaining water generally and have lost about 10 LBS from pre-surgical weight (pretty drastic way to lose that wt. I've been working on losing all year, but I'll take it). But, I seem to be a bit bigger up there. Anyone else notice this sort of thing? I'm 5 years post-hysterectomy and don't seem to be having any other menopause symptoms, so am pretty sure it's the surgical insult. Maybe still swollen just from that???

Thanks, Linda C

 

[Paleowoman]

I can only comment on the numbness thing (mine haven't got bigger - only wish !) - I am numb on the right of the incision scar which extends into the right breast, I was only feeling how numb it was yesterday which is five months post op. I understand that the nerves are cut during surgery and that they can take a long time to "regrow"….I don't know how long.

 

[MrsBray]

I didn't have any loss of feeling. 14 weeks post op I still feel like they aren't connected to my chest anymore. I feel that especially when getting up in the morning. I'm still much more comfortable in a sport bra rather than an underwire. 2-4 weeks post op I lived in my spandex tank tops - no bands, no wires, no clasps, and easily adjustable. The girls did swell up after I stopped taking naproxin (I was on it for a month post op), but have returned to normal.

Well, almost normal. My scar is lopsided for some reason, and so are the girls. Small price to pay, though!

 

[Sunshine susan]

Hey! I am your neighbor! Live in St. Pete and know Morton Plant well...who is your cardio? My AVR was in 1999, and I don"t remember any issues with the "girls"! Now have large aortic root aneurysm which may be affecting my St Judes aortic valve. Congenital bicuspid valve reason for AVR. Having another heart cath June 25 to determine "what next". If aneurysm surgery needed, cardio wants to change my artificial for a tissue. Hang in there....you will be overall "normal" soon. Let me know if you ever want to get together and swap stories!

 

[Aggie85]

Hmmmm.... Noticing how far you both are out surgical date wise and still having some issues, I guess I shouldn't be surprised I'm still numb. Thanks for the reassurance! Since the numb tingling is across my whole chest I sure hope it dissipates a bit more and in less time. It's sometimes hard to tell which bothers me more and which is which (incision pain, numb tingling pain from clothes touching my chest, or sternum pain.) I keep telling myself 6 weeks, that's how long they said initial stage of recovery is, and that's how long I should give myself.

I alternate between my soft slip on bras and the velcro surgical bra contraptions they gave me in the hospital. The surgical bras give more support but the velcro that runs up the front closure of course runs right up the scar, OUCH! :eek2: If in bed, I often un-velcro that center one except for the last 1/2 inch. Gives some support but let's scar be open to air and nothing on it. Just had to train 19 year old son to be sure to let me know when he was coming in the room so I didn't accidentally flash him and end up both of us with scars! :wink2: I've NEVER been an underwire bra person. This is my 4th OHS and even if the previous 3 were 40 some odd years ago, my scaring never could handle the feel of the underwires meeting mid-chest. I loved it when these new "magic bras" , soft sports bra without that center back strap, came out. Bought a whole bunch!

My new scar seems to follow pretty much along the center of the old ones. As my hubby kept saying, all the Dr. had to do was cut along the dotted line. The nice thing is, with all the skin gluing technology this addition will probably barely be noticed. We shall see.

And MrsBray, I'm right along with you! Small price to pay for longer fuller lives!!!! I mentioned this in another thread, I stopped kids teasing me about my scar when I was 6 by announcing that I was PROUD of my scar because if I didn't have it, I wouldn't be here! Although, apparently I bounced back much faster at age 6. Two weeks after I returned home from surgery (probably 4 week post op point as they held folks -especially kids- much longer in hospital then) I was all ready and pushing my parents to let me go to school. Couldn't imagine doing that now!

Take care and best post-op wishes!
Linda