How long should I expect pain in armpit after removal of lymph nodes?

Hi! @ meeshodge:

I truly admire your strength and diligent work attitude. But please call your care team to discuss the swelling and discomfort in your armpit or your surgical site, hopefully they'll recommend a trained professional such as: a certified lymphedema therapist (CLT), a physical or occupational therapist trained to treat lymphedema to help you resolve the swelling and pain. Pray for you to take great care of yourself with smooth sailing ahead.

Best luck to you all!

Yes, I can relate to that. Mine was three years ago but the good thing is we are still here. Wishing you the best!

I think what is most important to know is the stage and the grade of your tumor. This information will help you decide whether you should have radiation or not. I had stage one and grade one tumor with good margins during surgery. The lymph node was clear. My doctor directed me to several papers that said I was good to go without radiation because of my age and those other parameters.

how old are you. I'm 76.

I was 70 when diagnosed.

Armpit was the longest part to feel 'normal' again, its just so sensitive in that area. I thought I was going to have a big lump there forever but it does settle down and go away, just takes time. Physical therapy / range of motion exercises can help.

I had lymph nodes under arm and upper chest removed for Melanoma, many, many years ago. After initial surgery pain, all that remained was numbness and it still is numb after many years. It is still hard to shave under my arm!

Have you checked with your Doctor about a possible seroma?
I also had a double mastectomy, lymphedema in my left arm and a persistent seroma in my left arm pit. I had it aspirated numerous times before going to Mayo to have interventional radiology insert a drain for 10 days to finally get rid of it. I had months of lymphatic massages to get my arm back to almost normal. Hope you are able to get relief soon.

I had a double mastectomy 3 1/2 weeks ago with 4 lymph nodes removed. I am 59. I have numbness and soreness under my arm, but no sharp pain. Let your care team know that you are having pain. Do your best to be descriptive about what the pain feels like: sharp? Achy? Throbbing? These details are helpful for the care team.

Good luck.

It will be 5 years come January since I had a lumpectomy (plus a 2nd one to achieve clear margins) and had 13 lymph nodes removed. Before surgery a physical therapist came in to test me for current range of motion, walked me through some exercises and gave me the printed instructions. I also was given a follow-up appointment which I missed because of my 2nd surgery. I did the pt religiously so I regained full range (probably better). However I found that being in a car and experiencing road vibrations caused discomfort in the area of the missing nodes that increased proportionatelyto time on the road. A 3 hr road trip had me reaching for the hydrocodone. This lasted a few months but was probably helped by the PT. The numbness under the arm had me anxious about shaving there. My surgeon told me those nerves no longer function even though some people think they do. I've read studies that find other nerves can step up to function in place of the damaged nerves. While showering I use a nylon scrubby under the arm to try to encourage any nerve willing. I can't say if it's working but it feels like it is, and I feel a lot more confident shaving there.