Pain after lobectomy (lung cancer) surgery: When will it go away?

Im almost 3 month post VAT surgery RLL. For the first month there's was a loth of burning , and sharp pain on my abdominal area and sides. It affected my breathing and activity. The surgeon prescribed Gabapentin but I did not use it . I used Motrin as scheduled and Tylenol as ordered post surgery. When that's doneI will only take oral pain medications when its really bad but rarely as well. For the most part I wore loose clothings , bought nipple pasties so I didn't have to wear a bra while incisions were healing, then I progressed to a sports bra that was a size bigger than my normal size. I also used heat and warm compress on affected areas. It helped a lot. Went for 30 to 1 hour walks outdoors 4 or more times a week. Now I'm almost pain free. However I have to remind myself our body needs more time to recover. So Im still cautions with lifting more than 20 lbs. I make sure I have equal weigh distributions when I carry things. I carry items close to the chest. Get someone to carry items more than 20 lbs. Be kind to our body . We are still healing if you have pain .

@lala56, Our ability to heal is amazing, but it certainly takes time. I'm glad you are doing so well.
Do you need any other treatments, or only surgery?

@lls8000 I will be finishing my 4 th cycle of chemo which I am so grateful is going fairly well. Will start on oral Tagrisso daily soon which seems to be the next plan for my situation. Mentally it has been hard. Finding hope and making memories with grandkids and family is whats making me stronger. It is tough at night. I do my prayers mostly at night and try to find comfort this way and has been helpful. Through one of the support group I attended, I connected with a wonderful mentor. She understands my journey. Locally I'd like to search for a support group specifically for my illness, but not sure what's out there. Online groups such as this is helpful to hear how others are managing.

@lala56, Surgery, chemo and Tagrisso, you are getting the full treatment. 🙂 I'm glad that you are doing well with the chemo so far. It's not easy, and a huge mental adjustment. It's harder to see the possibilities for hope and future when you are in the mess of treatment. In time it will get better. There are many of us here that are living with the gene mutation types of lung cancers. Mine is ALK, and over five years since diagnosis, stage IV, and doing well. I try to appreciate each day.

@aprilradek I am having the same experience as you- finally feeling better 3 month out of surgery but back to work and wearing a bra with less exercise and nerve pain is back, soreness and tingling. It is frustrating!

I had upper right lobe lobectomy 8/25/26. I have upper body PT exercises that I want to continue with that I was doing for weeks before surgery. Other than a weight limit of 5-10 pounds for an undetermined time, Mayo team doesn't seem concerned. It's as if since surgery was successful, they're done with me (except further scans). No thoughts about who I am as an individual. Will PT know what to prescribe for me going forward. Will my primary refer me to PT? I am trying to maintain function and fitness, especially since I have osteoporosis and it is also highly recommended that elderly people try to maintain muscle mass.

Hello @monette. Moving is great, but obviously difficult when you've just had surgery. Take things slow and be patient with your body. You've been through a lot. Possibly your team is waiting to see how you do in recovery, before recommending anything more. You are still early after surgery and while it may not feel like your team is in contact, they are still invested in your healing and in you leading a full life after surgery. Do you have an oncologist, or is your Mayo team the surgeon?

@lls8000 I am supposedly cancer free so far, so I assume I don't need oncology team. Have had only extremely brief post surgery encounter with surgeon. I will only have contact with his team going forward.