Fun fun! When lymph nodes dry out they shrink. That’s what causes pain. Therapists will take your arm and slowly massage and stretch your skin. You may or may not hear a little pop. It’s breaking those shrunken vein like structures between the lymph node in your underarm going down to your hand. It is a bit of a workout but feels so much better. They won’t do all at one time. And tell you to raise arm and lean into it like on a door. You press w your palm high above your head. But if your nodes are affected, you won’t be able to do it all. A little each day.

First though is your surgery. Then a good month or so not lifting even 5 lbs. maybe less for you. So even if they take a node, you won’t do anything for a couple months. If there’s no cancer, they won’t touch them.

But you’re right, it’s good to know. I believe one reason I wasn’t told is they thought my limp was smaller. When the surgeon got in she found it was bigger, and sent a biopsy of a node right then. It came back positive, so she had to take 3. I went from simple maybe no chemo to double, nipple, node radiation. But again I went with it. Nothing fazed me. Just went through the motions and got through.
I will say, I am hearing impaired. I had a beagle who came with me and slept on my chair/bed. She made it to my last radiation day and was time to head to rainbow bridge w kidney cancer. She was a great help to me.

I don’t think doctors keep info from us on purpose. They just do their best for you and are human too.

I think it depends on what they find when they get that lump out. If it is anchored to the chest wall or deep in the breast it may cause more pain. I have had friends who have had smaller lumps that were not anchored not really have a lot of pain or scarring. Just a small scar, not even a drain.
Then they should test this lump for all kinds of information that guides your treatment. A good oncologist takes into account, the grade or how fast the cells are multiplying. Hormone receptors, your overall health, and age. All of those things guide treatment decisions.
I agree that knowing what to expect is very helpful, but many people have very little trouble with surgery, many do not even require chemo anymore, and radiation and hormone therapy would be decisions that you and your doctor can decide using your pathology and/or your onco DX score. Did they do a biopsy on this lump prior to scheduling for removal, or is this a surgical biopsy?