Post thoracic surgery pain
 

I have MEN1 which led to thoracic surgery where a wedge was taken from my right lung. It turned out to not be cancer, but since the surgery (4 years ago) the area around my incision is swollen and sore, so swollen that I can't even wipe my own butt. I am physical discomfort in varying degrees from stiff and a little sore to "omg it hurts to breathe" sore.
Weeks after my operation, my surgeon took some x-rays and said "Hmmm that's a lot of scar tissue, you're going to be in a lot of pain."
....*snap* *crackle* *pop*
I am now banned for life from my surgeon's office.
My doctor gave me celebrex and some anti-depressant that has a worse come down than bad LSD from the eighties.
Is there like ANYTHING that can help this pain and lossen me up? Accupuncture? Herbs? New age hippy chakra healers? Voodoo? I will try anything....
:eek:
Please help.

surgery/pain
 

What in the world did they do to you?!!? I've had 2 lung surgeries, one in the dark ages (1957) when I was a kid and one 7 years ago for lung cancer. I do remember numbness and some areas of disturbed sensation/pain around the incision from the early one which gradually resolved over many years. I think it really hurt to raise my arms, dress, etc for awhile. Surgery was a lot more primitive then and I'm surprised you have problems with a recent one, I'd be mad too. I had no problems with the recent one after the post op pain.

Did he say the scarring is in your muscles, chest wall, etc? Lung surgery is considered to be extremely painful, those nerves are very sensitive so I can imagine what you experience. What does the pain feel like? Does it ache like it might be rib pain (I think thats actually a nerve pain) or burn and feel elect rical? As I'm writing this I'm remembering an intense, burning pain when I took a deep breath or reached overhead post op as a kid, is that what you are experiencing? I wanted to whack my surgeon during the recent surgery when he changed the dressing roughly and bent the chest tube to cause that pain.

I don't know any magic solution, the nerves slowly have to heal or become less sensitive or whatever They do. they sent me home with a months worth of Vicodin post op, it was effective but don't know if you'd want that for a long term solution. Can you go to a pain clinic? I really don't know anything about it but you mentioned 'loosening up' and I'm wondering if taking pain meds to get you through some physical therapy might help, those people are very good at stretching adhesions, etc. You could also try some of the supplements list around the site, I'm not sure it would respond like a neuropathy but it can't hurt to try.

I think you need more help than 'heres some Lyrica', I don't know if a neurology referrel would be appropriate but at least try a pain clinic. Good luck,

judi

I was wondering if anyone knows about swelling under the scar? I had lun surgery on 08-20-2012. I am home and started exercising my arm, but may have over done it. there is a hard lump under the scar. I told my

dr and he said out hot packe=s on it so I am, but wondering if the lump will go away, feels like a football under my arm. Since I started the hot packs the lump seems to be going down a little but spreading.
Any one experience this?