Hi everyone. I’m really worried as I have a permanent 24/7 centre left chest pain and a dead left arm which come on 1 month ago.
I had a Sternotomy removing a 4cm tumour off my heart and aorta 16wks ago.
I had a blue light to A&E 2 wks ago which the pain But after scans I was sent home telling me ALL OK probably just post opp healing pain????? Has anybody else had this as am worried and really don’t feel right 😥
Thank u Simon
Sorry to hear about your experience, it must be very scary! I do not have any relevent experience with cancer and am definitely not medically trained. I would think that you need to talk to someone who is, maybe your GP or perhaps get in touch with the BHF. Don't know if they can help, but asking would be better than suffering by yourself.
Post sternotomy stuff can be really weird. My chest wound is still sensitive at times more than six months after my CABGx3, due to nerve damage. It is getting better but I have had all manner of other sensations at different times. I would imagine, and again, not a medical opinion, that it may take quite a while for your heart to recover from having a tumour removed. They could be right, it's 'just' post-op stuff, but you need to put your mind at rest.
Hope you find peace and healing.
Paul
Hi, I am so sorry about what you are going through! Please do get some further advice from a professional, do you have any followup/ rehab nurse or good GP? I don't think a dead arm should happen, I have not heard of this. And continuous pain under your sternum sounds very hard to bear. I hope you can get someone to talk to about this and take you seriously, and that it resolves quickly! Best wishes to you.
Thank you so much and to all that replied. My tumour was benign thank gawd. They scanned me for a clot but all good. They sure the chest pain is post surgery and the dead arm is nerve damage ? So wondered if anyone had nerve damage? X
Glad to hear the tumour was benign!
With any cardiac surgery, there's a good chance of nerve damage due to the number of nerves in the chest, or so I was told by a cardiac surgeon. In my case, the discomfort has been slowly decreasing over six months but hasn't gone completely yet. At first, I could hardly bear having clothes touch parts of my chest. I also have nerve damage in my ankle where the vein was harvested for my bypasses where initially it was completely numb, but when the nerves started to regrow, I almost wish they hadn't. It was a bit painful at times but didn't restrict my walking. Still hurts from time to time, but nothing like as badly. I have been told it may take up to a year to settle properly.
Don't know if that helps in your case.
Yeah, the hypersensitivity of my chest nerves drove me bonkers. Fortunately it eased at about twelve weeks. I still get the odd twinge or pin prick, but nothing I can’t easily ignore.
Were you told by your surgical team that you may get nerve damage with your procedure? At least you should get some physiotherapy offered, as nerves can regrow/ regenerate/ heal. Do ask for some physio. Also you might google for supplements/ vitamins that help nerves, like B vitamins, you may find something that would help you. So sorry to hear all this but good that the tumour is benign at least.
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