Does anyone still have severe pain in the incision area. I had surgery for lung cancer on February 2,2016. The pain is worse now than it was immediately after surgery. My oncologist gives me pain pills, but I think the pain should be less right now. The pain is constant.
rhubarb43
Sorry you are having so much pain, but it is not unusual to have severe pain for a long time. My surgery was June 1, 2015 and I still have pain on occasion in the incision site and the chest tube site. Have you consulted your surgeon or oncologist to be sure there is no infection or other issue? Be assured that pain for a prolonged period is not unusual since there are many nerves in the incision area that were cut, but do consult your doctor to be sure everything is progressing as it should.
Hope this is helpful and that you have a smooth recovery.
Jean
Hi Rubard. ..i totally agree with Jean's reply. Pain and or neuropathy pain will last about eighteen months or so. Do you have a pain specialist? If not I strongly suggest you get one. They are very helpful and will RX the right meds for your discomfort. Praying you find relief soon🙏😘 be well and keep in touch
Hello
I would certainly discuss with your surgical doctor again the reason for your pain. Just be stuborn until you get an answer. I know post surgery I had pain and it seemed like a long time. You have to remember along with the cut for surgery comes all the nerves that are cut also. Those take time to regenerate as your incision heals. I did have that type of problem and am sure I took pain pills.
So recheck with your doc. I have a broken rib on right side #7 that will never heal. Tumor was too big. Left me with fracture after chemo and radiation. I had radiation that started March 2016. I still have unbearable pain at times there. Radiation oncologist said nerves run under the ribs and lay in a space on the rib. Said I will have pain there sometimes due to nerves and also permanent rib fracture pain.
We never go back to the way we were....at least that is what I believe. I say that because I still have pain. More when I overdue my chores.
All I can suggest is talking again with your physician/surgeon and remember this is your right. You or your insurance are paying all of then. People have to be proactive. Speak up. Ask. There are no dumb questions.......ever !
I had surgery on 6/16/16 and I still have pain and neuropathy some day are worse then others I hear it takes time to heal all the nerves Wish you the best
I had surgery on 2/27/17. I'm still having a lot of pain but am being told this is normal. It doesn't make it any easier. I am still sleeping most of the night in a recliner because I cannot lay down.
I spoke with someone recently who had lung surgery in Feb. 2015. She said it took her 2 months before she even started to feel better and to expect not less than a year before you might start to feel like your old self.
It wasn't what I wanted to hear but I was beginning to think that this process was taking a lot longer than I thought.
I hope I have not discouraged you but I'd rather know what to expect than to continue as I have been.
God bless you and may He strengthen and heal your body.
Thanks Rosie. I had my surgery 15 months ago. I thought the pain should be gone or almost gone by now. I have been told by two other people that their pain lasted 18 months. My oncologist is not concerned, so I will have to be patient.
I will be praying for you.
Rhubarb43
I had open lung surgery in 2010. My pain was also very bad and I was unable to lie down without pain. I went to the Penn Pain Center in Philadelphia; they treated me with mega doses of Neurontin. The result was that I was so drowsy from the Neurontin that I slept most of the time, and I ended up with a frozen shoulder. A physician at the Pain Center recommended that I do physical therapy with massage instead. I was able to find a massage therapist/physical therapist who used pressure point massage and taught me how to strengthen the muscles around the scar area. I felt better within six weeks . In 2012 I had another open lung surgery, so now I have two scars. I again started right away with pressure point massage and physical therapy, which helped lessen the pain. I still have pain bending over a certain way, and a bra is still very painful. I still do the basic upper body physical therapy exercises on a daily basis - if I stop them, my pain comes back.
I still have incisional pain at times. The pain was helped by using the medicine Gabapentin. Apparently calms the nerve endings. You can ask your Doctor.
Fluid on chest and intense pain 
pain after treatment
A little impatient
