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A MyBCTeam Member asked a question 💭
Norwalk, OH
April 19
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A MyBCTeam Member

I had a double mastectomy so I don't know what the wire insertion is like, but I did get the radioactive dye to locate sentinel nodes. I had 3 different lumps located at the 3, 9, and 12 positions. The radioactive dye was injected near the lump at the 12 position. I was not given any numbing medication and told it would feel like a bee sting. I wasn't thrilled about that description because I am allergic to bees. It did not feel like a bee sting at all. It felt more like 1,000 bee stings and I yelled very loud from the pain and at the 2 very young nurses for their inadequate description of what to expect and that anybody injecting that awful substance into another person should have to experience first hand what it feels like. Nobody should have to undergo an injection of that radioactive dye without some sort of numbing agent that is injected at different depths to entirely numb the area the dye is getting injected into. It took about 5 minutes for the pain to start going down and around an hour for it to go away except for the normal soreness you would expect from any injection.

April 19
A MyBCTeam Member

Honestly, yes.
The wire wasn’t too backed up. The radioactive dye inserted into the nipple was not fun. They inject in the nipple for the dye to track to the sentinel lymph node.
Wishing you well on your surgery !

April 19
MyBCTeam

Are nuclear injections and wire insertion before a lumpectomy painful?

The area is numbed with a local anesthetic before these procedures, so you shouldn't feel significant pain during the wire insertion or nuclear medicine injection. You may feel some pressure or brief discomfort, but the numbing medication helps minimize Show Full Answer

Are nuclear injections and wire insertion before a lumpectomy painful?

The area is numbed with a local anesthetic before these procedures, so you shouldn't feel significant pain during the wire insertion or nuclear medicine injection. You may feel some pressure or brief discomfort, but the numbing medication helps minimize pain.

During the lumpectomy itself, you won't feel pain because you'll receive either general anesthesia (which puts you to sleep) or local anesthesia with sedation. Most people receive general anesthesia for the surgery.

After the procedure, some discomfort is normal during recovery. You might feel tenderness or brief, shooting pains in the breast, chest, or arm as nerves heal. For most people, this improves within a few weeks of surgery.

Pain can be managed with prescription medications from your care team or over-the-counter medicines as recommended by your doctor. Applying ice packs in short intervals can also help reduce pain and swelling.

April 19

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