The Painful Reality of Cancer Treatment

I’m having mine on July 12th. I’m very scared of this part. I’ve had 7 biopsies and I’m more afraid of this. 😬 And you’re right! There is a better way and there have been studies on it. They use two types of topical anesthetics. (It was a clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing Aug 2008 vol 12, num 14) Why they don’t do it better is beyond me!

What were the shots for? I'm pending my surgery and the doctors haven't said anything about shots. Just want to prepare.

So they use nuclear medicine to light up nodes to check for cancers and location. Sorry if I have scared you I am sure everyone’s experience is different and they handle pain differently. This was the worst for me…..you will get through it, it just isn’t pleasant.

Did they not give you any topical pain cream and/or a lidocaine shot to help with the pain?

What procedure are you referring to? Here tonight

I had breast cancer in my right and left breast and so had to have it done on both sides. I had absolutely no pain at all. Nothing. Everyone is different.

I had it done too. It was painful but not unbearable. Only lasted a couple of seconds. Mine was in my right breast

I had it in my left breast. 4 shots. Was not painful just uncomfortable for a second.

I also had it done and it was just uncomfortable. If you are nervous about the pain you can ask for a prescription for topical Emla

If you are talking about the dye to do the sentiment lymph nodes, I had my lumpectomy last Friday and they waited until I was knocked out to inject the dye. If they had tried while I was awake there was going to be a fight. My biopsy was horribly painful even with drugs. Wasn't going thru anymore pain than I had to. Janet the Unicorn

Janet you are a lucky one. I was told they couldn’t. 😡

Julie, I'm so sorry. I had seen the comments on here and was scared about it. I'm so thankful it was done when I was out.

Your experience with those injections sounds absolutely overwhelming, and it's completely understandable to feel frustrated about the pain management during this part of your treatment. Many patients in the Surgery and Recovery community have shared similar experiences about unexpected pain levels during procedures, and your feelings about wishing for better pain control options are shared by others who've walked this path. The medical field continues to evolve in pain management approaches, and patient voices like yours help highlight areas where improvements are still needed.