I am 15 months past vats. I gave tried the meds. They didnt help me. I had 3 Nerve Block procedures, the last was a Cryo Ablasion. They helped only a little. What helped me the most was a acupuncture. I got relief after the first visit. I only go once a week because I pay out of pocket. I still have pain, but was an 8/10 before accupuncture, and went down to 3/10 after.
Brett
Thank you I will ask my doctor for that and see if it helps. My work finished me at Christmas because of the pain I am in at work. Have other people had to stop work because of their pain after this operation.
UPDATE FOR ME: 2019 now and ive gotten help from a pain specialist that knows what hes doing. Im now on morphine until the surgery comes. Hes doing a nerve stimulator on the nerves he pinpointed the doctors messed up during chest tube insertion. Usually the pain is not from the surgery its self, but the emergency chesttube they insert. its getting better for me. Dont let them tell you the pain is not there and dont give up trying to get your releif it took 3 years for me.
it has been 9 mos since lung vats. my ribs dug into me with extreme pain . numbness across my whole abdomen and swollen stomach. they finally put me on lyrica which seems to be helping. I've gained 20lbs my vsince surgery
my doc put me on lyrica
yes 9 mos constant pain, numbness and like a harness squeezing me so tight I cant breathe at times.ribs digging into me. now new doc put me on lyrica which is helping me
Nerve pain is the strangest pain I have ever experienced. The only way I can explain mine as I did to my doctors.....it's like a lightning bolt shooting through me. I have found that if I get busy and do something like walking, cooking, getting out and going to the movies. Just keeping busy. Sometimes the pain will go away for a few days and than.....wham...it's back. I look at it this way, some pain is well worth it as long as my cancer is gone. I thank God all the time that I insisted that my doctor order a low dose CAT scan for me as I was a former smoker.
THANK
ask your doctor about lyrica no side effects and helped me immediately
its 7 mos and I still have pain and numbness but the doc put me on lyrica which seems to be helping
I'm right with you sister. I thought the hard part was gonna be the surgery but recovery is the worst
I am so sorry you are in so much pain i had vats surgery 2/13/18 and still cannot wear a bra had a lot of discomfort especially sitting at a desk all day at work i started taking Zilis CBD oil and take 1 ml at 1:00 pm and then 1 ml at bedtime and I have been able to sit at my desk pretty comfortably which I never thought would happen!
Do you still work or did you have to stop??
i am 15 monthes post op and still have the same pain from nerve damage in my side .
This month it is a year marks a year since my surgery. I am happy to say that most of my nerve pain is gone. Just every once in a while.
Hello, I am at a 2 year mark of VATS. I have tightness, numbness and sometimes sharp pain through my nipple. I still have swelling under my armpit. I had a nerve block injection(s) two months ago. This Wednesday I get a plane block hopefully it helps with tightness! I work so hard to get my life back. By 2-3 everyday I really want to lay flat and get relief. Itās sad that my life is really this difficult. They donāt tell you this part. Mine wasnāt cancer, for that I am grateful. I just want even 50% of who I was before! 3 months ago I unfortunately had a tumor (non cancer) on my ovary. It was my last ovary. It weighed 4 pounds! But it sent me into surgical menopause. So I am dealing with both. Somedays I kill it, others I am a mess. Small things like getting dressed is huge on those days. I am sad so many have issues, yet I feel like I am not alone. I am 51 and looking forward to the second part of my life. I just need the tight feeling to get better 
Be kind in a mad world
Treā āmotomomā