‘I Can’t Scratch It!’

Phantom Sensations

Well, better late than never to get this done…3:10 am and ya, I’m calling it Friday night still.

Side note…what a cool thing it is to be able to partner with friends, share their stories and have a way to give back in a bigger way.

Again, thank you to everyone for your support, encouragement, input, feedback and willingness to share your journey with LIVN GIVN.

We appreciate it so much!

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This blog is about something that is kinda bothersome and I live with every day yet don’t really think too much about.

Usually it’s not a big deal but it’s always there. Sometimes though…it’s really annoying.

Phantom sensations.

“Phantom pain is pain [or itch] that feels like it’s coming from a body part that’s no longer there. Doctors once believed this post-amputation phenomenon was a psychological problem, but experts now recognize that these real sensations originate in the spinal cord and brain.” — mayoclinic.org

It’s interesting when my chest is itchy or sore but I can’t scratch or do anything about it. Like those itchy spots on the body that ‘move’, phantom sensations can definitely be a bother to deal with.

Due to nerve damage from lymph node removal and multiple surgeries, I’ve been numb on my entire left side from part way down my underarm to the centre of my chest, a ways on my back and down my side for a decade so I don’t put a ton of time thinking of this issue. But every so often, and it’s commonly when I’m trying to chill and go to bed…the sensations set it. My right side, as of last fall, is not there either though I do have a bit more feeling over there.

Aside from the common nocturnal itch many experience, these additional sensations can be a pest and at the same time, serves as a reminder of how fascinating the body is.

“At present, the underlying mechanisms responsible for night-time itching are not well understood. Nocturnal pruritus may be related to the circadian rhythm of itch mediators and possibly the disruption of such patterns. Diurnal changes in skin physiology, such as temperature and barrier function, may also play a role.”-medicaljournals.se

As I get to bed, and try to irritatingly scratch something that I can’t, I’ll still acknowledge everything I have to be grateful for!

-Becky