I also had a numb area to the top left of my scar for over a year, which is apparently quite common. After one year the feeling came back, and it doesn't do that for everyone. You are lucky that you have a small amount of pain after just five weeks, but everyone is different. I had my surgery at the age of 47 and have always been a very fast healer. That made me think "Oh this will be no problem". I was the first out of bed from that days surgeries and the first to leave hospital. However, I had really painful ribs for about 11 months. I found the more I exercised (as advised by cardiac rehab), the worse it got. As it stands, I would never go through such surgery again, but I would feel very different if the pain didn't last so long.
Thank you for your response. Today is the first day I have not had pain in my back, chest, ribs, neck and leg all at the same time. My primary pain has been the stinging I mentioned --I am looking forward to that ending! I am not taking pain meds other than occassional Tylenol so there is little relief from it. I was concerned that there was a problem since it is so focused in a single area and your reply made me less worried about that.
Just to add that the strangest sensation I had was 'wet'. At times it felt like cold water was running down my chest, and I would continually feel my skin to find it perfectly dry. It can drive you nuts at times.
Hi. 5 weeks is early days yet. The experience you are having are the nerves mending. I had the same kind of problems. It was as though the nerves had to mend and the brain had to learn to interpret the signals again. My chest felt hot/cold/painful/numb/tingling/itchy/ in fact, all different kinds of feelings at different times in recovery. Eventually the brain does sort it out. Patience is the only answer here, it will get there.