Wow everyone - wonderful tips and advice!
I had Mx & ANC early March 2012 for Grade 3 IDC E+ HER2-. They found an extra 2 lesions they were not expecting, and 5 of the 27 nodes removed were affected. Had AB’s for wound infection, and admit to being lazy with post-op exercises for the first week or two. I now have cording extending to wrist, and am now religiously pushing the exercises.
Under my arm, and around my back (across shoulder blade and about half way to my spine) I seem to have ‘grown a new boobie’! It is quite sensitive and feels like it is bruised when I do my exercises or massaging.
I am a fairly large lady with a pad of fat on the other side, but the side I had the Mx is 3 or 4 times the size of the other. Any ideas what it is or if it will go? If it is breast tissue, will it not increase risk of recurrance?
Merc
bump this for Merc
also to ask Teresa how is the cording, stretching arm for rads? I had my MX and ANC last tuesday, so nearly a week ago. At the moment I can only stretch my arm to about a right angle, but no more. The wound site is swollen, but not any more than last week post OP after drains came out in hospital, they were happy with the swelling, so hopefully doesn’t need draining tomorrow when i see the BCN. I stll don’t like the idea someone sticking a needle in that area, sick of needles by now!!
Area feeling numb, and padded, sore in armpit when I lift my arm up to shoulder height. I keep doing the exercises as told and hope it will improve soon!
Ch xx
Hi Christine
So pleased to see you are on the mend after the Mx and ANC. Yes this sounds pretty much par for the course. Suggest take painkillers then do the exercises and stretches after that.
Since starting rads my arm has started to swell - I noticed it on Friday. Probably no-one else would notice, but it is obvious to me. I think it is no coincidence that the rads started at the same time and it has probably contribuited to the swelling. As you can imagine I am pretty fed up! I have an appt with the physio tomorrow so hopefully that will give me an action plan. Annoying as I am not in risk group - not overwight, quite fit, etc.
The cording itself is not as bad as it was, mainly just in the forearm and hand now. I can see the cords. The way to see if you actually have cording is to lift your arm up above your head (when you can!) and if you can see a weird cord-like thing in your armpit, that’s it! It really is the most peculiar thing, and no-one seems to know exactly what it is!
Anyway I am continuing with exercises and stretching and doing some drainage massage that my MLD lady gave me, so where we go from here I will let you know tomorrow!
Merc I have a weird pad thing at the front of my armpit. I think it might be lymph swelling. Again I will ask phsyio tomorrow.
Seem to be spending most of my life at appointments at the moment!
T x
christine so glad you are through your op now… it will take a while before you regain full movement your still very early stages of your recovery hunny.
merc the padding on your back could be a seroma which is a build up of fluid they can be drained but have a habit of filling back up but prob best to get it checked out incase there is an infection present.
i had cording and found that twisting my arm a bit like giving yourself a chinese burn helped release the cording a bit… im seeing my lymphoedema specialist on wed to get mine checked but the cording has improved since iv been doing the chinese burn type exercise.
theresa glad things are going ok and hope the arm swelling doesnt get any worse… keep up with exercises hunny x
lxxx
Christine-
I had quite a lot of cording in my axilla post surgery,I was told it was worse as I had x2 ops within 3 weeks. I still have a little now, but once my wounds had settled a bit I was told to massage it as much as possible by going across it, ie not along it, across it. I had to masage it quite a bit to brak it down.
Even though still there a little it is not a problem.
My area around my MTX scar is still quite numb too, but nerves grow back at about 1mm a day, so it will slowly go.
Fi xxx
Fi and Lulu, in your experience can this mild lymphoedema in the arm resolve or is it likely I might have to get a sleeve?
Teresa so sorry to read of the swelling. Hopefully it’s OK and can be sorted quite easily and is not as bad as you fear. Lulu suggests exercises, so hopefully no sleeve needed.
I had some cording after 2nd Tax which lasted about a week. At the moment I just have a tight armpit and wound site.
Fi interesting to read nerves grow 1mm per day. Good job they grow back! I will remember the across advise if needed, thanks.
Lulu nice to read from you 
Lulu will no more, but if lymphoedema mild and you can exercise it and massage it well, it can go down, but I am no expert on this!!
xx
Hi all,
Been referred to Lympho as the pad and my arm have grown terribly even though a post op infection had been resolved with antibiotics etcs. Went for post-op prothesis fitting last week and found I have been wearing the wrong size bra for years ! Now I have the full and proper kit, the discomfort of the arm hand and chest became more apparent.
The cording is not improving either - is this due to the lymphoedema?What is the general rule? Should I continue the exercises due to cording, or should I lay off and wait for further advice? Seems like I am waiting for everything these days! (At least it means it cant be that serious?).
Hugs to all,
Merc
xxxx
Oh poor you Merc. this darn thing is a pain. In my opinion (but I am no expert!) you should keep doing your exercises, this will help the muscle but also hopefully get your lymph fluid moving a bit. The cording and lymphoedema I think are related but one doesn’t necessarily mean the other (no professional I have spoken to yet really knows exactly what cording is!) so keep massaging the cording, and stretching out that arm as much as you can. Massage the cording across, i.e. not up or down the arm. If you look up axiliary web cording on youtube there are some good little videos. Here is one where it is introduced, and the others by this lady are good.
youtube.com/watch?v=DhseruhnMUc
Waiting is the worse thing! Especially as prompt treatment of the problem means less problems down the line. I am seeing someone privately (fortunately health insurance paying!) whilst awaiting NHS appointment!
Teresa x
Teresa (and anyone else) - I’ve also had cording and have seen a specialist physio at the breast clinic as it was really restricting my movement. She said that the cords are self-limiting and will disappear without treatment after about 10 weeks. She encouraged really pushing the stretching exercises once well healed (5-6 weeks); I managed to get rid of one cord doing exercises from The Haven’s ‘Reducing the risk of lymphodema’ dvd - I recommend it; the physio got rid of the other - not at all painful.
I also had a ‘pad’ at the front of my armpit - this went with massage as it turned out my skin had become stiff and didn’t move freely over the surgery area, so now I have to make slow circles with flat fingers above and below the surgery line - has also helped with movement and tightness.
Saskia