Hi All.
After braging about how well my opp went and how good i felt something is starting to go a bit wrong. I have been doing the excercises on the breast care leaflet three times a day from the 20th (opp on 19th) but I am finding it increasingly difficult to raise my arm above my head and it feels as though i have a line of pain from my shoulder to my elbow. is this called cording and if it is has anyone got any advice
Take Care
Tina
sounds like cording to me… ring your BCN?
i think we do stiffen up after a bit and it should settle again. keep doing the exercises, even if it is difficult unless they say not.
Good for you for feeling good Tina. feel proud
jen xx
Hi Tina
Breast Cancer Care have written a booklet called ‘Your operation and recovery’ which you may find helpful to read as it contains information about some of the symptoms you may be experiencing following surgery, you can read it via the following link:
breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/your_op_and_recovery_07_web_0.pdf
Please feel free to call our helpline for further information and advice on 0808 800 6000, we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-2pm.
Best wishes
Lucy
Hi Tina
Yes I had that and sometimes it was quite painful. It gets better and you need to keep the exercises up and stretch a little more everyday.
I still get it sometimes My op was last June. Its not as bad though just a niggle. I had a word with BCN at the time and she told me that it was completely normal.
Best wishes to you Love
Andrea xx
I had cording and it was the phsyio who sorted me out - a mixture of massage/stretch from her and excercise by me.
Ask your BCN to refer you to the physio dept but continue with the exercises you are doing meanwhile.
hi Tina -
I had my op on 12th and I can see a cord under my arm - the exercises were going really well, then suddenly I couldn’t get my arm up… I’m seeing my BC nurse today. Funnily enough, If I am laying flat(ish) and I take my time, I can raise my arm right above may head. Most bizzare. But as for the ‘climbing the wall’ excercise - no chance!
I’ll let you know what they say today!
Love Tdx
Hi Girls
Im having the same cording problem as well. As Td says, I was ok, then suddenly a day or two ago, it started. Yesterday was probably the most uncomforttable day that I have had. I too, had my op on 12th.
The whole chest area is so very tight, but I had been forewarned by my bcn that it would tighten when the wounds inside are healing.
The cording pain is alarming because even if I am doing the exercises, the cording pain is not letting me make any progress… infact, I feel that I have deterorated. I can move my arm up my back very well!!
I had my results appt cancelled today, and was hoping to ask to see the physio again - ah well, Ill give it another week or so, and persist with the exercises.
Lisa X
Hi Guys
I had mast/ax clearance back in March and I had that cording thing. It was as though I had a string under my armpit and really tight. I couldn’t lift my arm higher than my shoulder. If it’s any consolation I just perservered with the physio excersises. The climbing the wall thing was a non starter for me at first but gradually I managed it. A friend of mine who is a physio recommended that when you are sitting down watching TV if you raise your affected arm to shoulder level and rest your head on your hand and then press the cording with your thumb that’s another way of loosening it without feeling that you have to specifically get up and ‘do’ your excercises. It worked for me and now I have total arm movement again, just a slight tight feeling when I’m reaching high for something. Good luck ladies - I promise it does get better!!
xx
Hi all
i had my surgery on 13th March and have a bit of cording. I was doing really well with the exercises, but now I’m a week after radiotherapy and things are tight again. Has anyone else had this problem? Did you carry on with the exercises? Please let me know.
Thank you
Pauline
Hi peep’s
i had my opp on the 13th may, and i was very sore like most could’nt raise my arm above my sholder …when i was in the shower i could’nt wash my hair only with other hand and found it hard to get cumffy in bed…
but now two week’s on it is so much better but do have i cording and feel’s hard under my arm …
how long that will last i don’t know
best wishes to all
sal x
Pauline
I had op on 25th Jan and finished 6+ weeks of Rads on 29th April - my arm was really good by the time I started rads - but really bad by the time I finished. The rads aggrivate the tissues and if you have had rads to the arpit then that affects the upper arm too … plus the holding our arm above your head during the rads sessions does not help. Keep on with the exercises and it should improve. Obviously if your skin is split after rads be careful not to stretch too far. I was advised swimming would be good - but again there is the skin issue if you are currently having or recently had rads.
Hi Tina
I had my mastectomy on the 2nd May and I too have cording, I can actually see a ‘cord’ under my arm and it seems to go to my elbow (the pain that is) I just keep stretching it. Does you skin on your arm feel sore as well???
Debs x
Debs
My skin is sore also - yes, I can relate to that.
Lisa
HI Lisa
How are things going with you? I have my appointment for my full results tomorrow, I feel a bit nervous about it but I think that is because I never want to have an appointment like my diagnosis one but I feel sure everything is ok and I just want to know my treatment plan, get on with it and get it over with.
Debs x
Good luck with your appointment Debs.
Hi all
Can sympathise with the cording problems which started four weeks after my op . Will echo everything said about keeping up the exercises. Have found the massage/connective tissue stretching exercises most help.
Wizzbaby my rads centre has an arm class lead by the physio within the first couple of weeks because it is well recognised that rads affects the shoulder muscles. The exercises were slightly different and there was good advice about not overtiring the affected shoulder by carrying shopping, long spells of ironing, hoovering more than 2 rooms at a time (we were advised to lay it on thick with the OH). I found the worst culprit was pulling open the fire doors at work with my affected arm. It may be worth asking if your centre has a similar set up or referal to physio. Am 2 weeks post rads and the physio is working but the advice we were given in class was to continue the exercises for 4 months after rads.
Debs thinking of you tomorrow.
Crispy
Thank you all for your coments,I got to look at my boob today . i had to go and see my diabetic nurse , and while i was there i asked her to look at my dressings as they were becoming adrift, she said i will change them for you and just took them off befor i could say no, to my supprise she said that every thing had healed and i could now leave them off, she did agree to put one back on my boob as i was a bit scared. she gave me a mirror to look in and i was so happy, i have lost about half of my breast tissue and the nipple but it doesnt look nowhear near as horrendos as i thought it would so i am a very happy bunny. i put a dressing back under my arm as it was very sensitive there and i has made me feel more comfortable. i rang the breast unit to make sure that taking off the dressings was alright which it was and they said that as i was up and about that i could leave off the dreaded white socks a week early BLISS. i have still got to get my results in a week but will cross that hurdle when i come to it. love to all
Take Care
Tina
Hi all -
saw bc nurse 2 days ago (she aspirated 200ml of seroma for me - looked like Guiness - I thought it’d be more straw coloured by now…) and said the cording is normal, so all the things everyone has said (exercise, massage) and it will go. And yes - the soreness thing - like really bad sunburn… the only pain I have - all the rest is discomfort (unless I’m stretching that cord…!)
Have a good w/e all
love Td x
Hi Debs
How did it go with your results? Mine was cancelled on Wed because they werent back…
Do you still have the cording. I think mine is gradually getting worse. I can now feel (actually touch) that cord under my arm - I can feel it all the time.
It feels stretched and very painful. My whole upper-arm hurts.
I have tried stretching it, and pressing on it to help as I stretch out my arm (I read that somewhere), but it doesnt help.
Lisa
Lisa
Get on to the BCN and ask to be referred to the physio dept - they sorted mine out for me.