Hi Sam
I hope the msx and diep went well.
I would advise talking to your physio and they may refer you to a manual lymphatic drainage specialist. You can probably find an mld massage therapist online and see if they have any advice on cording. I found a stretching and massage technique for axillary web syndrome online and followed that.
I had 6 thin cords from wrist to breast and had to stretch out 5x a day to get full movement. It was painful but the cords all popped eventually but it took 8 to 10 weeks. Its a strange sensation when they pop. The stretches up the wall were really hard with the cording and my arm was a knot in the morning when i woke and the cords had tightened, even my hand was like a claw.
Keep up the post surgery exercises. I did not have reconstruction so scar massage was also really important. I started the exercises the day after the op and 3 times a day but I still got cording. So it is probably more related to surgery and how much damage it does to lymphatic system than when you started exercising.
Whilst it doesn’t happen to everyone that has cording or indeed full axilla removal. I have developed lymphodema that started 18 months on from surgery ( I had a insect bite and swelling on shoulder that may have been a catalyst). Its a bit of a blow if you get lymphodema but like all things with cancer and aftermath we adjust and reframe our expectations and its ok. Its only minor swelling but my mld therapist says she wished I had contacted her earlier when I had the cording. As I am in the early stages of lymphodema i am looking to see if I can have the surgery that is now available. I might not be a candidate for it but I am looking into it. I am generally fit and healthy and I carry out manual lymphatic massage everyday. I wear a sleeve support and am finding the lymphodema manageable.
I hope you are OK with pain management after the diep. Take care. Anna xx