Need advice please💟

[Charliep5]

Hi Naid, yes you describe exactly how it is and how it feels i suppose got to add it onto the long list of after effects of cancer and somehow learning how to manage, i hope there is some form of therapy/physio i am able to go to though i dont like the sound of 'snapping'! thankyou for your reassurance and knowing im not on my own in this particular situation keep well and thankyou💟

[Naid]

Hi Charliep5, yes it is rare. Like you, I've found very little information on it and my breast nurse had never seen it (but had heard of it). I was referred to the lymphoedema clinic to see a physiotherapist, who told me she'd never seen cording in the torso but asked all of her colleagues and only one of them had seen a case about 10 years ago! 

I was also told it can occur months after surgery. The physiotherapist encouraged me to try to 'snap' the cords but I didn't find that helped. In the end I was lucky enough to find a local charity who provide healing therapies for people affected by cancer and the massage therapist I saw knew about it and helped. 

Like you, I could see the cord and it was unbelievably painful. Mine kept me awake at night too. Plus I found it hard to wear a bra because any pressure on it was agony. It ached pretty much all the time and was very painful to touch. Sometimes it caused a strong burning sensation all the way down my torso.

I'm glad your consultant is sending you for further scans though. Best to rule out more serious things to put your mind at rest.

Good luck xx

[Charliep5]

hi naid thankyou for your reply i just found it strange after all these months its occuring now plus there doesnt seem to be much info on this kind of cording and even my BC nurse hadnt really heard of this but i do believe it is cording as i can see and feel the cord running down over my ribs, i shall do the massage and exercise my consultant is sending me just as a precaution for a bone scan, just so painful especially at night couldnt sleep much before now its impossible! Sending hugs💟

[Charliep5]

Hi jo22, sorry to hear your still going through tough period,  i was told my margins wasnt clear after my surgery/reconstruction and have to have mastectomy but i ended up with a heamatoma and they took another sample luckily that was clear so i just had lumpectomy, yes i spoke to my breast nurse who in turn spoke to my consultant initially they said could be side effects from radiotherapy but they are sending me for a bone scan just to rule anything else out, so awaiting appt, good luck with your recovery gentle hugs💟

[Naid]

Hi, I had this after surgery in March 2019. It lasted for months and still occasionally flares up and it was agony. Mine was checked out and was cording - it ran from inside my breast all the way down, over my rib cage and into my abdomen. You need to gently but firmly massage the area in large circular motions. You can also hold down one part of the cord with a finger and then gently massage small areas of the cord (rubbing away from the finger - I hope this makes sense) 

I also found gentle stretching exercises helpful and for the pain, I found a hot water bottle useful.

Mine wasn't a quick fix but it did gradually get easier. Like I said, it does flare up occasionally but it's never as painful as the first few months I had it. 

I definitely advise contacting your breast care nurse and explaining the situation. Mine referred me to a physiotherapist who showed me the massage techniques xx

[Jo22]

Hi Charliep5,

I have exactly the same as you. I have had 2 lumpectomies and due to have a mastectomy soon as the margins weren't clear. I asked my surgeon last week and she said it was bruising but i really don't think it is. Did you ask your breast nurse?

Jo xx

[Charliep5]

thankyou for your reply yes i will contact bc nurse just feels like theres always something going on😔 it is very strange hurts mostly at night though i feel it through day i have heard of abdominal cording though its not common but i suppose it could be something else unrelated 🤷‍♀️ thankyou for your advice💟

[Charliep5]

Thankyou for your reply i am aware of cording in the arm i have read that it is very rare for abdominal cording but like you said it could be something else i will check with my bc nurse im just confused to why now?? Feels like its never ending sometimes😔 thankyou again 💟

[Jaybro]

Hi charliep5

I’m so sorry to read of the pain you have. I still have pain from radiotherapy above and below my mastectomy scar on the ribs themselves. My GP has prescribed pregabalin which helps a bit.

My understanding is that cording occurs after surgery affecting the lymph nodes so the cording occurs in the underarm and runs down from the underarm to somewhere around the elbow. I think it’s very important that you ring your breast care nurse and describe where you’re experiencing pain. It may be surgery-related but it may be something else. For example, once I had intercostal chondritis out of the blue. Absolute (no exaggeration) agony in the area of my ribs, No idea how it started, what caused it, I just was in such pain. It’s inflammation in the many ligaments (?) between the ribs. Maybe you have something that’s not bc-related. I know I tend to attribute everything to breast cancer but I’m learning I’m wrong.

I hope you manage to find the cause and get some relief. All the best xx

[Jill1998]

Sorry you are in pain - it's miserable - I have pain at the moment that's not touched by painkillers either it's depressing .It could be cording but only a medic would be able to tell you ,I had rib pain for a couple of years post radiotherapy - I presume you are still under the breast team could you ring the nurses for advice ? 

[Charliep5]

hi i posted a couple of weeks ago regarding pain in rib area im 10mths post radiotherapy and LD flap reconstruction, i have since noticed a 'line' running from under my affected breast to abdomen running over my ribs im thinking this could be cording has anybody else experienced this? If so what advice can you give please really does hurt pain relief not working TIA 💟