Cording after lumpectomy
Hi all Thought i would let you know how it is all going after the surgery. All the pathology was good clear margins and lymph nodes and only less than 1mm of cancer left in tumor which was very goo...
Forum Discussion
@viking1 Cording is thought to be the damaged lymph vessels drying up and going hard, it feels like a thin rope inside your breast area, going towards your underarm and sometimes down to the elbow or even wrist, it pulls when you try to stretch out. It usually is uncomfortable and limits movement.
I do not have cords any more after the lymphodema physio used the laser on me and massaged out the area after surgery. She could see the cords when I lifted my arm out to the side, there were two of them.
I still have very sore areas under my arm and in front of my shoulder just above the breast area where the lymphnodes were removed ( I also had a mastectomy) Those two areas flared up the worst and swelled up with radiation, very painfully. Three weeks after radiation finished, they are still very tender for wearing bras or some clothes. I guess it will be a while before they are healed properly.
I am going back to the lymphodema physio this week and hope she can help a bit there.
For anyone with cording I would suggest seeing a lymphodema physio that uses laser, it only took one treatment for me to get rid of the cording, and felt really good, as did the massage. The stretches were a little more challenging but I felt so much better after the treatment.
My health fund, NIB partly covers physio treatment, otherwise you can organise a physio through the chronic condition management scheme through your GP.
It is one of the Allied Health appointments you can have ( you get 5 per year)
Make sure they are trained for lymphodema massage and laser.
The Cancer Centre here in the central coast NSW also has a lymphodema clinic in the public hospital which is free to access, you just need a referral from your GP.
Other public hospitals may have one too, ring them and ask.
I do not have cords any more after the lymphodema physio used the laser on me and massaged out the area after surgery. She could see the cords when I lifted my arm out to the side, there were two of them.
I still have very sore areas under my arm and in front of my shoulder just above the breast area where the lymphnodes were removed ( I also had a mastectomy) Those two areas flared up the worst and swelled up with radiation, very painfully. Three weeks after radiation finished, they are still very tender for wearing bras or some clothes. I guess it will be a while before they are healed properly.
I am going back to the lymphodema physio this week and hope she can help a bit there.
For anyone with cording I would suggest seeing a lymphodema physio that uses laser, it only took one treatment for me to get rid of the cording, and felt really good, as did the massage. The stretches were a little more challenging but I felt so much better after the treatment.
My health fund, NIB partly covers physio treatment, otherwise you can organise a physio through the chronic condition management scheme through your GP.
It is one of the Allied Health appointments you can have ( you get 5 per year)
Make sure they are trained for lymphodema massage and laser.
The Cancer Centre here in the central coast NSW also has a lymphodema clinic in the public hospital which is free to access, you just need a referral from your GP.
Other public hospitals may have one too, ring them and ask.