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Hard to do with severe radiation burns, but do anyway. I think reaction is because of lymph node removal.
@A MyBCTeam Member: Found this article - - Hope it answers your questions
http://www.lymphnet.org/membersOnly/dl/reprint/...
I too had cording. PT helped and my friend also did the massaging and stretching the physical therapist recommended. I thought it was there for good especially since radiation was making it worse. However I stuck with the stretching and massage and it's now gone. Took about 2-3 months but you'd never know I had it unless you saw me during that time period. Hang in there.
I had cording on my left side that started about 2 months after my bilateral mastectomy. I went to PT every week for about 6 sessions where she worked to massage the cords and stretch them. The process was super-painful, but always felt so much better after she had worked on it. Mine took about 3 months to fully go away. I would hear little pops periodically when the cords would start to loosen. Very bizarre sound and feeling.
I had a seroma (swelling) in the armpit area; had it drained once and it did fill up again but not as bad. It can take several months to go away. I also had that tight cord running from the armpit down my arm. I did LOTS of stretching and it loosened up. The exercise that worked best for me was doing a yoga move called Child's Pose. It only took a few days of doing that multiple times a day to notice a huge improvement.
I had this same issue after my sentinel lymph node removal (prior to my mastectomy). I went to occupational therapy for the cording (she did soem kind of laser treatment to help break down the "cords", and lyphatic drainage/massage. I now have the same lymphedema in my breast area post mastectomy...they are not treating it at this time, and hoping it dissipates on its own.
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