What's wrong with my arm?

Yup, sounds like cording to me, too, which they think is related to the lymph system. I had it early on after surgery, less than a month later, and it did feel like an extra tendon. Tingling and some numbness in my middle and ring fingers, too, but with some fairly easy exercises it pretty much went away. I didn't see a PT for that, but wish I had because I might have caught earlier the lymphedema in the arm of my affected side which didn't show up until about 4 months out. And now apparently I have developed some "truncal" lymphedema (LE) in the affected breast. I've been wearing a compression sleeve and glove for the upper arm LE, and today just got a Rx for a sleeping sleeve and a compression bra for day or night.

Get it treated the sooner the better! Lumpy ropes under the skin are icky!!

Anne

Hi- my double mastectomy was January 2019 and they took several lymph nodes. Radiation 6 weeks was over end of April 2019, Faithful all these months doing my arm exercises. Month ago got tightness all the way down one arm. Didn’t pay much attention. Last week swelling in hand and arm. Just started physical therapy- massage and had second wrapping. So uncomfortable. Can’t get sleeve until swelling goes down. So upset after chemo, surgery,radiation- now this. Any positive experiences after this?

I saw my PT yesterday, and the swelling in my arm had gone up a tiny bit since last month, but I also have swelling now in my affected breast. I've been wearing a sleeve and glove for about 2 months now, from about two weeks before the end of radiation (16 treatments over 5 weeks) which was May 21. (Lumpectomy was Dec. 10) The conclusion is that "radiation is the gift that keeps on giving," and aggravated the LE, but that there's still a lot of healing to be done. In other words, don't give up hope though it could be a year or more before the healing is done. Unfortunately, in the meantime, I'm getting another sleeve, this one to wear at night as well as a compression bra to keep the swelling down in the breast. I also will be massaging the area to try to direct the lymph fluid to the nodes in my groin area and in the left axillary area.

So not exactly a "positive" experience, boydtwinee, but the cording is definitely practically gone after regular stretching and warm compresses. So that's positive!

After this experience, I would highly recommend to ALL surgery patients to make sure they see a physical therapist early to get a base measurement to monitor possible swelling and to learn more about axillary web syndrome aka cording. I would have felt much better prepared knowing more about lypmphedema and its signs and symptoms.

Good luck to all!

Anne