No one warned me about this after my double mastectomy…Instagram did. Before surgery, I knew about drains, expanders, and the recovery process. What I didn't know from my medical appointments was the possibility of developing cording or frozen shoulder after surgery. I actually learned about both from this breast cancer community on Instagram. Because so many women shared their experiences, I started researching and learned that cording can happen after lymph node removal and that maintaining shoulder mobility is important during recovery. So from day one post-op, I was already doing the stretches I had learned about to help reduce my risk. If you're unfamiliar with these terms: ✨ Cording (Axillary Web Syndrome) can happen after lymph node removal and may feel like tight, painful bands running from your armpit down your arm. ✨ Frozen shoulder is a condition where the shoulder becomes stiff and painful, limiting your range of motion. At my one-week post-op appointment, my team checked my range of motion. Even with doing my exercises consistently every day, I was still experiencing some limitations, so they went ahead and referred me to physical therapy. That was actually the first time cording and frozen shoulder were specifically discussed with me by my medical team. I'm sharing this because if you have a mastectomy or lymph node removal coming up, these are great topics to ask about before surgery. Knowing what to watch for and when to seek help can make recovery feel a little less overwhelming. I'm curious…when did you first hear about cording and frozen shoulder? Before surgery, after surgery, from your medical team, physical therapist, or from other survivors? I'd love to hear how it was explained No one warned me about this after my double mastectomy…Instagram did. Before surgery, I knew about drains, expanders, and the recovery process. What I didn't know from my medical appointments was the possibility of developing cording or frozen shoulder after surgery. I actually learned about both from this breast cancer community on Instagram. Because so many women shared their experiences, I started researching and learned that cording can happen after lymph node removal and that maintaining shoulder mobility is important during recovery. So from day one post-op, I was already doing the stretches I had learned about to help reduce my risk. If you're unfamiliar with these terms: ✨ Cording (Axillary Web Syndrome) can happen after lymph node removal and may feel like tight, painful bands running from your armpit down your arm. ✨ Frozen shoulder is a condition where the shoulder becomes stiff and painful, limiting your range of motion. At my one-week post-op appointment, my team checked my range of motion. Even with doing my exercises consistently every day, I was still experiencing some limitations, so they went ahead and referred me to physical therapy. That was actually the first time cording and frozen shoulder were specifically discussed with me by my medical team. I'm sharing this because if you have a mastectomy or lymph node removal coming up, these are great topics to ask about before surgery. Knowing what to watch for and when to seek help can make recovery feel a little less overwhelming. I'm curious…when did you first hear about cording and frozen shoulder? Before surgery, after surgery, from your medical team, physical therapist, or from other survivors? I'd love to hear how it was explained to you and what your experience was like. #breastcancer #cancertok #breastcancerawarness - @thebreastchapter