The exercises are helping a lot! My range of motion has improved already.
The physical therapist actually spent most of the time working on the cording in my right underarm. This area is still numb. She says the cording is pretty small; for some women, the cord can extend all the way down the arm to the wrist. She's optimistic that it will go away eventually, because she feels improvement as she massages them.
She spent a little time massaging my incision areas. I think it promotes healing and reduces scar tissue. These areas are also still numb.
She also talked a lot about how I should try to stay active during chemo. She gave me the same direction that my friend who is a dietitian gave me early on: walking at a moderate pace is one of the best things I can do. She further quantified it and said I should aim for a minimum of 150 minutes per week, which works out to 30 minutes at least 5 days a week. And it's important to get my heart rate up. The pamphlet she gave me described "moderate activity" as "breathing heavily but can hold short conversation".
Made an appointment for next week, and we'll just take it one appointment at a time to see what my needs are.
Glad to hear you’re getting some mobility back in your arms. This post is just another reason for how I wish we lived closer to each other. I would love to have a companion to take daily walks with and engage in nice short conversations. ;)
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