Hoping for a bit of help … thank goodness you are all there/ here / wherever! … so appreciative at times like this …
First of all I am not sure what to do re: mosquito bites on bad arm. Am I supposed to put insect repellant on and avoid them - haven’t done to date as there haven’t been any mossies and because I was worried about putting all that poison on my skin - to be absorbed … what do you think?
Secondly, my arm is feelin a bit heavier than usual and slightly swolle n- yes I have had 2 mossie bites on it - I am also on day 8 after TAX 2 and have been feeling a bit (lot) sh*tty for 2 days now and am not sure whether feeling I down to TX or the mossies - it’s not my imagination -for sure!
Am getting quite worried and don’t know what to do! Think my neuts have gone south again as for the last 2 days I just feel very very low and quite frankly pp’d off - the good thing is that I kow that injections start tomorrow for 5 days (nights) and then by Monday I should be ready for a good week …
Am suddenly feeling FED UP and am really really WORRIED about my arm and lympodema (however you spell it) …
Help asap please
Many thanks as always - thank goodness you are all here - I’d be lost …
I was advised to use insect repellant to avoid bites but also if I did get a bite then to treat it with antiseptic wipes and appropriate insect bite cream.
Might be a good idea to contact your BCNurse or GP tomorrow and get it checked out.
yes i would contact your bcn asap she will be able to put your mind at rest as to what to do re arm.i have lymphodemia and have to be very careful what i do and always wear cream etc ,no sunburn or injections or bloods taken from that arm .did you have nodes removed because that can sometimes lead to lymphodemia .i think as your going through treatments at the moment you will feel down espesciaaly if you blood etc are down .take care and i hope you soon start to feel ok again . lynn x
I would echo what everyone has said - get an appt asap with your bcn or better still, lympoedema clinic - don’t be fobbed off. If it’s lymphoedema, the sooner it’s tackled, the better. I would add to rest your arm as much as poss, don’t lift anything heavy, don’t do anything repetitive with it, cleaning windows, hoovering, ironing, etc are best avoided and it helps, I think, to put a cushion/pillow under your arm to support it when you are sitting/in bed.
As lilacblushes said, it is recommended to disinfect any cut, bite or sting on your arm straightaway. I have to say that mozzies went right off me when I had chemo, perhaps they’ll give you a wide berth in future, too!
If you have had mossie bites, you may have extra swelling. I got bitten last year by some little blighter that caused my hand to swell up like a balloon within hours and I needed anitibiotcis. Swelling is a sign of inflammation or infection and should always be checked out. Such a drag, but hey ho.
I didn’t get any bites on my arm but got loads on my legs last summer that took weeks to heal, I thought they were never going to go.
My arm often got that heavy feeling during chemo and i always wear a ring on my right hand now so i can pick up on the slightest bit of swelling. Definately agree that you need to get this checked out ASAP and ask about the bites at the same time. GP gave me steroid cream for mine but they weren’t on my arm.
Hi FizBix - You’ve had lots of good advice, and are going to get your arm checked out. So this is just to say that I am thinking of you and hope that everything settles down again and that you get seen by the experts. Sorry that you are having a rough time right now. Love Sarah x
Mossies and midges are a curse around here and the local folklore is to use Avon skin so soft. It doesn’t contain deet or nasty chemicals (there’s no way on earth that something is going on my skin if it can melt plastic!). I’ve just started using it and it does seem to work. put a little around the hair line too I’m a bit nervous about them biting my hairless head when it falls out soon so I shall be spraying a little onto by buff.
I’ve already got slight lymphoedeam, so have to be extra careful. I do get bitten, the little blighters seems to love me. But I always have a tube of antisan ready and that normally calms things down. Always disinfect any scratches, cuts etc. immediately and if you have any sweling, you might need antibiotics, so see your GP. My surgery is quite good and gives me a pack of antibiotics to have at home, so I am always prepared in case of any infections and also take a packet with me on holiday. It just gives you that extra bit of reassurance.
I have just spoken to one of our nurses about your problem and she suggests that you should go to your GP or walk in medical centre immediately to get this checked out.
thanks very much for all the help which I have been doing my best to follow - but I am still a bit confused… this is what happened …
I woke up late and rang the hospital and told them I had been bitten and asked about creams etc. They told me I could use repellent and didn’t seem that bothered about the arm and it wasn’t till I came off the phone that I realised I had put the wrong emphasis - but it’s not easy when you feel crap and it’s all foreign …
anyway, I then worried about it some more and dozed some more and came on again and read the rest of the advice and thought I’d better get down to the doctor … a half an hour drive away
so OH took me and it was the emergency doctor (all in foreign again) who just said that it sounded like lymphodema and that I had to come back tomorrow and see my own doctor and she would refer me to the hospital - who have a lymphodema specialist … this means driving for half an hour to arrive at 8.00 get an appointment (may be possible over the phone but they give preference to que-ers (I put queers!!!) but my doctor doesn’t start until 12.00 … so it will be either over 2 hours driving or one hours driving and a huge wait and quite honestly I dont really feel up to it …
The thing is I DON’T KNOW IF I’VE GOT IT … i also feel crap and am due to start my injections tonight so will be feeling supercrap tomorrow … goodie goodie… can’t wait …
… so without wanting to sound like I am in denial I just feel like going to bed and forgetting abut it and sorting it out next week …
… my arm feels strange to me i.e. slightly heavy and slightly numb at the top at the back … have decided it’s not swollen - just feels odd - not hot - not itchy - except for the bitten bit …
does anyone still think there is urgency here or can I just forget about it for a few days???
Having just read all this it sounds totally bl**dy pathetic and nothing like the usual me at all!!!
Thanks as always - just thinking that you are here to help makes me cry …
lots of love and a great big thank you
FizBix xxxxxxxxxxxx
If you are still concerned, you may find it helpful to give NHS Direct a call, the number to phone is 0845 4647, the NHS Direct website has a facility for you to put your local details in which may in turn give you a more local number to ring. The link to the website is as follows:
I had a mosquito bite last year on my arm which has no lymph nodes this did swell up and was tender but only around the bite, saw my doctor the next day and was given strong antibiotics, I was also in a quandary as do not like to feel that I am wasting the doctors time but he assured me that if I have any concerns, knocks bites etc I should always get an appt straight away as invariably will need antibiotics. If your swelling is getting worse I would speak to the Chemo helpline at the hospital again as I am sure they will either put your mind at rest or will advice that you go in for blood tests etc.
Hope this helps and you feel better shortly, big hugs
Just to let you know that I have made an appointment (over the phone) for Monday.
The insect bits have cleared up but the “odd feeling” is definitely there and feels worse after I’ve been sleeping.
As I like doing physcial things I am feeling quite devastated about this.
Before all this cancer lark I already had a bad back (which means I can’t walk very far at all - and i LOVE walking) and quite honestly I just feel like my world is getting smaller and smaller.
I’m sorry to hear your feeling so low. Please keep your chin up because you have really been there for all of us on the website picking us up when we are low making us laugh with your wakey sense of humour.
your world is not getting smaller and smaller because you are not going to let it! You are not a sinker you truely are a swimmer and please dont feel know. I know its hard with chemo but you are getting there slowly but surely we have to.
Hope you’ve got your arm checked out and speak to you soon,
Hi FizBix,
I was diagnosed last July like you I have a dodgy back and was very worried about lymphoedema,
I have had 4 EC and 4 Tax and then have had 3 ops all lymph nodes were removed in my right arm. After my first chemo Aug I was neutropenic and hospitalised for a few days and had IV antibiotics. Anyway by Sep my left arm was bit swollen and onc said no worries just chemo any way it did not get better then in Feb I saw different onc who refered me to have scans as he thought it might be clot prob so had to have vein scan, all ok so saw lymphoema nurse. She measured my arms and said I did have mild lymphoedema, in good arm, so ordered me a special sleeve, which I had to wear at least 6 hours a day, but I wore it most of time as I was determined to get it down, and she gave me exercises to do, I did wear it and do the exercises alot and within about 4-6 weeks and after 2 ops my arm had come right down. They said the lymphodema was prob caused by chemo or IV antibiotics, have been a few cases recently.
I have to watch my surgery arm as I might be prone to it.
I was advised to wear sleeve if I fly for more than 3 hours and so I will have to wear one on both sides, but I will prob wear one any time I fly something to do with compression due to flying can aggravate.
Hopefully you can get a sleeve too cos they support arm and make exercises more efficient at helping to drain lymph. Lymphoedema support network have good information on their website. private message me if you want their number if you cant find on a search, because I cant put on here.
I went to seminar at Breast Cancer care in London which was useful and woman Deirdre Nolan said its good to catch early and exercise with sleeve and new recommendations are that ok to exercise at gym etc, gradually build strength up and good to swim. Try not to worry sounds like you have caught yours early and I sure physio will help,
Take care
Dawn X
Here is a link to a Breast Cancer Care booklet called ‘Living with lymphoedema after breast cancer’ which you may find useful, you can read it via the following link: