am about to have my arm bandaged after another bout of cellulitus and its not as if i have hurt the affected arm either ,im getting so fed up of this ,anyone got anytips as to how i can stop this occuring ,im really careful with my arm and wear my sleeve and cover my arm if im in the sun and protect myself in the garden ,maybe im just one of the unlucky ones !
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Hi, ive just had my 5th bout of cellulitis in 27 months and i feel the same it really drags you down,i’m wondering if my immune system is still down after all the treatment (chemo,rads,herceptin). I had massage with the sleeve at the local hospice after my bout in Feb but still got it in Nov and am on antibiotics but although the swelling/redness has gone down it still feels like it is going to flair up again (didn’t go to hospital this time)so no iv this time,i am also carefull so i think i am another one of the unlucky ones.
Take Care Angie…
Hi Mizzy,
Ive just had it in my breast, didnt know what it was for a while as I was expecting it in my arm. I had intensive MLD every morning for three weeks. Must add Im currently residing in the USA, where all treatment`s private which may explain the extra attention.
I just about managed to avoid having antibiotics, but had plenty of swelling and redness.
Something that occurs to me when you say you were treated in Feb and then got it again in November, I wondered if maybe the build up of lymph is something that happens slowly over a long period and we only notice it when it gets to crisis point? I think this is what happened with me. My therapist has taught me how to self massage but I dont know how effective that will be.She told me to try and see someone, a doctor, every three months and get it checked and if there were any problems to get myself referred for MLD, but not to ignore it or leave it. She also said deep diaphragmatic breathing as important because it helps move lymph around, but I know thats not much help with an arm where the lymph is more or less “stuck”.
Anyway, I sympathise, sounds like you are having a bad time, since it happens regularly,
Mimsy
Just got cellulitis in arm and feel really alarmed. It is unusable and very fat. I had no cut or scrape but did knock it into a head of a nail protruding from a wall, but the compression sleeve saved it from a cut (i did rip the jumper I was wearing).
Started taking antibiotics on Weds evening.
Mizzy, aroma: is there anything you suspect sets it off? I read Mimsy’s suggestion somewhere (I think) that it could just build up over time and we only notice when it gets infected. Sounds feasible to me as thinking back, it hasn’t actually been comfortable for a while -even though on the day I had it checked 10 days ago it looked OK.
Can anyone out there to give their experience of how long it takes for the swelling to go down, and how did you judge when to wear your compression sleeve again?
Annie22
hi annie
you poor thing - must be miserable
the best thing, i think, would be to take advice from your lymphoedema nurse rather than gp or even surgeon
the ld nurse will help make sure you’re getting the right drug at the right dose, & be able to help you keep an eye on things so you can get their advice about when to stop
good luck, i hope it clears up in time for you to have a bit of festive cheer in a gkass
hugs
norberte
Thanks norberte.
I write this in hospital after op this afternoon to remove portacath. I’ll be in over christmas. the problem? I didn’t and never have had lymphodema - I had a blood clot under the arm right up to around the portacath, but presenting as Lymphodema.
Over the past months, I have seen two Lymphodema specialists - one bupa one and one NHS, I have had sleeves and gloves fitted and exercises. I may have cellulitis, but due to the congestion of the clot.
I think it has been building up for months as the arm has been getting worse.
I am on blood thinning drip and may need to take Warfarin for life.
I think there needs to be more awareness of this. I have been taken off Tamoxifen as clots is one of the risks. I’m sure it is rare, but I have a good diet, don’t smoke, don’t drink and exercise with no clotting/heart history in family, so it is worth people knowing about, so they can eliminate it if their lymphodema gets worse. A simple (and cheap) ultrasound eventually picked it up.
Anyway, I’ll be OK - but just thought fellow lymphodemaists should know
thoughts to all and thanks for support
Annie