I had a mastectomy and full node clearance in June and I now have developed lyphdema in my wrist and this morning find it has spread into my hand. I have been waiting for an appointment at the clinic for 3 weeks and finally have one for next week.
In the meantime does anyone know what I can do to prevent this spreading any further??
It is very sore!
I am just please that I got my wedding and engagement rungs off before my hand swelled up - very unattractive too!!!
This illness is so demoralising. I have chemo no. 11 to contend with on Friday and I am still getting over the last lot. I know things could be worse but it really is just one thing after another. Taxotere is hell!!!
Roll on Christmas and my 40th Birthday which I will be celebrating in Las Vegas… woooohooo!!!
phardy
no advice on lymphodema but just to sympathise on taxotere - it is hell. keep Las Vegas in your sights! yes, this all feels never ending but you’ll be wearing a party hat in the sun and maybe this will feel like a bad dream!
xx
jo
I can not speak from experience but I had a friend who suddenly got lymphodema, 15 years after her lymph clearance (after chickenpox spots got infected). She was referred by her hospital to a massage therapist in Winchester, who has essentially resolved it through massage. After one appointment she said she could get her wedding ring back on. She now needs needs to see him every couple of months but it does not cause her a ig problem. It might be worth asking the hospital if they have anyone similar near you. Hope this helps.
I have slight Lymphodema in my hand and arm and am being seen at the clinic regularly.
At one of my first visits I was shown how to do self massage to help the lymph move.It is mainly relatively light massage which starts at the top of the arm opposite the affected arm and then ‘gathers in’ the nodes under the collar bone and then the rest of the affected arm and hand working downwards. The strokes should be firm enough to move the skin -but not enough to cause redness.
What you are aiming for is to drive the lymph towards the working lymph nodes in the opposite arm (having first ‘emptied’ that part first)-but there are other lymph node areas which you can work towards as well. The main one is in the trunk just under the ribs in the middle and can be stimulated by deep breathing .
These are just stop gap measures which you can help yourself while you wait for you appointment. You should be shown how to massage yourself as part of your treatment and probably be measured for a sleeve/glove which will help a lot.
Best of luck -and Im not one bit jealous of your upcoming celebrations
Thanks Wynn - useful to know. I am hopeful that - as mine is - like yours - minor and in my arm and hand - that I can get over this with some massage etc - I am seeing the clinic next Tuesday and might take my husband with me as it is the dangerous 4 days after chemo when my attention span is less than that of a doormouse.
You have given me hope that this is solvable as I was just about to hit another low - very helpful.
Thanks for all comments - greatly appreciated as this had the potential to be the straw that broke the camels back!