Hello lollipop1,
Thank you for posting.
It’s understandable that you are wondering whether the swelling you are experiencing in your arm, chest and armpit is due to lymphoedema after your recent breast surgery.
Swelling in chest, arm, armpit and shoulder is common after surgery and is a normal part of the healing process. Everybody is different, but it is common that swelling fluctuates and it usually settles after 6-8 weeks. For some people, swelling at this time can also be due to seroma. This is a collection of fluid that our bodies make as part of the natural healing process, again this is usually reabsorbed by the body over time.
Many women contact us for advice about dressings, but it is not possible to give individual wound care advice, so we are unable to advise whether you can get your wound wet at this point. As you are finding that your current combination of dressing and gel are sticking to the wound, we would suggest that you contact your breast care nurse or surgical team for further advice. You could also request an appointment with the nurse at your GP surgery to review your wound if you would prefer.
It is good that you have another appointment this week to discuss these issues further with the team. You may find our information on reducing the risk of lymphoedema helpful for the future.
We offer a range of free supportive services which you may be interested in. They include face to face and online courses and events.
Talking to someone who has had a similar experience can often be helpful. Our Someone Like Me service can match you with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience to you. You can be in touch with your volunteer by phone or email and they can share their personal experiences to help answer your questions, offer support and listen to how you are feeling.
You can ring the Someone Like Me team on 0800 138 6551 or email them at someone.likeme@breastcancernow.org, so they can then match you to your volunteer.
Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks.
Our number is 0808 800 6000. If you have hearing or speech difficulties dial 18001 followed by our number and the call will go through Relay UK. Our helpline has access to telephone interpreters if language translation is required.
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Best wishes,
Mandy
Breast Care Nurse
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