Sue you are absolutely right ‘life or death’ is the only acceptable scenario - hi Rowena, how are you?. Angela, thanks for signing the petition.
Using the bad side, eh? (On to my favourite topic, I’m afraid). No lymphoedema specialist I’ve ever spoken to has even so much as hinted that this is acceptable practice (quite the contrary). Non-lymphoedema specialists on the other hand seem happy to stab away and assure their patients that their fears are unfounded. It has been observed that the tiny risk of contracting AIDS does not prevent staff wearing protective gloves to treat all their patients - why should women with ‘at risk’ arms have to take the same chance? The two conditions are alike in that once you’ve got them, there’s no going back.
It’s a sad fact that a if you have a chat with a lymphoedema nurse, an information pack from the LSN (which always used to include a card to carry in your wallet stating which arm or leg was at risk) and a couple of hours to spare on the internet, you’ll probably end up better informed than many ‘health care professionals’. The lymphatic system, by and large, is not well taught.
Our kind of lymphoedema (secondary lymphoedema) is caused by the doctors who treat us. It’s an unfortunate and permanent side effect. Sadly, neither the surgeon who removed your lymph nodes nor the oncologist who planned your radiotherapy will ever take ownership of the problem, instead they will pass it on to BCNs and lymphoedema clinics.
It’s very important not to disrupt skin continuity. And if Professor Mortimer, the leading lymphoedema specialist in the UK says it’s bad idea, it’s a bad idea alright!
My little lymphoedema bible (one of the co-authors is Prof Neil Piller, one of the biggest names in the world in lymphoedema research) says ‘the skin is the most important barrier between our internal (normally sterile) environment and the outer one which is filled with germs and other micro-organisms. If they get in, they will generally rapidly multiply…Any infection will mean a very great increase in lymphatic load. If the vessels cannot remove this fluid, it will accumulate in the tissues and the arm will swell’.
Note that the sterility of the needles is NOT in question. And this also why an injection can be just as much of a threat to your arm as a bite, scratch or cut.
Ranting on again. Girls/ladies!, politely and firmly, resist attempts to use your ‘bad arms’. Having injections in your foot, etc is no fun, but it’s a hell of a lot better than what may result otherwise. Tell them to use a smaller cannula and heat your foot first in a bucket of warm water.
Check out ‘stepup-speakout’. Ther’s some excellent printer friendly material you may wish to run off and take with you to hopsital in future.
All the best, all
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