Just to reassure you a bit , I developed lymphoedema about 9 months after surgery, and I also had a lot of pain and heavy aches feeling, and my wedding ring got so tight I couldn't wear it, so had a new one made to fit over my swollen fingers. I rang the BCN who told me to come straight in, and she thought I had lymphoedema and cording as I couldn't,t lift my arm high or fully straighten the elbow. She sent me to a specialist lymphoedema clinic where they measured it to be 15 % swellinG, mild but significant enough to treat. THey fitted me with sleeves and gloves but because I am an ICU nurse I was not allowed to wear the sleeves/ glove at work due to infection control. I wore them outside of work, and particularly when exercising, but was only really wearing them 3 days a week. I then went to see a private lymphoedema specialist who used deep oscillation therapy on my arm. Gradually I wore the sleeves less and less because I found them so uncomfortable, and when I went back a few months later for a follow up assessment at the lymphodema clinic, I wasn't wearing them at all. My swelling was now down to 5%, and that was without wearing compression garments, so I think either it got better on its own, or the oscillation therapy did the trick.
Either way, my point is, that no matter what you read or are told, lymphoedema can get better. I was told it would never go, it could only be prevented from getting worse, and my new wedding ring is now hanging off my finger!!!!! Xxx
