Hello Everyone
I had axillary node clearance on my left side and I am left handed/armed. It seems the advice I've been given by my Breast Care Nurse is much like other people's. It was as follows:
• Carry out the exercises in the Breast Cancer Care leaflet to regain arm and shoulder movement after surgery. Do these little and often but don't overdo.
• Not exercising the affected arm is more likely to prompt lymphoedema than moderate, regular exercise and use.
• Gradually return to normal usage whilst being careful not to carry heavy shopping that will strain the damaged side. Test yourself out first.
• Incorporate the types of exercise in your BCC leaflet into everyday life, e.g. moderate stretching when putting washing on the line.
• When carrying out stressful exercises like ironing, do this in small spurts rather than one long session.
• Judge for yourself what is likely to strain the affected arm and what it can cope with. If, before BC, you used to carry fairly heavy weights regularly, work gradually back up to/near that level but be careful not to strain the arm, and limit the time for which you do anything strenuous.
• For all household and garden jobs, wear protective gloves and cover your vulnerable arm to avoid scratches and cuts.
• Keep Savlon cream and sticking plasters/surgical tape and sterile bandages to hand should you damage yourself and seek help promptly at any sign of infection, e.g. redness, high temperature, throbbing, swelling.
• Don't let anyone take blood from or insert a canula into the affected arm. Neither should blood pressure be taken on that side.
• When playing with pets, use for preference the unaffected arm. Animal bites can be dagerous. Cats' teeth are very high in bacteria (I think dogs' are too). Scratches can be dangerous if the area is not protected by your lymphatic system.
Remind Nurses of where to take blood
When I had a bisphosphonate infusion recently, I had to have a blood test first (usual procedure) before going up to the Treatment Unit. The Care Assistant knew not to take it from my left arm, but she automatically took it from the vein in the bend of my right arm on the inside of the elbow. So, once I was upstairs in the Treatment Unit, I discovered that vein couldn't be used for the infusion. A different vein had to be used otherwise the bisphosphonate would leak out onto my skin through the earlier puncture. Fortunately, the TU nurse was able to insert a canula in a different vein in my right hand, and fortunately, having old lady's hands, the veins there are pretty prominent. I shall know next time to remind the CA to take the blood sample from my right hand so the vein in the crook of my arm can be reserved for the infusion.
Even with all these precautions, my BCN said we are likely to damage the vulnerable arm at some time. It's not possible to use it sensibly and never damage it at all, but we should just be careful. I think she meant be sensible without becoming neurotic.
My understanding is that the above precautions have to be taken forever, on account of the permanent damage to the lymphatic system. Lymph nodes don't grow back, so once they've been taken out that's it.
Lincs Lady, I suggest you ask your GP and, if he/she can't give clear advice, ask if you could be referred to a specialist Breast Care Nurse for, say, a one-off appointment (if they won't give you more than one). I'm presuming you are no longer under a BCN on a regular basis. Different doctors and nurses might be giving you different views if they aren't specialists.
I have read on the Macmillan site that patients who've had node clearance from both axillas can sometimes have blood taken from a leg.
As regards body-building/re-shaping exercises, I would request specialst advice before trying anything.
I hope that helps.
