nerve pain or lymphedema???

melmcbee

Hi ladies. I hope everyone is doing well... I just wanted to ask your opinion. I went to see my mo last Monday cause I started having shooting pain going down my right arm and I wanted him to tell me what doctor to go to.  He wanted to get an ultrasound and he gave me some neurontin for nerve pain and is referring me to a neurologist. I thought that was great and the medicine does seem to help with the pain. However yesterday my daughter said my hand and arm was swollen. It didnt look like it to me but today my hand is definitely swollen.  Do you think it could be lymphedema instead of nerve pain??? What would you do? Any suggestions would be so appreciated. Thanks.

carol57

Mel, there can indeed be pain with LE, and the swelling certainly raises the question. Call your MO and ask for an immediate referral to a qualified LE therapist, the specially trained PTs and OTs who are competent to evaluate and treat LE.  You need someone who really is qualified, so if you haven't already, stop by here:

http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Finding_a_Qualified_Lymphedema_Therapist.htm

Please encourage your MO to work with you to get an LE eval as soon as possible, because hand swelling can be challenging to treat, so the sooner you get help, the better--if LE is indeed what's going on.

Keep us posted!

Carol

SpecialK

I experienced body-wide swelling directly from chemo, and it looks by dates that you might still be receiving it - are you?  During the chemo related swelling I developed axillary web syndrome at about the halfway point - you could draw the diagram on my arm from a textbook, pain coming down the inner bicep, which came over the top of the forearm and ended on top of my hand, with the base of the thumb especially painful.  I do have stage 1 LE as a result of this swelling - definitely ask for a LE PT referral.

melmcbee

Thanks ladies for the help. What can I do to reduce the swelling in my hand?

Special K, I also had cording going dow my upper arm but it has seemed to have gone. It was from my axilla to my elbow. I still have like 2 tendon feeling things in my elbow of course they really could be tendons. lol. Oh and I am on chemo and its been rough. Ive gained 30 lbs since diagnosis between the 2 surgeries and chemo. I have tissue expanders. I have swelling on the right side of my te still. I had an ultrasound monday and she looked all over my side and my arm and axilla for anything like a hematoma or a blood clot.

I found my lymphedema sleeve and wore it for about 2 hours today but I took it off cause I dont have a gauntlet or glove and I felt like it was making my hand worse. I feel like my oncologist has already referred me to a neurologist and I hate to go back complaining now of hand swelling. I hate being a baby but I am really scared of this stuff.  There is no one in my town that deals with it except a masseuse that I have to pay 65$ per hour to do the manual drainage but insurance doesnt cover her cause there isnt a code to pay her or something. But she is certified.  There is a lymphedema clinic in Jacksonville florida which is about 45 minutes away.

I am going to go to my oncologist office tomorrow and tell them to please pass the message on that my hand is swollen. It will take probably a week for me to get anywhere from him... So is there anything that I need to do to stop this from happening? Thanks to everyone for their response. I so appreciate this.

Binney4

Mel, while you wait for answers, try to give that arm and hand a rest. Elevate it as much as possible (on the back of the couch while you read or watch TV, on pillows at night). Drink LOTS of water (it dilutes the lymph fluid and keeps it flowing). And do some deep abdominal breathing from time to time (stimulates the largest lymph vessel in our bodies). Here are some other tips for coping while you're waiting:
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/How_You_Can_Cope_with_Lymphedema.htm#while waiting

Keep us posted, please. And tell us how we can help!
Hugs,
Binney

melmcbee

Thanks Binney.