LE pain?

Spookiesmom

I've done the chemo, bmx, starting rads next week. Whew!



They took out 11 nodes.



The day I came home from hospital my hand hurt a little bit. I thought they'd done something. But then I noticed some swelling. Minor really. Then I noticed my arm was swollen compared to the good arm. UhOh. Now I'm noticing pain from wrist to elbow.



Mentioned this to OS, he is sending me for PT consult.



Murphy's Law says it is LE. Is the pain a common SE? What can I expect at the consult? Does this mean a sleeve and glove?



Any help will be really appreciated.

kira66715

Spookiesmom: it's very hard to separate out post op swelling from LE in the first weeks after surgery, but any swelling deserves an evaluation from a qualified LE therapist--not all PT's are well trained in LE, so here's some initial information

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

Likely, the therapist will carefully examine you, take measurements, give you some suggestions re: skin care, risk reduction, good exercises for LE, a special way to gently massage your skin to move lymph

Most likely, since you swelled, she/he will recommend a compression sleeve WITH hand compression and how often you need to wear it will depends on your needs

Here's a link of what to do while waiting for an appointment:

http://www.stepup-speakout.org/How_You_Can_Cope_with_Lymphedema.htm#while%20waiting

What to do While Waiting for Your First Appointment with a Qualified Lymphedema Therapist

DO NOT try and treat this yourself!!! Proper professional treatment is essential to getting control of lymphedema and preventing its progression. Treatment can be expensive and inconvenient, but this condition is life long, potentially disfiguring, disabling and possibly life-threatening (if you get an infection known as cellulitis) so professional evaluation and treatment as soon as possible is essential.

1) Get evaluated promptly by your doctor to rule out other causes for the swelling in your hand/arm, and get a referral to see a well-trained lymphedema therapist;

2) Drink plenty of fluids -- staying well hydrated helps dilute lymph fluid and keep it moving freely;

3) Elevate the swollen arm or hand as much as possible during the day and on pillows at night; support the arm well so that it doesn't tire;

4) Several times a day pause and do some deep breathing -- this helps stimulate the largest lymph vessels in your body;5) Raise hands over head as high as is comfortable for you, three times a day, and pump fists 20 times;

6) Call for medical help immediately if you have severe pain, redness, fever or feel ill;

7) You can try mild compression gloves by either Sammons Preston or Isotoner® Fingerless Therapeutic Gloves if your hands and/or fingers are swollen until your appointment with your lymphedema therapist. Be sure to bring them along to your appointment;

8) Do NOT use ACE wraps or any other wraps without the advice of your lymphedema therapist after your evaluation and your treatment plan is scheduled.

and yes, discomfort and pain are associated with swelling.

Great that your doctor is sending you for evaluation. Early treatment leads to the best outcomes.

Let us know how you're doing.

Kira

Spookiesmom

Thank you for the links! I've been checking them out all day.



No, I wouldn't attempt anything before seeing PT.



I'll be around, thanks

kira66715

Spookiesmom: you can drink a lot, raise the arm up on pillows, do deep breathing, raise your hands up--with limitations due to surgery--and pump your fists to help drain fluid.

A few of us who were on the bc.org boards created the stepup-speakout site to capture the wisdom that is shared on the boards and to research issues that we were puzzling about.

Kira