Suggestion re: Swelling

Anonymous

Hello,

I experienced swelling of my breast and bit of my arm since my first surgery.  The doctors kept telling me it would go away naturally, then gave me Lasik, then took me off lasik...  Finally I went to a lymphedema occupational specialist who is certified.  In 24 hours my breast swelling was gone.  Period.  I am a large person and the swelling caused my breast to seem as if it would slowly take over the world; it was so large that I could not see the results of the lumpectomy which removed tissue form this breast.  It was bigger than the other untreated breast.  Now I can see the difference and am grateful for the good fortune that allows it to be a size d/dd when the other is a dd/ddd.  

My point is simply to recommend getting ot or pt help for all swelling as soon as possible.  I kept going to people who were not helpful and then 8 months after my first surgery this woman completed deflated by swollen aching breast. We are still working on my upper arm which is more subtle and likely to be transient lymphedema but the breast swelling is gone.  I do continue to massage it each morning as I was shown but that is  small price to pay for feeling normal again.

vlnrph

So sorry to hear you had such trouble HVV. I'm surprised they gave you a prescription for a diuretic (Lasix - generic name is furosemide) since those medications are NOT helpful in lymphedema but then again it sounds as though it took quite a while for you to get an accurate diagnosis.

It's good you have an amazing therapist and you are right to warn others to get help ASAP. Unusual swelling can also be due to a blood clot which is a situation not to be ignored.

For more info/advice & wonderful supportive ladies, check out the LE thread here if you haven't already.