Lymphedema??

tangandchris

I think I have a Lymphedema thing going on. My arm feels heavy and tight, also under my arm feels swollen. In addition to that my shoulder hurts and now my neck/throat feel sore...like where the doctor would check for swollen lymph nodes. Is the shoulder/neck thing a lymphedema thing? I have an appointment for PT on WED. It started bothering me yesterday, but when I woke up today it seems worse.

 

Anonymous

Unfortunately tangandchris it sounds to me that at least some of that description has LE written all over it, but you're doing the best thing by having it checked out. In the meantime you might like to keep well hydrated, elevate your arm and do 20 to 30 fist pumps (I have arm raised in the air and slowly open and close fist) not overworking or getting too tired. Do this when you think of it, but not too many times during the day.

Theres no red blotches? Just a little headsup on that in case you're not aware... you need to watch for the dreaded cellulitis. If you get that you need to act very quickly and get Antibiotics. Don't want to scare you but in reality that can be life threatening and us LEers have to be on the watch for it.

tangandchris

Thanks for the info

Dh and DD both told me earlier that my arm and hand looked swollen, so I'm really thinking LE is here.

 

Anonymous

Im sorry to hear that. I'd love to be wrong but swollen hand does sound like LE. There's lots of good info here to help you along with any struggles you may encounter, and/or manage things in general like preventative care and dealing with things such as flares. There's great discussions on a wide variety of topics from garments to exercise. There's also the stepupspeakout website where members here have lots of input with a wealth of info on all things LE. It would be a good idea to peruse that info as a precursor to your appointment to pick up any tips you might like to ask. It's very important you find someone qualified in LE to assess you properly including measuring you for the right garments. I'm not in the US but I often see references made about a list of reputable LEists for USA ladies.

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

I hope your appointment goes well.

LymphActivist

I hope your appointment is with a therapist who is trained and certified to recognize and treat lymphedema. They can more efficiently treat lymphedema than therapists who are not proficient in the specialized techniques of complex decongestive therapy. Lymphedema of the trunk, breast and chest is common, even without swelling of the arm and hand. It is important to control all lymphedema early, even before it becomes clinically evident, so do not heed a doctor or a therapist that says that it is only a slight case, and does not require treatment. Recent studies show that treatment of pre-clinical lymphedema can prevent it from progressing, and reduce the risk of progressing to more severe stages and recurrent cellulitis.

tangandchris

The therapist I saw yesterday said it is slight, but that she is going to set me up with a sleeve and a compression bra. She also wants to order me a pump incase down the road I need it. She showed me some stretching exercises and even just after doing those my arm doesn't feel as heavy or tight.

One thing thought that I realized after my appointment...I've never known why they took so many of my nodes out. I never even asked about it. Why do some of us have so many taken out and others just a few?

 

floaton

Make sure to ask your pt to show you how to do a manual lymphatic drainage routine on yourself, too,in addition to the stretches. It's a nice skill to have in your pocket. My first therapist "didn't believe in" teaching this because she was arranging me to get a pump anyway. Well, a few months after getting it I can't use it anymore because it *may have* caused my ulnar neuropathy. Also, apparently the machines work better if you clear your lymph nodes first, which I learned from here, only after I'd been using it a while, not from my machine rep or my pt. So I'd recommend asking about that too !

Glad to hear your arm is feeling better!