Is It Lymphadema? How Do You Know?

Marcygiff

Alright, ladies, I need some assistance. I am 11+ months out from bi-lateral mx with lymph node dissection on the left. Everything has been going fairly well but I think I overdid it cleaning and lifting this weekend and I'm in some pain on the left side (I know, I know....). The inside of the arm has that "scraped with a wire brush" feeling again and there is pain in the armpit, chest wall and shoulder blade. There may be some swelling in those same areas but not a significant amount. Any suggestions on relieving the pain? Ice, heat, etc? I'm having my DIEP revision surgery on Friday and would like to try to get this under control if I can.

Binney4

Hi, Marcy,

Well, bummer! You sure didn't need more to fuss about--I'm so sorry! In the short term, the best way to get pain relief with lymphedema is to reduce even slight swelling. For that you can stay REALLY well hydrated (helps keep the lymph fluid moving), do some deep abdominal breathing throughout the day (stimulates the largest lymph vessel in our bodies), and keep your arm elevated with support (on the back of the couch while you're watching TV and on pillows at night). Since your surgery is this week you won't have time to see a well-qualified lymphedema therapist, but maybe you can start the ball rolling on getting an appointment with one as soon as possible after your surgery. Here's how to find one near you:

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

As for relieving the immediate pain, DO BE CAREFUL about any temperature extremes, as both heat and cold can cause more swelling. If you use either, be sure to moderate the temperature and keep it to no more than 15 minutes at a time. Resting your arm and shoulders would be a good idea--just hard to do!

As for how you know if you're dealing with lymphedema or not, a specially trained lymphedema therapist is your best bet for a clear diagnosis. Here's more information about how it's diagnosed:

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

And here are pictures taken by our own LindaLou that can guide you through the process:

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

Please do keep us posted!

Gentle hugs,
Binney

Sierra

Hi Binney, I am reading your forum here and what a great site, Ive not been here in a long time, lots of good info, Ive just been redx with this as well, overdoing it i expect best to all here Sierra (with I had insurance though )