Blood Clot- really worried daughter, need help

Nfdaughter

Hi everyone,

My mom had treatment for breast cancer and the cancer is gone (yay!) but she recently went in and they told her that she has a blood clot in her arm. It's really swollen and she injects herself with something called lovenox. It's been three shots now (2X a day) and her arm is still really swollen. Can anyone tell me how quickly this stuff works? I'm also really worried that moving around will cause the clot to dislodge. Can anyone help me understand? I'm worried bc she just feels pain and doesn't say anything. When is the soreness severe enough to go in again? Any help would be appreciated I'm really scare

Moderators

Hi Nfdaughter-

That's great news about your mom's cancer! We always like to hear stories of women beating this disease!

Blood Clots/phlebitis are a fairly common side effect of some cancer treatments, like targeted therapies such as Ibrance, chemo, and hormonal therapies. From our main site, http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/side_effects/blood_clots:

"To ease pain and reduce your risk of blood clots, you can also:

• Wear support/compression stockings. These help reduce swelling and can help minimize any complications if you do develop a blood clot.
• Apply moist heat (a warm washcloth or towel) to the painful area several times a day."

Perhaps your mom can try one of those options, to help ease her discomfort and swelling. We know it can be scary! Just make sure she's following her doctor's orders, and if you're unsure of what those are, give the office a call and talk to a nurse! We hope the meds start to work really soon!

The Mods