Things our therapists teach us that are WRONG. . .

Leydi

I've been to two different therapists and while I feel that the second, who is LANA certified, was a big improvement, she still told/taught me things that I now believe are not correct. I thought we could have a thread where we compile the incorrect things that we hear from our therapists and what we now believe to be true.

• Swelling almost always starts in the hand. The lovely participants on this message board are proof that lymphedema has an endless variety of presentations. You just can't generalize.
• It doesn't matter if you perform MLD on bare skin or through your clothes. Just one of the many gems I heard from my first therapist. MLD must be done on skin, very gently, and slower than I can usually manage.
• I've never heard of tingling being related to lymphedema. That must be nerve damage caused by your surgeries. I wanted to print off every list of symptoms from reliable lymphedema information resources to highlight TINGLING and present the stack to her.
• MLD movements from my "bad" side (mastectomy, ALND, radiation) to my "good" side (mastectomy, SNB, radiation). It's true that I'm currently only having symptoms on my "bad" side but my "good" side is my dominant side and I want to protect it with every fiber of my being.
• Your condition is too mild to need wrapping. The kind mentors on this board have advised that wrapping is a tool that you want/need in your care toolbox. Just because I don't need a hammer today doesn't mean I shouldn't have one and know how to use it.

I can't be the only one. Let's hear your stories!

Outfield

"Lymphedema is painless" and "you don't need to learn to wrap" gall me.

HollyDollyD

"You had a SNB. The advantage of that is no lymphedema."

If I had 10c for every time I have heard that in the past 3 weeks since surgery, I'd actually be quite a long way to paying down my deductible. Thank heavens for the drs. who knew better and were scratching their heads as much as I was.