VISIBLE SIGNS OF LYMPHEDEMA - A PICTORIAL

I think what you did, showing all different signs of swelling in your hand and arm is great info. I just had partial mastectomy on Friday the 16th and will be watching for signs like these shown. Thank you again

Thank you so much, I am in Australia and struggling after a preventative bi-lateral mastectomy 10 weeks ago, i have huge truncal swelling and mild left arm and chronic right arm LE. I have just purchased a sleeve and am about to be fitted for a full garment. Your photos prove without a doubt I am not imagining whats happened to me. Thank you again..

I have Axillary Web Syndrome with cording. BMX 6/10 ..had 6 weeks of LE/PT....the cording is much better after myofascial release. I am at risk for LE, and am getting fitted this week for a sleeve/ glove. Mainly advised to wear it for flying..... I still have some upper chest swelling right next to my shoulder anteriorly/ upper pecs on both sides r >l  and am advised to wear jovi packs for my chest wall edema.

I still note I have engorged veins on my problem side with the AWS mainly my hand.

Any advice on the chest jovi pac as I see the fitter on wed? My fitter did not seem to know about them? But was well versed in the lyphedema sleeves/gauntlets.

And Lastly..... any thoughts on getting a dental cleaning and antibiotics in this sitchy?

Thank you for your great info..... esp in all these unchartered waters I swim of late.

binney, thank you for your thoughts re: the Jovi Pak.... I saw the fitter and have a chest pad one waiting to come in. Do you find it best to wear at nite or during the day?. They look like they would offer some much needed chest wall protection from hypersensitivity....

lindalou  many thanks to you as well. I did ask my Dentist and LE/ PT re antibiotics and it was not an issue at all.

I have hopped over to the GGGGrrrrr thread, reading some in there.... starting to learn.

ladygrey, get well wish's to you.  I had/ have swelling under my arms and armpits on both sides following my bilateral Mx/ prophy in 6/10. Esp in the area you describe as well as my back. Also have numbness and strange tingling, vibrational feelings. Sounds like post op swelling .Not all of this has quieted down to normal yet either....I measured my upper arm circumfrence and my wrist as well to monitor it.  If your drain is leaking at the insertion site, that is not normal and you may have a clot in the drain.Sounds like your drain is having an issue more than likely.  I would only expect a tiny bit of that.But then I am not familiar with Nipple sparing sx with node removal.... Do you have Visiting Nurses seeing you?  I always follow my instinct,,,, if I feel something is not right, and the answer I get from the Dr. does not feel right.....I press on for answers until its clear. 

We always have to keep a heads up on lymphedema b/c of our surgery, we need to learn about it, and see a Lymphedema/ PT for evaluation and monitoring....

I am sure LindaLou will be along to answer your questions as well.

Best of Luck to you and keep asking questions.

Ease for your mind and clarity!

Linda-- because I am getting Zometa every six months, both my onc and my dentist are being super-cautious and having me take two Ertyhromisin (sp?) forty five minutes before my teeth cleaning.

They both think of it as insurance, since I have implants and have had lots of dental work in the past, and neither of them wants to even think about any possibilities of infections in my jaw.

Thank you very much for posting those pictures, LindaLou. This is incredibly helpful!

LINDA YOU ROCK!

just wanna say bc dx 2/3/10/Stage IIB, 3.5 cm, rt breast/lump/2 lymph nodes/rad/on Anastrazole since 10/1/10

only swelling lymphedoma & ITCHING in my legs,ankles & feet---some itching in the breast area, but not near as bad as my legs----every day of the rads (completed 9/15/10), every day after----last 2 days I think it's getting better, the itching, that is, stell have swollen calves, some swelling in ankles in ankles & feet----all medical professionals said it is lymphedema

numbness in feet & fingertips, some days stronger than others

no swelling in hands, fingers, wrists, arms

the odd thing that happens to me is anything the least bit fitted will leave indentations in my skin, i.e., leggings, most socks (even so-called "sof" diabetic socks, I've discovered one brand, Keds, aren't as bad as all the others I've tried

I stay as far away from chemicals as I can, very little makeup (eyeliner/eyeshadow/lipstick used as rouge & also part of the eyeshadow, pink color, that is), sometimes, actually lipstick.  I never did like foundation makeup (too greasy), but I did try the mineral powder, it seems ok.''

NO nailpolish & I quit wearing my rings 'cause they leave "blue" marks on my fingers, & itch, besides!

Another question I have---what is meant by being "in remission??"  Does that mean having made it through the treatments?  Is it the same as "cancer survivor?"

I had sentinel node surgery on 12/2. I had the lumpectomy 6 weeks prior so this surgery was by itself.  3 nodes were removed and all were neg.  I was swollen and in pain for the first 3 days or so.  Then I backed off to just Tylenol for pain and did ok the next 3 days.  About the 6th day after surgery the numbness across my back (shoulder blade area) and shoulder wore off and the area hurt.  If you touched it, no matter how light it felt severely bruised.  I looked at it in the mirror and saw nothing.  There was very mild swelling but that could have been my imagination because my husband didn't see it.  The surgery area was still swollen which I expected.  I went for a 1 week follow up to the doctor and she said I may need to have a seroma drained.  I wish she would have drained it then now that I have been through this but didn't know at the time.  As the overall swelling went down, the giant egg remained and hurt.  My breast on the outside also starting hurting and my back continued to be very painful.  My breast was almost a full cup size bigger.  By day 9 I was taking 4 Advil every 6 hours and getting no relief from it.  So on day 13 I had the seroma drained.  There was 20 cc's.  I immediately felt better since I could now put my arm down at my side.  The next day it filled right back up and I didn't call the dr. since I was busy at work.  I found a tight camisole that came up high under the arm and wore that for 3 days straight.  The large painful area across my back started to shrink to a smaller area and the seroma filled up a little less each day.  Most mornings it was almost gone.  On day 20 I went back and had it drained again since it hurt to put my arm at my side and I had stopped wearing the camisole.  She drained only 5 cc's but it made a huge difference since now it didn't hurt and I could put my arm down.  I wore the camisole days 21 and 22 but then didn't on 23 and 24 and did fine those days without pain.  Day 25 the pain was back but the amount of fluid in the seroma I'm sure is less than 5 cc's.  I could feel an area of pain and heaviness on my back by my armpit and down the back of my arm.  I wore the camisole yesterday and today and the pain area goes away except for a very small area of the seroma (like the size of a penny rather than an egg).  My breast is nearly normal sized now but it is still painful on the outside edge.  So my question is, do I have truncal lymphedema or is this all normal 3 1/2 weeks after surgery and I'm just impatient.  I know many of did not have sentinel node surgery by itself so your recovery was probably expected to be longer than mine, but for some reason I thought after 2 weeks I should be back to 90% normal.  My doctor doesn't seem concerned and doesn't seem to believe me about the back pain. She said maybe I pulled a muscle.  But that's not possible since I hardly use that arm.  Also, I started radiation last week so I would love to be done with this pain so I can move on to radiation pain.  Thanks for any advice you can give me!

Hi Lindalou.  I just came homr from seeing a specialist doctor or therapist in my area. I was a little blown away with the limitations and effects of having just one lymph node removed from under my arm.I had a Matectomy of my right breast done on Nov 22nd 2010. They took one lymph node from under my right arm. My surgeon told me that I would possibly suffer some swelling after the surgery. I was not aware that it would be a lifetime possibility of swelling occuring from this procedure. It is taking a little getting use to since my job is housekeeping and pushing my somewhat heavy cart and what my job consists of,I may need to rethink my job potition. As I am going to apparently put myself at risk of getting lymphedema or swelling of the arm or hand.I am on a sick leave at the moment and plan on returning to work soon.I did not opt to get reconstructive surgery of my right breast and am also about to get a protisis.I was going to wait to get a glove,but now that I saw the reality of what can happen if precations are not taken I think it may be wize for me to rethink this too. What is your opinion on the compression bandage  if I have no swelling yet?Thanks very much for taking the time to post your pictures. You to me were more informative with those pictures than any doctor visit.I am true testimony to that. thnx again Angel1960

nancy I do but I'm still doing Taxotere which can make some retain fluid. When I take the steriods just before treatment Iose 4lbs overnight! My legs are shiny which is a sign of edema. My stomach wells etc. My mom had lymphedema in her legs but I think my issue is the chemo.

For risk reduction:  http://www.stepup-speakout.org/riskreduction_for_lymphedema.htm

BTW I am going to the lymphedema specialist MD today. Took me a month to get an appointment!

It is almost a year later and your pictures are still most helpful. Thanks for taking the time and effort to post them.

Get this looked at right away. This sounds like lymphedema. The earlier it's treated the better off you will be. I didn't start to have the issue till 1/2 through chemo too. It did get a little worse but I'm in therapy now.

I retain a lot of water on chemo so I think it aggravated the condition. I'm hoping it will flare up less once this chemo is out of my system. I'm only 2 weeks out from my last tx.