Folder Title "LE After Surgery" - what about radiation?

Yes,  I work in rad onc and see patients with LE due to radiation all the time. And some come to breast radiation with swelling, but more leave with it. And it's really common and quite frequently not addressed.

This folder used to be just "ARM" lymphedema--and it took huge effort to change that.

Great idea--it should just be "Lymphedema" IMO

Kira

Starbeauty--essentially they made that side much less functional--likely there's a few nodes doing some work, but if they surgically removed all they could find, and then radiated the remaining nodes, which causes fibrosis and decreased function that axilla likely doesn't have much lymphatic drainage capacity.

But, there are variations in anatomy and inherent "lymphatic pumps" and some women have an extra deep collector that bypasses the axilla and some women have stronger lymphatic systems than others.

The manual lymph drainage would be important, as it would move the lymph to other pathways: to the neck, to the groin, to the opposite side. It's a way to bypass the blockage.

Does that make sense?

Kira

Starbeauty, do you have a lymphedema therapist, because you definitely need someone to help with massage, and getting you compression garments.

Here's the link to how to find one:

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

You'll need a referral as it's considered PT.

We need all the help we can get with LE.

Kira