TRUNCAL TROUBLE

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CAW
CAW Member Posts: 45
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

Hi Ladies ~

Sorry I've been away from here for a while but I'm currently in need of advice.  I've had mild LE in my arm for about a year now but for the past month, I've been experiencing discomfort in my ribs and chest to the point of it affecting my ability to take deep breaths.  I feel like I have the fullness in my ribs on my LE side and also below my collar bone (all across the chest down just below my boobs).  It gets worse when I exercise / activities or sit at a computer.  I have tried wearing a compression shirt but that doesn't seem to help.  I have also started having problems if I wear a bra that is very tight (it creates the problems that I just mentioned).  When I do my MLD, I feel like I can actually feel the fluid being pulled across my chest.  I usually do my MLD at night and when I wake up in the morning, I feel pretty good and have no problem with the fullness in my truncal area.  I have a call into a LE therapist to see if I can get in for some help.  The one I used to go to worked at the hospital and cost too much since my insurance won't pay for therapy. Has anyone else experience truncal problems such as this?  I feel like someone is pumping air in my chest and mid sections!  Thanks in advance for any input!

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  • kira66715
    kira66715 Member Posts: 4,681
    edited March 2011

    CAW--I'm no expert in truncal LE, but it sure does sound familiar. I hope Binney comes along to help.

    Here's a link to some information she wrote:

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

    Kira

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited March 2011

    Hi, CAW,

    I'm awfully sorry that you're having to deal with something new, but glad you'll be getting in to see the LE therapist. Most of what you're describing does sound like LE rearing its ugly head, though I've never had trouble with taking a deep breath from LE. I HAVE had that problem from costochronditis from rads (I maybe didn't spell that rightUndecided). It's sort of an inflammation around the ribs and as I understand it, it can come and go for years out (though I haven't had it again since the first time). It made me swear off of barbequed ribs, though!

    My guess is that if you find the MLD moves it out, then it's most likely LE, and a theapist visit should be helpful in finding strategies to deal with it. What kind of shirt did you try? Have you tried a cami or breast binder? Those might address the problem more thoroughly.

    Before you pay out for a new therapist, do call and talk to her/him about how much experience they've had with truncal LE, as that can vary.

    Please let us know how it goes for you. Gentle hugs,
    Binney

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  • CAW
    CAW Member Posts: 45
    edited April 2011

    Binney & Kira ~

     Thanks so much for your response!  I'm in the process of trying to find another LE Therapist that will have a private practice instead of having to go through the hospital (which is where my other one was located) and have to pay the additional cost since my insurance doesn't cover it.  Binney...I don't believe this is costochronditis as I've experienced it.  The symptoms that I'm experiencing can be explained as if I feel like someone has a BP cuff around my ribs on my right side and around my chest & just below the breast.  We all know what our arm feels like when the nurse starts pumping the blood pressure cuff...it's that tight / pressure feel that I'm getting which in turn, makes it difficult to sometime get a full breath.  It will come and go throughout the day.  I've been trying to exercise...steps class, etc and the problem gets worse when I do activities/exercise.  I do my MLD just before bedtime so either the MLD or lack of movement during the night seems to make things much better when I get up in the morning but once I start the day...things start to get worse again.  I've even done MLD in the morning for the past couple of days but that didn't keep the full feeling from occuring during the day.  I have an underarmour compression shirt that I've been wearing but can't say that it is helping.  I'm hoping to get to a therapist soon for some answers and then I have an oncologist appt at the end of April.  I don't expect to get much help from Oncol though since he doesn't seem to know a lot about LE.  In his mind, he's not totally convinced that I have LE because I don't have a lot of visible swelling....I have the pain but he says...."LE is not painful"!  I'll let you know when I find a therapist.  Thanks again for your reply and for listening!

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