Nurse error --will I be ok?

It is highly unlikey that a single blood pressure reading on that arm will set off lymphedema.  We want to be as careful as possible, but a single brief incident such as this is not likely to be a problem.  

Here's another 'it's progress' report.  My mother had full axillary dissection with her radical mastectomy in 1969. At 82, she's still with us, and by now you can imagine she's had the typical lifetime of medical care.  Two weeks ago, mom was hospitalized for a few days for pneumonia (she's fine now!) and she asked me why on earth the nurses made a point to avoid sticks and pressure checks on her right side. Turns out this was literally the first time in 43 years that anyone even thought about arm precautions for her. She's sharp as a tack so not just forgetting about any precautions, either.

And I also must report that now I feel incredibly stupid not to have talked with her about it, because I now know that she uses her affected side to do her daily blood sugar tests, because she's type II diabetic. No one told her to use the other hand. She's been doing it for years, way before I learned how to spell lymphedema. I say she is darn lucky not to have LE by now. She must have been born with one of those 'four lane highway' lymphatics.  Maybe I got a one-lane-road version from dad?  (I love him anyway!)

Carol

When I woke up in recovery after having my BMX (with sentinel nodes taken on each side), I found I already had one of these really tight automatic blood pressure cuffs on my arm. This was at the top hospital in the area. Almost 2 years out, and I have no signs of lymphedema. I know, however, that the risk is always there.

carol57 I love that story! While I do believe we're so much better off with all the information we can get, sometimes there's a lot to be said for not knowing.  

I don't have LE, but I have arm & truncal cording. When I went into oncology recently for BRCA testing, the genetisist (or whatever she is) overheard me tell the lab person not to take blood from my right arm due to lymph node removal. She came right over and said it was awesome that I said something. It lead me to believe that most people don't.

My BS nurse gave me a pink bracelet to wear when I go into hospital that identfies that arm as at risk for LE. I keep it right in my car in the open in case I'm ever in an accident. Not too likely it will land next to me, but someone might see it. Still considering a medical alert bracelet, but not sure.

Sheila I too have to fight (10 nodes in one arm 4 nodes in the other).

3 weeks ago I had a liver scan. I warned them ahead of time that they would be injecting the dye through my foot like they did a year ago. (had to fight that time too). So I get there and the tech says to me "I see you get the IV through your foot. Well today we are not doing that." So I said back to him "well then I'm leaving." He was from Maine so he thought I was kidding. (New Englanders have extremely dry humor. I too am from NE). I explained I was kidding. Once I was set up he said "I need to get one fo my colleagues to do the stick in the foot. I haven't done one of these yet."

My point is they will do what's easy for them. BTW all through chemo my onc insisted they do BP in my 4 node arm. Part of the reason was the nurses couldn't get a good reading on my leg. Always said I was dangerously high. Now I know the place to take it is my ankle. Still high but  high normal. My left arm might be a stage 0 as I do feel heaviness at times but has yet to swell. That arm ironically had cording after bmx.

When it comes to BP on an at risk arm I demand they use the manual not the machine. The machine goes much too tight.

He just read the note that said that. He needed to place the IV in the foot but never did it before so he was blowing off the note.

I find that the techs and nurses will do what ever is expedient. I realize their busy but it's my arm and I don't need LE in both of them especially my right which is my dominant arm.