LE - I'm so confused!

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prayrv
prayrv Member Posts: 941
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

Here's my background:

2 3/4 years after UMX, I started to have rhematoid arthritis symptoms in both hands, worse on the left (mx side)

4 1/2 years after UMX, I developed a swollen hand with non-pitting edema. Classic LE, went to PT with a trained CLT and have a sleeve and glove to be worn only during the day. 

In February, I had my first case of cellulitis in the LE hand (which would confirm the LE dx).

It seems as the swelling is under control as I haven't worn my sleeve or glove in a week and although the hand is slightly bigger than the other, there is no edema present.  

Can this happen to where it is under control this way? 

I also am seeing a hemotologist due to low white, red blood counts (no chemo) and he thinks that it is an autoi-mmune issue going on.  Doing research and some think LE and auto-immune disease are somehow related.

I'm really confused.

Trish

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited April 2012

    Trish, I'm confused too.Embarassed Not sure what you mean by your hand being slightly bigger but there's no edema?

    The auto-immune link is interesting to me. There isn't any research that I know of about that, but it does seem that LE happens a lot in tandem with other auto-immune conditions. If we had better information about whether that's a fact or just an impression it could possibly tell us a lot more about LE, or at least give us someplace to look for better answers.

    LE is capable of changing over time, if that's your question. Usually cellulitis ends up making it worse, either temporarily or permanently, but I've never heard of it making the LE better.

    REALLY sorry about the cellulitis, and hope that's the last you'll ever see of it!

    Hugs,
    Binney

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  • kawee
    kawee Member Posts: 324
    edited April 2012

    I have been on the "how long before lymphedema develops site" but was just reading thru others.  Interesting, because I have an autoimmune disease.  I'll have to ask my rheumatologist if he sees alot of lymphedema in his patients who have had breast cancer.

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited April 2012

    Cellulitis does not confirm LE. I developed cellulitis from a badly placed IV after my second C-section. Son was 14 days old before we could leave the hospital because of it. I know many Veterans who have had to deal with it. Certainly cellulitis can develope in conjunction with LE issues but there are many other reasons that people develope it.

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  • prayrv
    prayrv Member Posts: 941
    edited April 2012

    Binney,

    The hand is larger in the sense that the tendons on the back are less prominent (sp) than on the non affected side.  Also when a fist is made, the "dips" between the fingers are not as pronounced as the non affected side.  It's kinda hard to explain. 

    In regards to cellulitis, who knows.  But I've never had it prior to the LE dx and it showed up in the most swollen area of my hand where the lymph fluid would be collected.

    ??????? - sigh.

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  • kira66715
    kira66715 Member Posts: 4,681
    edited April 2012

    Prayv, as someone with hand LE, that tendons less pronounced, and the the lack of dips between the fingers means you have LE in the hand: you're holding fluid in the dorsum of the hand and between the knuckles.

    With your rheumatoid arthritis, the MCP joints, the knuckles, tend to get inflammed, and that's going to confuse the whole issue. And lymph does flow to inflammation.

    I always make the fist to check out my hand.

    So, it's subtle, but it's there.

    Everyone approaches their LE slightly differently, and personally, I wrap every night, wear gloves as needed, and rarely sleeves. 

    And some of the drugs to treat RA will lower immunity.

    LE is a "dynamic" process" and will wax and wane, but I'd think you'd want to keep that fluid out of the hand. And with your RA it's challenging.

    Inflammation is being found to be a cause in LE, in cancer "sickness", all sorts of things. 

    Just having tendonitis can worsen LE.

    It's never easy.

    Kira

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