LE or fluid in back

crystalphm
crystalphm Member Posts: 1,138
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

Last night I had a massage, my first since the second mastectomy 7 months ago, and I was shocked to have to urinate about 6 times during the night. All she massaged was my back, no arms, nothing else. So now I am thinking I am carrying alot of fluid in my back.

I do take care of my front, parts that I can reach with the MLD myself, but what do we do about the back? Is this a bigger concern for flying? I have been dismissed by my therapist, and I just don't know who to even ask the question if I need maybe an over the counter compression tank for flying?

To me, LE is one huge problem because I cannot just make an appointment with the therapist, I need to get a doctor to make that referral, and he says I don't have LE issues. It would be so easy to just make an appointment and get care, rather than let it all go wildly out of control.

Thanks!

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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited August 2012

    Crystal, this morning I had a chance to ask a very good massage therapist about your experience.  I asked her if it's typical for a back massage to result in a lot of fluid release via the kidneys, and she said it's individual with each person, but yes...that's quite common.  The back is a lot of bodily 'real estate' and any massage tends to stimulate the venous system, and the circulatory boost tends to increase urine output.  She also said that in Chinese medicine, the back has several bladder meridians, so if you believe in that approach to physiology, there's evidence to support why a back massage would trigger some urination.  This wonderful lady was also quick to say, however, that you should trust your instincts, and with a history of LE, of course it's possible that you could develop it in the back, in the quadrant where you had the mastectomy.

    An over-the-counter compression tank for flying is a simple solution with no downsides that I can think of, in case it IS lymphedema.  I hope someone else will drop in here to give you some ideas for symptoms that might suggest LE, other than the post-massage-peeing experience.  I hear you on the referral issue.  Total pain in the patootie for me, and my MD does believe in my LE.  I cannot imagine if you have to argue with a referring doctor to get an evaluation referral.  Ugh.

    Best of luck with this--

    Carol

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