Help.. I had blood pressure checked by accident!

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Lainey64
Lainey64 Member Posts: 740
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

I am so upset with myself.  I am currently 4 years out from surgery and have been doing fine.  I know that I should never have my blood pressure checked in my left arm but the other day at the foot doctor I wasn't paying attention (busy running my mouth) and I let the nurse slide the sleeve on for my blood pressure.  OMG, I realized as the sleeve was expanding and I panicked.  she was just about finished by that time so it was too late. 

I immediately started massaging and rubbing my arm.  I woke up this morning and my arm is sore.  It's that weird feeling I get when I exercise too much or fly (I usually wear a sleeve for protection).  I think I might have just slept on it wrong but it's bugging me all day and I can't stop rubbing it. 

I'm so worried that I screwed up and I'm going to get lymphedema.  I guess I'm looking for reassurance or something.  Has this happened to anyone else and what was the outcome? :(

 Thanks!

Elaine

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited September 2012

    Lainey64 - The morning after my BMX w/TEs (last December) I was in my hospital bed when the nurse came in to check my vitals.

    She shared that she'd had a BMX years earlier.

    Somehow, in the midst of our chatting, she wrapped that BP cuff around my left arm (my BC/SNB side) and started inflating it.

    At the same time, we looked at each other and yelled "NOOOOO!!!"

    She immediately deflated the cuff and put it on the other arm, grumbling the whole time about "Where is the sign that's supposed to tell us which arm to use?"

    I said I couldn't help her on that.

    Long story short - I had no LE symptoms at all from that one time.

    (Part of the longer story....I found out that at Kaiser, the PATIENT is responsible for telling all the medical staff about LE precautions. I even had to bring my own bracelet into the OR for my exchange surgery.)

    I think you are right to be vigilant, but not obsessed.

    Wishing you the best....

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  • Lainey64
    Lainey64 Member Posts: 740
    edited September 2012

    Blessings, thank you for your response.  I've been reading some older threads on the subject and I'm feeling a little better.   I will keep a watchful "non-obsessive eye" on things. :)

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited September 2012

    I have made this mistake as well.  It happened during a surgery pre-admission right after we had discussed it!  I felt so stupid, but the good news is that there was no problem afterward.  Hoping you will be fine!

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

    Lainey, it really is hard to be aware all the time. You might want to wear a LE alert bracelet to remind yourself.Smile

    Be well!
    Binney

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