Presenting the NEW Breastcancer.org Lymphedema section!

I don't see any questions. Maybe no else does either. Maybe that's why you haven't gotten a response. Just a thought.

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Tazzy, right now you're likely dealing with post op swelling. The main precaution is to try and avoid too much stretch through the axilla/arm pit to allow the delicate lymphatics to heal--they only do it in the first 10-14 days. So, try not to elevate your right arm much over shoulder height.

Putting it up on a pillow, drinking a lot, taking deep breaths and occasionally pumping your fists to help fluid return are all good activities to reduce swellling.

Here's a link to lymphedema risk reduction behaviors--knowledge is power here.

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

Some women will see a lymphedema therapist for early arm measurements--ideally pre-op, and to learn how to avoid lymphedema. 

The Vodder School--a lymphedema therapist school-- is based in British Columbia:

http://www.vodderschool.com/

Right now, you're only a few days out of surgery, so please go easy and heal.

We usually recommend the American Cancer Society exercises for the first 2 weeks--the ones that DON'T have you stretch overhead:

http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/BreastCancer/MoreInformation/exercises-after-breast-surgery

The week after surgery (the two weeks after surgery, IMO)

These tips and exercises listed below should be done for the first 3 to 7 (10-14 days, IMO)  days after surgery. Do not do them until you get the OK from your doctor.

Use your affected arm (on the side where your surgery was) as you normally would when you comb your hair, bathe, get dressed, and eat.

Lie down and raise your affected arm above the level of your heart for 45 minutes. Do this 2 or 3 times a day. Put your arm on pillows so that your hand is higher than your wrist and your elbow is a little higher than your shoulder. This will help decrease the swelling that may happen after surgery.

Exercise your affected arm while it is raised above the level of your heart by opening and closing your hand 15 to 25 times. Next, bend and straighten your elbow. Repeat this 3 to 4 times a day. This exercise helps reduce swelling by pumping lymph fluid out of your arm.

Practice deep breathing exercises (using your diaphragm) at least 6 times a day. Lie down on your back and take a slow, deep breath. Breathe in as much air as you can while trying to expand your chest and abdomen (push your belly button away from your spine). Relax and breathe out. Repeat this 4 or 5 times. This exercise will help maintain normal movement of your chest, making it easier for your lungs to work. Do deep breathing exercises often.

Do not sleep on your affected arm or lie on that side.

Heal up and let us know how you're doing.

Kira

I guess I did everything wrong. it's too late for me now I guess altho I did see a MLD therapist and I wear a sleeve.

Almost immediately after my LX, the MO nurse gave me a pamphlet about Lymphedema and also exercises for after breast cancer surgery. It had stretching exercises to be done twice a day. Everything apparently you SHOULDN'T do...she said "if you don't do them, don't complain to me about lack of mobility"...JEEZE LOUISE!!!

In hindsight I can see stretching the arms would impair any healing of the node area and hence the lack of fluid flow. I wish I had seen this before.

lago...kind of a trade off isn't it? Damned if ya do, damned if ya don't! My surgeon said "what Lymphedema? " and the MO said "oh it's not THAT bad....all after the damage was done! Neither warned me before hand. The radiologist is the one that was concerned and told me to see a therapy specialist.

Lago--love the new pic...you are beautiful!!!!!!

There was a study that evaluated the incidence of LE after mx/node dissection, comparing a control group that did immediate post-op shoulder mobility exercise with a comparable group that delayed those stretching and flexibility exercises for one week.  The researchers found that at the end of one year, the immediate-exercise group had 2.7x the incidence of LE than the group that waited 7 days before doing the identical exercises. They also evaluated range of motion, etc. at the end of that year and determined that there was no difference in function between the two groups.  This is why it is recommended to wait at least a week, and some are saying two weeks to be safe, before doing above-shoulder exercises after surgery that touches the nodes. I don't have easy access to the study abstract at the moment, so cannot drop in a link, but if you search PubMed, check for researcher name Jacquelyn Todd and the title A Randomised Controlled Trial of Two Programmes of Shoulder Exercises.

lago...my routine is much the same as yours. Some days I just forget to put it on until after my shower, by then it is swollen. My own fault! I try to do the massage before I get out of bed but that too is not every day.

I just had an LX and surgeon wouldn't let me do anything for 3 weeks... Just mild stretching - walking arms up the wall stretching... I can't imagine after a BMX...

Kathy Besty left for Ireland this spring. Husband got a gig there for 2 years. I still do some the stretches she gave me but I strength train so the ones she gave me are that challenging anymore. So far I haven't needed to see PT.

You enjoying CA I see.

I was told by the PT & BS to do mild stretching exercies after my UMX... they gave me a pamphlet with different exercises for different weeks after the MX... nothing above shoulder height though - not that I could get my arm that high anyway.... after drains came out I could do the wall walking one and more strenuous streching exercies.  Thanks for all the advice on here - invaluable.

Thanks so much for all this wonderful info!!! I'm in the very 1st phase of trying to get a handle on this. I developed a breast infection with redness & swelling by my 1st post-rads visit. My rads onc. 1st treated me with antibiotics twice before the infection cleared & then gave me a referral to a lymphedema clinic. She never sounded like that part of it was even important & said she wasn't sure if I had LE or not. Then it took a few weeks to get an appt.

I'm now on my 3rd sleeves. The 1st was a loaner from the clinic that was Jobst which worked great, but they were too short. They don't seem to make the longer ones & it was 20-30 comp, size XL.The fitter ordered me 30-40 Juzo because she couldn't get ahold of my therapist who hadn't listed anything for compression or size. She said that was the standard.  After trying a couple of days & trying to stretch them out a little like the therapist said, I had to stop because the compression or size or something was killing me. I could feel my heartbeat thru it & my arm just ached & swelled badly top & bottom. Now I've got Mediven with the Max top arm because I have loose skin on top part from loosing over 80 lbs a few yrs ago. The fitter gave me 20-30 compression finally after I told her the other ones were as bad as the Juzo had been.

Now I'm trying the Mediven 20-30, but the top cuff is rubbing my arm almost raw. The compression finally seems right. Today I've been trying to put cotton pads between me and the cuff. It helps a little if I could get it right. This is me. I have problems in general with socks. I don't have diabetes or anything & yet since I was in my 20s I've never been able to wear anything but diabetic socks, even then only for short periods because my legs swell up around them. I've always wanted to wear ankle strap shoes & same thing happens. And I have extremely sensitive skin.

If anyone has any suggestions to a newbie here, please post.

Thanks,

Bev in the Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

Iago,

Thanks for replying. Yes, the sleeve had silicone at the top. It just about ripped my skin off. I've now tried several more & just don't seem to be able to get it right. The fitters at the place I have to go to are certainly not the best... I ended up buying an Ames, size L, reg. length sleeve. It ended up too tight and the sleeve is too long. I was really hoping that brand would work because they are so much cheaper. I'm so scared that my arm is going to swell out of control before I can get this fixed.