Did I overdo or is this the start of LE

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mrenee68
mrenee68 Member Posts: 383
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

I am almost 4 weeks post exchange and healing very nicely. A lot of my swelling has gone down, until last night. I went to the store yesterday and I did lift the grocery bags into the van. As evening came I felt funny under my arm, kind of thick. Then all night I kept waking up feeling like my new implant side was thick and heavy. I don't really look swollen, but feel swollen. Do you think I just overdid at the store or is this maybe the start of LE? I did exercise for 30 minutes on the elliptical, no arms just slow legs.

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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited February 2013

    mrenee, it could be LE, or it could be some added but temporary post-surgical swelling from your exchange.  I think the best thing you could do is to get an appointment with a qualified LE therapist to take some baseline measures of your arm; that person can also feel the quality of your tissue and determine if there are signs of early LE aside from what you're feeling and in the absence of any visible swelling.  Here's how to find a qualified therapist --best to find one near you, and then ask your surgeon to make a referral to that person:

    http://stepup-speakout.org/Finding_a_Qualified_Lymphedema_Therapist.htm

    And on the same site, here's a page that has some good suggestions on what you can do to help with your symptoms if it IS lymphedema, as you wait for an appointment to be evaluated:

    http://stepup-speakout.org/How_You_Can_Cope_with_Lymphedema.htm

    Let's hope that you had some temporary reaction to overdo, as you put it, and that it did not trigger LE.  But just in case--push as hard as you need to with your surgeon to get a referral to someone who is qualified to sort it out and get you some help pronto, if it turns out to be LE.  Catching it early is a great advantage in taming the beast, so it's very good that you're asking about the LE possibility.

    Carol

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  • cinnamonsmiles
    cinnamonsmiles Member Posts: 779
    edited February 2013

    I agree, you need to get it checked out. I have mild LE and sometimes Brian can't even see the swelling in my arms, for instance, even though I can. I can tell when I put my sleeves on that they are tighter when I am more swollen.Occasionally when I am having a really bad bout on the right hand side, Brian can actually see a difference in circumference in the upper arms and Brian is the type of guy that wouldn't notice if I came home with purple hair.

    I have both LE and post mastectomy pain syndrome since 1/11/11. I am getting pretty good at learning what is too much for my body to do. 

    Not all areas have a certified LE in all areas. I don't have one near me, so I at least got someone with experience. The first OT I saw for pain only saw a breast cancer patient about once every 3 months or so and it showed. What a waste of time and money. Sure they need experience, but I am not one wanting to be the guinea pig anymore.

    Let us know how you are doing.

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  • mrenee68
    mrenee68 Member Posts: 383
    edited March 2013

    Just to let you all know that it turned out that I was having problems with my arm do to a frozen shoulder. Thank you all for the advice. Take care!

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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited March 2013

    mrenee, nobody wants anybody to have frozen shoulder, but hooray that it was something you can take care of 100% with appropriate PT.  Lymphedema, another story, because it's manageable but not curable!  So let's celebrate with a round of chocolate--this is such good news!

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  • mrenee68
    mrenee68 Member Posts: 383
    edited March 2013

    Chocolate for everyone!

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