Surgery on bad arm

Bless your heart, Patsy.  You've got a lot on your plate.  There are so many things that "might happen" that we'd go crazy trying to plan for all of them.  Let the "maybe"s go for now and wrap yourself in the love that's going to be pouring on you.

Patsycat, The risk of lymphedema is real, but you have not developed swelling in the last two years and the odds are always in your favor that you will not develop lymphedema.

You had to have this surgery.

The risk reduction behaviors would be to not strain the arm, to watch carefully for infection, and the general risk reduction behaviors that are listed on the stepupspeakout site

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

The odds are in your favor and you had to have this surgery and if you had insurance, the ideal would be to see a qualified lymphedema therapist to learn lymphatic drainage and be measured and assessed. Many lymphedema therapists are massage therapists, and can't take insurance, so their rates are relatively reasonable, and their care is usually excellent

Here's how to find a therapist, and look for LMT--and call them: I recently helped a woman on this board get care through an LMT who trains for the Vodder school and she does a sliding scale fee (my LE therapist is an LMT, and will waive the fee frequently for patients who can't afford it.)

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

Be attentive, but please don't worry too much. Lymph doesn't move through a scar, but it can still drain.

Kira