Breast lymphedema?

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felly
felly Member Posts: 12
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

A big hello to all you brave ,amazing Ladies

I really don't know what I would do without these discussion boards.......

I have a silly question though......can breast LE appear suddenly along with swollen armpit nodes, after wearing a tight underwire bra for a month?I had surgery,chemo and rads 2 years ago for IDC st.1 GRADE III.

Thank you all in advance!

kisses

Felly

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  • purple32
    purple32 Member Posts: 3,188
    edited May 2013

    Hi felly

    The short answer is yes.

    It can, but not saying the underwire bra has a thing to do with it. You would need to see an LE specialist.  Please check out the amazing SUSO site for add'l info. http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Finding_a_Qualified_Lymphedema_Therapist.htm

    In the meantime, consider wearing a supportive cami or sports bra.

    This may not be LE at all, but if it is, it's importtant to get started with tx.

    Good Luck to you !

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited May 2013

    Felly, swollen armpit nodes are not a symptom of lymphedema, though the swelling could be. Swollen nodes usually indicate something else going on--an infection somewhere in your body, say. That needs to be checked out with your doctor.

    That said, an underwire bra can block the lymph flow beneath the breasts and overwhelm a compromised lymph system, triggering lymphedema. An evaluation by a well-trained and experienced lymphedema therapist would give you a good idea where you are with that, and how to proceed. Purple posted the link to the StepUp-SpeakOut page about finding a good therapist. Here's one about breast lymphedema (it's also called truncal lymphedema):
    http://www.stepup-speakout.org/breast_chest_trunckal_lymphedema.htm

    Do keep us posted, and let us know how we can help! Gentle hugs,
    Binney

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