blood draw today

I am planning a body massage. My question is it safe to massage the side of the arm that the lympe nodes were removed?

Lettie, the standard precaution on massage is to avoid massage in the quadrant where you have lymphedema, where four quadranta are defined by drawing a line from neck to groin, and side to side at the waist. So one fourth of your trunk plus related limb, and that includes both front and back.  You had nodes removed  but you did not mention having LE, so I do not know what a lymphedema therapist would say about massage for you.  My guess is that it's fine, but maybe ask for a gentler version in the at-risk quadrant.

The reason for avoiding muscle and deep-tissue massage when we have LE is that the lymphatic vessels include tons that are superficial; just below the skin, and they can shut down at least temporarily if too much pressure is applied. If we already have LE, the lymph fluid transport is already compromised, so sustained, deep pressure against the skin makes it worse.

Manual lymphatic drainage, or MLD, is usually called a 'massage' but it's not really a massage in the classic sense, and lots of LE therapists dislike the word 'massage' when referring to it. MLD uses the hands to gently stretch the skin in very particular directions, which nudges the lymphatic fluid in the direction needed to relieve swelling and other LE symptoms.  Our compression garments also apply pressure to the arm or other LE body part, but even though it's quite firm pressure, it's a very steady pressure, also designed specifically to keep the lymph moving in the right direction.  I thought I'd explain MLD and compression garments here, just to make sure you see why LE massage and garment pressure are different from the kind of massage you're thinking of.

So...hoping that Binney or Kira can weigh in on the advisability of massage if there's no sign of LE.  Because I really WANT you to be able to have that massage!!!  I go to a massage therapist for help with scar release, and she knew little about LE when I first consulted with her, but it turns out that she knows a lot about the lymphatic system and it was a good conversation.  I'm having her work near my armpit now, because I trust her gentle hands, but I'm still reluctant to suggest a 'real' massage that includes my LE quadrant.  But oh, how I miss that!  

Carol