Lymphedema possible 9 months out??

Your RO is so wrong and uneducated like most docs about LE. Glad you found us here though. Go to stepup-speakout.org It is a website our girls made on LE. It will answer all your questions and if you are stuck keep asking here.

On that site you can find a qualified Lymphedema therapist in your state. Go and see them for an evaluation and a measurement of your arm. They will tell you if you have LE and they are the only ones that know how to drain your arm properly by doing MLD. Try and carefully remove the ring and leave off for the time being. You may have just overused arm but the swollen hand/finger makes me think otherwise.

Dont carry anything heavy like that until you get evaluated. Drink tons of water incase you do have LE, It helps move the fluid, Raise arm directly over your head and pump your fist slowly thruout the day if you can.(20-25 times) Elevate the arm about heart perhaps on pilllows but only if it is comfy.

We are here to help you.

You can get LE from one node gone.

I had only 6 removed and was told that it was unlikely I would have problems.  And,, well,, here I am,,,

There is lots of good advice here and it has been very helpful !

Manu, I believe the figures LymphActivist is quoting are strictly for the women who were included in the single study he cited, so while they're representative they're a long way from being inclusive. There is no limitation on when lymphedema can show up after breast cancer treatment. I think the longest we've had here was a woman who was 23 years out from treatment when it appeared. Others have had it from the time of surgery, and many others during or shortly after rads. Experience tells us that heavy lifting, especially if it's an unusual activity for you, can trigger it, but so can many other things.

What all of us here are hoping for you is that this is just normal strain, and with some rest and time all will be well. Best to check it out, though, and if it does turn out to be lymphedema, please know we're all here for you. Tell us how we can help!

Gentle hugs,
Binney

LymphActivist:

Wait, am I reading your post correctly?  If I'm 9 years post surgery I no longer have to every worry about lymphedema? I was told (very causally) that I should never use the arm on the side of the surgery for blood pressure or blood draws, IVs.  Am I incorrect?

One of the best actual studies followed women with ALND for 20 years and found that while most developed it during the first few years, there was an additional 1%/year so that 20 years out, the incidence =50%

Also, Jane Armer has been following women for over 10 years and she recently told me that the new onset has dropped at this point, but continues to happen, so she doesn't bring all the women in for measurements, but gets in contact with them once a year now, and brings in those with symptoms.

The risk is lifelong.

Bob, you should know better than to put false information out there! You've helped a lot of people, but as we all know, scientific studies require close reading to check their validity, and conclusions are often drawn in abstracts that are not supported by the studies. And medical facts that we "know" to be true, are often disproven win subsequent well designed studies.

I suggest this article as mandatory reading about the conclusions one can draw from the evidence:" The Truth Wears Off"

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/12/13/101213fa_fact_lehrer?currentPage=allhttp://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/12/13/101213fa_fact_lehrer?currentPage=all

Currently those of us who deliver health care are reconsidering our use of statin drugs. I've been in health care long enough to see the pendulum swing and absolute truths become myths. 

We've all seen the NCCN guidelines change. And this impacts all of us who have actually had cancer.

Mine started 6 months past surgery. I regret not being more aggressive early on. See a LE therapist ASAP. If it is LE there is a chance to reverse it or atleast hault it from progressing.