Cellulitis

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max2111
max2111 Member Posts: 17
edited May 2015 in Lymphedema

Hi Everyone,

My double mastectomy was April 2013. They took 20 lymph nodes on the right side. They had told me that because some lymph nodes were removed, that I would be at risk for lymphedema in my right arm.

My last chemo was Oct. 2013 and I finished radiation in Dec. 2013.

In January of this year, I got a wicked case of cellulitis which caused me to be in the hospital for 3 nights.

Fast forward 3 months later, I got cellulitis again!

Am I going to keep getting it?

What do I do to minimize recurrences?

Is this happening strictly because of the lymphedema or is my immune system still compromised (last chemo - Oct 2013) ?

Thank you everyone

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  • hugz4u
    hugz4u Member Posts: 2,781
    edited April 2015

    To minimize cellulitis, I dress cuts with antibiotics and bandaid, use plasticgloves to handle raw meat,and gloves to wash dog bowls out. Garden with gloves and dug out thorny bushes. Google stepup-stepout.org for all LE information. Our girls here developed this excellent lifesaver lymphedena website. You are smart prelearning about this awful condition. Ask us anything. You may have got cellulitis from a small opening in your affected quadrant. Not just the arm is affected. The trunk breast arm hand can get LE on the surgery side. Don't lift anything heavy unless you use to it. Even moving boxes can set it off if it is too repetitious. Don't overtire your arm out. Consider wearing glove and sleeve flying and a compression tee shirt when flying is a good idea to. Drink lots of Water and low salt diet


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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited April 2015

    max, LE does predispose us for cellulitis, so vigilance is critical. Here's a link to the site Hugz mentioned, where I've linked to a page that has some great suggestions for helping to prevent infection: http://stepup-speakout.org/Emergencies_and_Medical...


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  • juneping
    juneping Member Posts: 1,594
    edited May 2015

    lymphatic system moves our wastes to liver so having many nodes removed does get our risk higher of getting cellulitis...I had 35 removed

    I think drinking a lot of water, exercise help. And like others said I wear gloves doing dishes. I also try to wear glove when I touch raw meat fish...

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  • Katiejane
    Katiejane Member Posts: 789
    edited May 2015


    Hi Ladies,       Well, I saw an Infectious Disease Doc today and he did not think a prophylactic antibiotic was necessary at this time.  He did want me to always have an antibiotic with me where ever I go(which I do).  He did not think the pneumococcal vaccines would give me the specific antibodies that I would need to help fight the cellulitis infections because they are a different strep bacteria. He did say we would start a prophylactic antibiotic if I have another cellulitis in the next 3-5 months.  I will be seeing Dr. Massey in Charleston next month for a LE evaluation but not necessarily for surgery.  I'm very afraid of the LNT but also about at my wit's end!!       katiejane 

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