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wrmbrownie
wrmbrownie Member Posts: 114
edited October 2015 in Lymphedema

I know my affected arm has 165ml more fluid than my normal arm (I'm obese so it's hard to tell,) They did test before and after radiation. might just be paranoid but what does it feel like in the beginning. Tingling? Where? Pain? Just size?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2015

    Hi wrmbrownie, I hope you don't have LE. Heres what I've had and are generally well known symptoms. Heavy aching feeling, sensitivity/burning feeling especially under the upper arm and swelling. LE can be present though without visible swelling. Also you can experience tiredness in the limb.

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  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited October 2015

    What Musical said. Heavy feeling, achy, tired feeling in limb. A feeling of being swollen,, even if it is not noticeable. I have truncal and you can't really measure it, like you can measure your arms. But when it acts up, it feels swollen and heavy.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited October 2015

    I had a severe case of Axillary Web Syndrome, with intense pain from the axilla all the way down the inside of the bicep, then it came over to the top of the arm at the elbow and ended at the base of the thumb. I had visible swelling on that side (cancer side, mastectomy, SNB and delayed ALND), but also have a milder case of LE in the other arm (mastectomy and SNB), with less swelling, but no pain.

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited October 2015

    brownie, here are pictures and descriptions that can help you determine what's up with your arm:

    http://www.stepup-speakout.org/What_does_lymphedem...

    Just curious how you know about the 165ml difference between your arms? Have you seen a well-trained lymphedema therapist for evaluation? That'd be a really helpful step to take. Here's how to find one near you:

    http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Finding_a_Qualified...

    Hoping you don't have to join our "swell" sorority!
    Binney

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  • paintThesky
    paintThesky Member Posts: 56
    edited October 2015

    Mine's in my breast, underarm, and upper arm, and in the hand but not so bad. Like you, I have a weight issue, but my affected arm gets so swollen the skin hurts. It feels like my affected arm weighs more than the other arm. It hurts more at the end of the day. In the morning I can do anything I set my mind to, and in the evening I ache on that side and burn. The discomfort waxes and wanes. If I clean the house, I know I'll be in for it with swelling and pain for a couple days or more. Since housework is never done, I have to get more help now from hubby.

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  • Outfield
    Outfield Member Posts: 1,109
    edited October 2015

    What I have learned from my own experience is that not everyone gets the textbook symptoms. I didn't have any heaviness, just pain. I thought I had strained muscles in my forearm. The pain went away with time.

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  • wrmbrownie
    wrmbrownie Member Posts: 114
    edited October 2015

    Thanks guys...

    Binney4, I am part of a research trial on lifestyle activities. They measured me before and radiation with a perometer (I had to look the specific name of it up.) I took a screenshot with my phone of the measurements with it and where exactly the measurements were on each arm from the computer screen afterwards.

    Thank you all for your information. I may call to get an evaluation regardless just to ease my mind and to get a baseline just in case. My underarm is peeling on that arm where they took out the lymph nodes and did radiation. I was initially thinking that the peeling and reactions thereof contributed to the swelling and perhaps it wasn't lymphedema. Now, I'm not so sure. Hm...

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