Truncal LE spreading to other side.

It's hard to know where to start. This past few months has been strange with new LE symptoms. Binney: I have had trauma to the left side. My entire left artery was stripped out during my treatments 15 years ago. It got infected, and the wound had to lay open for a couple weeks with a sponge sucking out infection. I spent a couple weeks in a hospital hooked up to that machine. The wound was very deep and my scar on that side reaches from above my wrist all the way down to my hand. They said I could have lost that arm. It took months to get over those surgeries, and it happened because I did not have a port. All of my treatments and antibiotics went into that arm, and to make matters worse I spent time in the hospital during treatments for pneumonia. It is almost impossible to get a blood pressure reading on that side. The breast cancer was on my right side, and my left arm has no main artery.

Triple P: The puffiness under my arm has never gone away. I first noticed it about a year ago. It's uncomfortable at times, and now my hand is really bothering me. The warm weather is the worst for me, and this year in the southeast we are having an early spring, so the swelling is already getting worse! I have discomfort across my chest on both sides now. As far as I am concerned LE is painful. I get pangs of pain, burning, and fullness too. One year ago I had a diagnostic mamo and ultra sound to rule out a breast cancer recurrence. Sometimes I am not aware of the puffy underarm, and other times it feels fuller. Best wishes to you in getting to the bottom of the puffiness!

Since I posted earlier in Feb. I have been to my gyn doc and she sent me for a diagnostic mamo and ultra sound on the left side to make sure I don't have breast cancer there. Now she wants me to see a cardiologist to rule out heart problems. I honestly don't think that it's my heart. I believe I am plagued with LE and also neuropathy. I haven't been to therapy in a while, and will probably start again soon, as the weather here is getting hot again.

Another update. I go to the cardiologist in mid April. I'll also go to the breast doc (gyn) in April. Thank you all for the responses. Binney: I have some compression camis that I wear on occasion. They make me miserably hot though. It's like you trade one discomfort for another. Oh well! I also want to say, I had a rash on the left breast several months ago. I went to a dermatologist, because it freaked me out!!!! Anyhow, I asked him if LE could spread to the other side, and he said yes, there's no stop sign at mid chest saying "hey lymph fluid you have to stop here!". That rash went away, and then in a couple months following in the dead of winter I got poison oak on the left side breast, back, arms. (we live in the woods and burn wood in a wood stove, so poison oak is a year round threat) My mind has been assaulted with worry these past months, but I have stayed on top of it! My first grandchild is on his way, so I need to get better! Best wishes to all of you!

After some months, and 2 trips to my gyn, and having all the heart tests completed. Ultra sound ruled out breast cancer, along with diagnostic mammogram. The heart tests showed no heart issues. My gyn says she doesn't see anything amiss on the breast, and doesn't see or feel anything either. She'd like to refer me to a breast specialist she knows, but my insurance won't pay for me to see that particular doctor. So we're in limbo for the moment. As the weather gets warmer here in the south east, my swelling in the breast on the unaffected side is getting worse. So now my breasts on both sides are affected with swelling and pain, both arms, and I can feel it in my back. I am in a great deal of pain on days when it's hot and muggy, so I know I can't go through the summer like this. At this point I am thinking about either going straight to a therapist, I can get a prescription from my regular doctor, or going to an internist. I am not sure what I am going to do. I inserted the photo, so you can see the trauma to the unaffected side. That was 15 years ago! That dark area is were the skin was laid open and a sponge inserted to drain infection from sepsis. Now here we are 15 years later, and this mess has come back to haunt me.