Does Stress Cause Flare-ups?
I've been back to teaching and it's been super stressful. I've noticed the flare ups are worse and last longer. So, maybe this is a dumb question, and maybe I already know the answer, but does stress make lymphedema worse?
Comments
-
Yup - absolutely. Are you wearing sleeves & gauntlets or gloves? Or if it's truncal &/or breast, are you wearing a compression bra or tee?
If you haven't seen this site, it has a wealth of good information.
https://www.stepup-speakout.org/
-
Yes, I wear all of that, and if I don't it's awful. Thank you for replying!! There's so much to learn.
-
wulfgirl - thank you for teaching the nations children. Hope the situation gets better.
-
Wulfgirl, I'll second MinusTwo's post about stress causing lymphedema to flare. Sure does it for me. Also, I have several kids who are teachers and I hate seeing what they're up against this year, but have to say I'm so proud of them for their care for children. Brava to all of you!
A couple of thoughts to add to the mix here. First of all, going back to teaching may also be resulting in flares for strictly physical reasons--doing more repetitive work (writing, keyboarding, cutting with scissors, whatever) and unaccustomed lifting (chairs, boxes of supplies, books, stacks of papers), all of which can exacerbate swelling. You might want to look at your daily activities and see if there are ways to ease those kinds of tasks--spread them out over time, or ask someone to help.
And secondly, it's easy for givers like you to forget to make the time and effort to care for yourself in ways that help you relax. Whether that's watching funny movies, dancing around the house to a favorite kind of music, riding a bike around the neighborhood, cooking something special, or just unplugging from other demands, it's helpful to consider self-care a serious responsibility for the good of everything and everyone you love. (Then too, of course, chocolate helps!)
Be well! Gentle hugs,
Binney -
Oh yes Binney - CHOCOLATE.
-
Aww thank you Binney AND MinusTwo! I believe ALL of that was contributing to my flare up. I've switched to a different tank to compress my armpit and chest, that helped. I also have been walking a little more again, that helps. I've done some deep breathing and yes, just taking care of ME. The beginning of the school year is incredibly stressful on a normal year.... and this year, it's 10x worse. Thank you both for your kind & encouraging words. It helps so much!!
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team