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Lymphedema Chronicles
Don't you just love them?!
Authored by Anonymous
I had Breast Cancer surgery February 17th of this year and in the third week of radiation I was told that I had Lymphedema. It was extremely painful and the more radiation I received the more painful my arm became. I insisted on therapy for the Lymphedema everyday I got radiation, which made it difficult because now my arm was not fitting into the mold they made for the radiation treatments. I was totally upset when they told me there was no cure and I had to wear a garment sleeve the rest of my life.

The summer months are the hardest because you can not hide the sleeve, I do not play tennis anymore and recently I broke out with a red rash all over my body and my arm is now starting to swell and pain is starting again. I believe it might be an infection but my general practitioner doesn't think so. I will be seeing a Breast Specialist this Friday and hopefully she can give me more information.

I hope the cancer is not coming back. I had a very rough time with the radiation (told me I was extremely sensitive to the radiation) and my arm ended up with a Frozen Shoulder. I just finished therapy for the frozen shoulder a couple of months ago and I got most of my movement back. Now I have to deal with the swelling!!!! I work for a living and I am alone. Doctors think that you can take time off at any given day or time. Don't you just love them?!
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