This month is cancer awareness month and, I want to address some of the issues that occur post-cancer. We tend to forget that even though we are cancer-free some of us still suffer or deal with the effects of cancer daily for years. Let’s talk about Lymphedema. What is it? How do you deal with it?
Lymphedema according to the cancer society is a build-up of lymph fluid in the fatty tissues just under your skin. This build-up might also be called obstruction and cause swelling and discomfort. It often happens in the arms or legs, but can also happen in the face, neck, trunk, abdomen (belly), and genitals. It’s important to know that lymphedema can sometimes become severe and cause serious problems, and often is a long-term or chronic condition. This is why early and careful management is needed to help reduce symptoms and keep it from getting worse.
Post cancer treatment, I was referred to physical therapy to a lymphedema specialist to prevent lymphedema. I had no issue with lymphedema until about a year later. Needless to say, I was disappointed and the doctor was like that doesn’t usually happen. I was then sent back to therapy for as long as my insurance allowed to get the lymphatic massages. I had to get the compression sleeves and of course, health insurance only pays for one and will not pay for the amount you need for the year. Yes, compression sleeves only last for 6 months.
I struggled hard, because not only did I cut off both breasts, dealing with the after-effects of chemo (more stuff people don’t talk about nor do doctors tell you about) but, now my arms look like sausages and were heavy.
I was not very rigorous about the exercise… because I was 1. depressed 2. tired 3. chemo brain (can’t remember) 4. grieving 5. had no voice due to a previous surgery 6. had a million doctor’s appointments 7. in pain (from surgeries, the heaviness in my arms, body aches from chemo). My arms are where the lymphedema started. Yes, started. One day I woke up and my face was swollen. I literally had a double chin. Post – chemo, and surgeries I was not overweight but now I had chins. Now I start looking up does lymphedema goes to other parts of the body besides the arms and legs. I found out that you can have lymphedema anywhere. There were days I can fit my size 14s and the next day size 18s was all I can wear. My thighs, belly, face, arms fluctuate in size daily.
Let’s talk about living with lymphedema and what helps. Lymphatic massages help but, must be done often so, no it is not a cure. Self lymphatic massages help but to me, it is not as effective as having someone do it for you. I have tried essential oils (Thieves) it helps but not as much as I would like. I have found some teas which detox the lymphatic system and help it to keep moving along. The one I drink is echinacea, it has lots of anti-inflammatory properties. I see plenty of blends but I am quite careful because of the medications I take. Exercise is supposed to help but I find that my arms get weaker and heavier. I try to stick to the 3 lbs. minimum but my pocketbook weighs more than that. I have seen some women hiking and biking and I could barely go a block sometime without stopping, sometimes. I eat healthy when I do eat. my appetite is not the same if I drink too much I can’t eat and vise versa. I even cut my portions down to eat more frequently, but that is not helping much either. The one thing I have tried and it is has helped tremendously is not eating meat. I find that if you cut meat out of your diet for about 3 weeks the swelling goes down significantly. Staying hydrated is important as well. Water with fruit in it, coconut water, aloe water, and fruit protein smoothies helps with flushing waste out of your system. I have been looking into getting one of those air massaging machines. I heard that using one of those for 20 mins a day also helps.
Let’s Talk about Lymphedema.
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