Hi Everyone
I haven't posted for a while but would like some advice. I am hoping to travel to Europe next year and am a bit concerned about flying and lymphedema. I have always had to do exercises and stretches with my arm when travelling within Australia. Hopefully I can break up the travel to Europe but would like any suggestions that might help.
Thanks Maree
Dear Maree,
It’s Lisa from the Policy Team. You might have seen our lymphoedema fact sheet already, but just in case you haven’t, you can download the fact sheet here.
The fact sheet discusses the risk of lymphoedema while traveling and sets out a number of things women can do to help reduce their risk of developing lymphoedema while traveling. It is generally recommended that women who have had their lymph nodes removed as part of their surgery wear a compression sleeve on long flights. This would be something to talk about with your doctor or a lymphoedema practitioner before you leave. The fact sheet also sets out a range of other tips, such as getting up and walking around every few hours, wearing loose-fitting clothes, drinking lots of water, and exercising your arm during your trip.
We also have information about lymphoedema on our website, including a link to the National Lymphoedema Practitioners Register. If you would like to find a lymphoedema practitioner in your local area, this can be a good place to look.
Hope you have a wonderful trip!
Hi Maree, I flew to the UK in late March this year and wore my compression sleeve during the flight and did a few arm exercises and stretches while on the plane and thankfully I didn't have any issues.
Also, I massage my arm with downward strokes each day and try not to aggravate the problem too much - usually overdoing things, such as heavy lifting / gardening in the heat for too long- will set it off.
Not sure if you've got a compression sleeve, I got mine through a physio who specialises in lymphodema and she also showed me how to massage the area. Hope this helps and that you have a great trip! Jane xx
