Unwell

Jodpri

Hi there
I am in my second week of radiation for breast cancer and DCIS so I wonder if anyone is in my situation where they already have implants and if the radiation affected them and they had to be removed down the track which apparently there is a 40% chance they will. Also does anyone recommend acupuncture as I have been really ill with a virus and was wondering if this would help my immune system. 

Nefertari

Sorry I can't help with the implant question but I have met a few ladies who have had acupuncture and they all swear by it. 
I say give anything a try it could work for you too.
Good luck with the rest of your treatment x

arpie

Sorry you've not been well @Jodpri - were you ill BEFORE you started radiation?

My understanding of acupuncture is that it treats the symptoms, not the cause & is used more for pain (the needles block the pathway of the pain thru the nerves) ...... so it may make you feel better afterwards for a while, but there may not be long lasting effects, eg cure

@JoeyLiz may be able to help you out with your question re implants

All the best - hope you feel better now xx

June1952

I go to a qualified Doctor of Chinese Medicine for my acupuncture.  I was going weekly but am down to once every 3 - 4 weeks.
Acupuncture treats the whole person and the cause, not the symptoms.
I have Lymphoedema and am treated for the imbalance of fluids within my body which obviously helps the buildup I get in the armpit, below the armpit, down my back and along my arm.  A bonus is that I don't retain extra fluid in my ankles or anywhere else on hot days even - and I no longer get up at night either !  
By all means see a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and if it helps then it does, some ladies simply don't understand or believe in it.
As an aside, the fluid buildup around my knee from severe osteoarthritis is also reduced considerably, even when I have been doing far too much.

strongtogether

Summerhill38 said:

I go to a qualified Doctor of Chinese Medicine for my acupuncture.  I was going weekly but am down to once every 3 - 4 weeks.
Acupuncture treats the whole person and the cause, not the symptoms.
I have Lymphoedema and am treated for the imbalance of fluids within my body which obviously helps the buildup I get in the armpit, below the armpit, down my back and along my arm.  A bonus is that I don't retain extra fluid in my ankles or anywhere else on hot days even - and I no longer get up at night either !  
By all means see a Doctor of Chinese Medicine and if it helps then it does, some ladies simply don't understand or believe in it.
As an aside, the fluid buildup around my knee from severe osteoarthritis is also reduced considerably, even when I have been doing far too much.

Thanks for your comment. I am really interested in Chinese medicine. Do you know how it actually works with regard to lymphedema? If the lymph nodes and the lymphatics are removed, the natural channels that lymph drains through no longer exist. So how does Chinese medicine deal with that? I know that compression garments and lymphatic massage physically move the lymph through. Is there similar physical manipulation in Xhinese medicine? 

kmakm

Hi @Jodpri. I tried acupuncture for several months to manage the side effects of Letrozole/menopause. It didn't really do anything for me so I stopped. However some people get a lot of assistance from it so give it go if you're interested. K xox

June1952

Hello @strongtogether
I am not too sure about the technical side but the needles are put nowhere near the actual areas the Dr 'works' on.  Initially I was worried when I first went as I did not want needles in that side.  They do not go there !
By balancing the fluids throughout the body that reduces the fluid wanting but not being able to go through the normal channels affected by the removal of the lymph glands.  In my case the mastectomy scar which is huge also stops the fluid and means it builds up so the Dr must know something !      I don't get the pain now.
Several years ago I had acupuncture as a last desperate measure to resolve menopausal symptoms and it worked so I figured this was worth a try.
The Dr did say that in Chinese Medicine they treat the whole person and the cause, not the symptoms as per mainstream doctors (i.e. give a pill).  The cost is significant but as I was told, for the same as a regular doctor fee you get a whole hour and the treatment (rather than 10 minutes maximum and a bit of paper to take to the pharmacy).
Hope that makes sense.

strongtogether

Yes, it does. We do a bit of acupuncture for Peripheral neuropathy.