Baseline Measurement for Lymphoedema
Due to cording issues, I see a specialist physio on a reasonably regular basis. The clinic treats cancer survivors and obviously, lymphoedema issues. Last visit, the physio decided it was time to me...
Forum Discussion
No baseline for me either. I’m nearly four months post lumpectomy and SNB, (followed by radiotherapy) but still having problems with upper arm and side of chest under arm.
I have seen a lymphodema person twice who has measured me and noted small differentials, but i wasn’t thrilled with her idea of suck it and see how it goes given that I can feel a difference, so have booked in to see another person who will measure bio impedance.
I can’t tell if my problems are seroma related, nerve damage related, beginnings of lymphodema or all of the above. At various times I have tried doing the recommended BC surgery recovery exercises but each time have found that it seems to make that part of the arm worse. I’ve stuck with just getting back into daily life and gradually getting back into light weights and very slow swimming, and trying not to overreach with that arm since it seems to make it worse. These days exercise seems to be the recommended cure for everything, so I am trying to do what I can. Hard to figure out what to do when I don’t know what I’m trying to counteract.
my BC nurse said that they were wanting her to get certified to be competent in doing pre-surgery tape measuring of arms. I’m thinking to myself, what in the world is the hold-up to having that service available to all bc pre-surgery patients? Of all the things that can be less than ideal after surgery, i would have thought a “simple” bio impedance measure or at least arm circumference measurements would be a small step to provide very useful data for managing post surgery effects.
I have seen a lymphodema person twice who has measured me and noted small differentials, but i wasn’t thrilled with her idea of suck it and see how it goes given that I can feel a difference, so have booked in to see another person who will measure bio impedance.
I can’t tell if my problems are seroma related, nerve damage related, beginnings of lymphodema or all of the above. At various times I have tried doing the recommended BC surgery recovery exercises but each time have found that it seems to make that part of the arm worse. I’ve stuck with just getting back into daily life and gradually getting back into light weights and very slow swimming, and trying not to overreach with that arm since it seems to make it worse. These days exercise seems to be the recommended cure for everything, so I am trying to do what I can. Hard to figure out what to do when I don’t know what I’m trying to counteract.
my BC nurse said that they were wanting her to get certified to be competent in doing pre-surgery tape measuring of arms. I’m thinking to myself, what in the world is the hold-up to having that service available to all bc pre-surgery patients? Of all the things that can be less than ideal after surgery, i would have thought a “simple” bio impedance measure or at least arm circumference measurements would be a small step to provide very useful data for managing post surgery effects.