Lymphoedema and long distance air travel

hi @Romla at our encore course we had guest speakers .... our local OT/lymphodema Lady told us anyone who has had BC with or without axillary clearance should always wear a sleeve when flying...

I would also add to keep very well hydrated. I have made several long distance flights and always drink plenty of water as the cabin air dries you out anyway. You are actually more likely to get fluid buildup if you don’t drink enough! Getting up to go to the toilet is then bonus exercise  ;). I also recommend the aisle seat so you can get up and walk around without a problem. Hope that you enjoy the trip! xxx

Hi @Romla I don't have Lymphoedema in my arm but do get some swelling on my torso. I attend the clinic for monitoring and my Lymphoedema nurse gave me a sleeve for travel which I have used a number of times as a preventative. Better to be proactive rather than reactive. How exciting to be planning an overseas trip for such lovely purposes. Xx Cath

Hi @Romla I just got back from OS. I do have mild lymphodema in the left arm and armpit. I spoke to my physio before I left and went with all the necessary advise. Mostly the exercises while on the plane. We spent 22 hours both ways in the air.  An aisle seat is perfect if you can get one.  I did the exersises and walked the isles as often as I could. Biggest thing I found was not getting too warm I tend to swell heaps in the heat. I had the advantage of helping out with my grand kids so passing an 18 month old around certainly is good exercise. I also played the computer games on the inflight entertainment. As it’s in the back of the headrest in front I had to raise my arm to use if, not hanging my arm down too long is important. I do get some warning I get a tingling in my hand when it’s started to swell too much and also a funny feeling in my armpit  if I don’t do my exercises I pay for it later. 
I don’t have the sleeve or glove. And so far the exercises are working. Besides the fact that I would have to have one made. I’m not in the right size category and there wasn’t enough time to get them before I left. 
Go for your trip. You will regret saying no for something that might not happen. 

I have lymphoedema and have travelled long distance (Europe) several times since being diagnosed, with no problems.  Do you actually have lymphoedema or are you just worried about it starting? Unless you have existing damage to your lymphatic system I am not aware of any reason why it would start, but best to discuss with your GP. If you have lymphoedema, or have been told you are at risk, you would be advised not to fly any reasonable distance without a compression garment. A qualified lymphoedema therapist can measure and advise.  You should also do everything possible to move and exercise the affected area during the flight - there are exercises you can do in your seat for arms or legs, but an aisle seat will make it easier to get up, walk around and exercise as often as possible without disturbing others. Moving around is recommended for anyone anyway to avoid deep vein thrombosis. Unfortunately I can't sleep on flights at all, but falling asleep from beginning to end doesn't help at all from a risk reduction point of view, which makes me feel a bit better!  You can also look at the option of breaking your flights with a stopover somewhere en route. Best wishes. 

Yes better to be safe than sorry!

Good point @ iserbrown will bring this up when I chat to my oncologist in March

@Romla when I first met my Medical Oncologist he said, if you're considering any long distance travel, please let me know

Thankyou @ Tracey_BCNA 

Hi @Romla, the link below is to the lymphoedema fact sheet, page 3 has some information specific to travel which I hope you will find helpful.
https://www.bcna.org.au/media/2141/bcna-lymphoedema-fact-sheet.pdf

Best wishes
Tracey