Thinking of you, i hope it all goes well and you will be back here in no time (((hugs)))

(((Susan)))

Thinking of you and your family tonight. Continued prayers for your recovery.

Peace and Blessings,

Beam & Family

((Suz))

Been praying for you. Let us know how things went when you feel up to it.

Hello everyone and thank you for all your prayers and for thinking of me.

I've had the surgery (lumpectomy) and they also took all the lymph nodes on my right side. I am currently going through radiation. I am very tired and weak. But I am ALIVE!!!!!

They are hoping that I will only need the radiation, but chemo is still a possibility. I am still very frightened, but am taking it one day at a time. I still am in some pain from the surgery, but the percocet really does take the edge off, too bad it turns me into an idiot for 3 hours! LOL!!!!!

See? I still have my sense of humor

(((Susan)))

Glad to hear your surgery went well

Were the nodes clear?

Make sure they give you a cream to apply after each radiation treatment....it will help with radiation burns (help prevent them).

I had all 28 nodes (yes, 28) taken from my right side. You need to watch for lymphedema. You need to take precautions with that arm at all times, from now until forever. No IV's, no blood pressure, etc in that arm, ever. Keep an eye on your arm (don't obsess though). If it starts to swell, you will have to do manual lymph drainage and invest in a compression sleeve. This site is a wealth of information (so is discussion board).

www.BreastCancer.org
Breast Cancer.org Discussion Board


Take care of yourself, enjoy the happy meds, and continue to find humor in this weird, wacky, world.

Peace & Blessings
Beam

It is so good to hear from you. A lumpectomy followed by radiation is VERY GOOD.

I was worried about you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

((Susan))

So great to hear from you!!! Yep, it can take quite a while to recover from that surgery.

I watched a lot of funny movies (Queen Latifah marathons and Absolutely Fabulous TV show from the BBC were favorites during recover).

Hang in there and come back when you feel up to it.


(JT's grin now that we've heard from Susan)

so good to hear from you! Continued prayers for recovery.

Oh i'm so glad to hear from you, thats made my day. I'm pleased the op was successful and am keeping my fingers crossed the rest of your treatment goes just as well, (((hugs))) you're here so you're a survivor, keep up that amazing strength of yours and i doubt anything will ever beat you.

L xxx

Beam me up. Oh my..........they didn't tell me anything about lymphedema. I don't even know what that is. They didn't tell me not to use that arm for blood work etc. either.

They took all 28 of mine also. If you have the time, could you please explain to me about the lymphodemia and the other things you mentioned?

Thanks you all for your prayers and good wishes. You are all a bunch of great, caring, compassionate people! Your well wishes meant a lot to me.

God Bless you all!

Susan

I read this on the internet -

Lymphedema is the chronic swelling or feeling of tightness in the arm or hand due to an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the soft tissue of the arm. The condition occurs when lymph vessels, which normally carry excess fluid out of the limbs and back into central circulation, have had their flow interrupted. Axillary (underarm) lymph node removal is commonly performed on breast cancer patients to stage or treat their cancer. However, between 15% and 20% of breast cancer patients who undergo axillary lymph node removal develop lymphedema. According to the American Cancer Society, of the two million breast cancer survivors in the U.S., approximately 400,000 must cope with lymphedema on a daily basis.


Main Menu:


Lymphedema After Breast Cancer Surgery
Preventing Lymphedema
Exercising After Mastectomy and Lymph Node Removal
Light Arm Exercises to Help Prevent/Manage Lymphedema
Treating Lymphedema
Additional Resources and References


Lymphedema After Breast Cancer Surgery

When breast cancer cells begin to escape from the primary tumor site in the breast, they often first travel to the lymph nodes under the upper arm. Therefore, it is often necessary to remove some or all of the axillary lymph nodes during breast cancer surgery (mastectomy or lumpectomy) to determine if the cancer has spread, and if so, to what extent.

Lymph node removal is usually performed on patients with invasive breast cancers during the same operation as mastectomy (breast removal) or lumpectomy (removing a breast lump), and may involve a separated incision for lumpectomy patients. There are two procedures for removing lymph nodes in breast cancer patients, axillary node dissection and sentinel node biopsy.

Illustration courtesy of NCI/NIH.


Axillary node dissection: This is the standard way to remove axillary lymph nodes. Typically, 10 to 30 lymph nodes are removed and examined in a pathology laboratory to determine whether they contain cancer cells.
Sentinel node biopsy: This is a new approach and involves only removing the first one to three lymph nodes in the lymphatic chain. Research continues to show that checking the ‘sentinel’ lymph nodes (first nodes) allows physicians to accurately determine whether the axilla (armpit region) contains cancer and may help reduce the chances of lymphedema. If the sentinel nodes contain cancer, then additional surgery is performed to remove the remaining lymph nodes.

Some swelling (edema) in the affected breast and arm area is normal during the first six to 12 weeks after surgery. Light arm and hand exercises are usually recommended during breast cancer treatment and up to 18 months after treatment has been completed to help keep the arm mobile. Please see the sections below on Exercising After Mastectomy and Lymph Node Removal and Light Arm Exercises to Help Prevent/Manage Lymphedema for more information.

Lymphedema (chronic swelling) of the arm tends to develop gradually in 15% to 20% of breast cancer patients who have lymph nodes removed. Some research suggests that the chance of developing lymphedema after breast cancer treatment is greater if a large number of lymph nodes are removed, if radiation is used as part of treatment, if tumor cells are present in the lymph does when initial surgery is performed, or if wound complications develop after surgery. There is also research that indicates that exercise and skin care after surgery can help reduce the chances of lymphedema. All patients who have lymph nodes removed should be taught how to take care of the affected arm and help prevent lymphedema. Patients should also know the early signs of lymphedema and report any symptoms to their physicians immediately to help avoid long-term suffering.

Early Signs of Lymphedema

Feeling of tightness in the arm
Pain, aching or heaviness in the arm
Swelling and redness of the arm
Less movement/flexibility in the arm, hand, wrist
Rings, bracelets or sleeves do not fit



Preventing Lymphedema

By following certain recommendations made by the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, and American Lymphedema Institute, breast cancer patients who undergo lymph node removal can help reduce their chances of developing lymphedema. Because lymphedema can occur up to years after breast cancer surgery, patients should continue to follow these guidelines and report any symptoms to their physicians at once.

The following recommendations should be instituted early after breast cancer treatment that involves lymph node removal and should be continued indefinitely. Research has shown better control if exercises to keep the lymphatic channels open are adopted early on compared to methods applied later in the course of lymphedema:


Use the arm in normal activities (such as bathing, dressing, etc.).
After surgery, keep the arm raised above the level of the heart for 45 minutes, two to three times a day while lying down. Position the arm on a pillow so the hand is higher than the wrist and the elbow is slightly higher than the shoulder.
Use a soft ball or stress ball and perform squeezing exercises with the hand, even if patients are not yet ready to perform raised arm positions immediately after surgery.
Clean the skin of the arm and hand every day and keep it moist with lotion. Lotions should not contain any alcohol, dyes, lanolin, mineral oil, petroleum products, talc or perfumes.
Make sure all clothing in contact with the affected area is clean, and change bandages and dressing frequently.
Avoid any needle sticks, blood tests, blood pressure testing, allergy tests or medical procedures of any kind on the affected arm whenever possible
Be careful to avoid too much pressure on the arm. Avoid tight jewelry, clothing or elastic bandages on the affected arm.
Do not use chemical hair removers under the arm. Use of an electric razor is recommended to avoid nicks and cuts when removing underarm hair.
Avoid extreme changes in temperature. Do not use hot tubs or saunas.
Take precautions to avoid any injuries to the affected arm, such as scrapes, scratches, burns, insect bites.
Consider wearing soft pads under the arm after axillary node dissection.
Wear a breast compression garment when traveling.
Wear protective gloves when doing household chores, especially when chemical cleansers are involved.
Exercise regularly but rest the affected arm immediately if it becomes tired or sore.
Maintain a balanced diet and an ideal weight.

Susan,

Glad to see you post. Hugs to (((believer))) for posting that information for you. That was a lot of good info, believer!

The doctors don't really tell you much of anything other than, "The surgery was successful and we removed all of the cancer." I was lucky and had a surgeon that went into full detail about lymphedema and what to watch out for. One of the other things that can set it off, flying. Even if you don't have a current prob with LE, the change in pressure can trigger a flair up. Always wear a compression garment when you fly.

On the breast cancer dot org site, they have a thread about LE on their discussion board. That site saved my sanity. They have threads dedicated to the stage of cancer, hormone positive, mastectomy, lumpectomy only....very large discussion board!

I don't get on here as often as I would like, but if you have any questions, or questions you feel uncomfortable asking here, just email me. shes@TheEndOfHerWits.info

Keeping you in prayer

Peace and Blessings,

Beam

Over 25 years ago my sister had a modified radical mastecomy. They took all her lymph nodes on one side. Over the years her hand and wrist have swollen and when she flies it is worse. Her wrist is never normal size but it has never stopped from normal activity. She is an active tennis player and grandma of two.

Thank you Thank you Believer! That was so much good information. you too, beam meup. Thanks to everyone! I am wearing a compression bra/suit right now. It hooks up the front with an eye and hook closure, and then zips up. I think It is from Jobst.

It feels tight but it has sleeves also that go down to below my elbow. I will keep you updated. Thanks again.

How are you doing emotionally? This has got to be very hard on top of the marriage recovery.

Hi hm2

I saw your post on another thread today. How are you doing?

Hope all goes well for you. I wanted to pass on a bit of information about support for cancer patients. Gilda's Club provides free support to cancer patients and their families. They do not focus on any type of cancer though they do have some specific groups. They have support services for children, teens, men, and women. I don't know where you are located but, if you go to the link above, you can see if there is a clubhouse in your area.

I am training for a half marathon and raising funds for Gilda's Club. My children's paternal grandfather, who quit smoking almost 30 years ago, was diagnosed with lung cancer about 7 months ago.