Was driving to see The Lymph Lady the other day when I thought: Oh well, if I have lymphedema, then maybe that's the price I have to pay for not having cancer.
"What an about-turn!" remarked The Lymph Lady, and I suppose it is a change in attitude.
Meanwhile, though, happy to report that I don't have lymphedema. Still borderline though. Most recently my arm was up 4mm at the top though. I am now going only twice a month but did communicate with her via SMS today though, even though it's a Sunday, cos have had an incredibly sore throat which is possibly caused from blocked sinusus forcing me to breathe through my mouth. Didn't do my manual lymph drainage massage yesterday and contacted her to ask her what to do, but by the time she had responded had already done it. She said to wait another day and see how I feel, so I won't do it tonight. (Doing the massage when you are ill just makes the lymphedema/borderline lymphedema worse.)
Anybody else out there doing regular lymph drainage massage?
I live in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I was diagnosed with breast cancer on Thursday January 15 2009. This is my journey with cancer and other musings as surveyed - initially temporarily hairless - from under my hats.
Showing posts with label manual lumph massage when sick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label manual lumph massage when sick. Show all posts
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Thursday, January 14, 2010
saved from the sleeve
There is a God. My arm has gone back to normal. Apparently it went up more than 1cm in some places. Now it's down again. I lost 2kg and did massive amounts of massage although today was told not to do the manual lymph massage if you are sickly!! I had no idea.
Anyway, am talking in circles.
Apparently my arm went up cos I was sickening. On Monday The Lymph Lady asked me if I felt sickly, if I was sickening for something, and I said no I felt fine, just miserable.
Well, by the next day I was ill - and apparently that caused my arm to swell. Cos the lymph is not working properly. But then it went down. Plus I lost 2kg - combination of the stomach bug which plagued me and during which I did not eat, plus making a major effort to eat minimally.
I had come to terms with the idea of wearing a compression sleeve cos convinced myself it would not be permanent. Well, today The Lymph Lady told me that once you have lymphedema, you have to wear the sleeve - always. "You can take it off if you go to a wedding," she said. But that is it. So I have to do everything I can to ensure that I don't wear one. I don't want to be permanently disabled in that way.
So I am still back to high-risk. The Lymph Lady says that the latest study is that anyone at high risk should wear the compression sleeve all the time but:
1) the test for body composition to determine your risk is not available in South Africa, and
2) the final results of the study are not yet available.
Think there was a third reason why I don't need to wear one but cannot remember it.
Anyway, she said I should still go see her assistant - have an appointment once a week while The Lymph Lady is in Kenya on holiday - so off to the sticks I go!! Well, not quite 'the sticks' but pretty far away from where I am. But guess that's not the issue.
I was sooooo chuffed today. Felt my determination had helped. Now not so sure but still glad and still eating minimably to bring down my weight and so, too, the possibility of swelling.
Anyway, am talking in circles.
Apparently my arm went up cos I was sickening. On Monday The Lymph Lady asked me if I felt sickly, if I was sickening for something, and I said no I felt fine, just miserable.
Well, by the next day I was ill - and apparently that caused my arm to swell. Cos the lymph is not working properly. But then it went down. Plus I lost 2kg - combination of the stomach bug which plagued me and during which I did not eat, plus making a major effort to eat minimally.
I had come to terms with the idea of wearing a compression sleeve cos convinced myself it would not be permanent. Well, today The Lymph Lady told me that once you have lymphedema, you have to wear the sleeve - always. "You can take it off if you go to a wedding," she said. But that is it. So I have to do everything I can to ensure that I don't wear one. I don't want to be permanently disabled in that way.
So I am still back to high-risk. The Lymph Lady says that the latest study is that anyone at high risk should wear the compression sleeve all the time but:
1) the test for body composition to determine your risk is not available in South Africa, and
2) the final results of the study are not yet available.
Think there was a third reason why I don't need to wear one but cannot remember it.
Anyway, she said I should still go see her assistant - have an appointment once a week while The Lymph Lady is in Kenya on holiday - so off to the sticks I go!! Well, not quite 'the sticks' but pretty far away from where I am. But guess that's not the issue.
I was sooooo chuffed today. Felt my determination had helped. Now not so sure but still glad and still eating minimably to bring down my weight and so, too, the possibility of swelling.
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