I think the damn trouble with the swelling of my left arm since radiation - noticed it from the day I finished my 25 radiation treatments I think it was - is not the swelling itself, albeit it terrifying that it might develop into lymphoedema, but the pain.
I keep having pain and it wears me down. Today it has been sore on the inside of my elbow.
Pretty sure my arm is swollen there today. Luckily so far the most my arm has increased in size is 1/2cm.
The possibility of this happening was so underplayed by the radiation oncologist. I wonder what the stats are for this happening. Mm... think they are low. But so far it has been one of the biggest impacts of my treatment. And I think I thought I was safe from this because I did not have surgery and did not have lymph nodes removed.
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 swelling from breast cancer radiation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swelling from breast cancer radiation. Show all posts
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
forgotten the routine
If I had written this earlier tonight, it might have been quite a tale of misery but now - and it is already after midnight - feeling much better. Just more relaxed I guess. Going away for the weekend, to the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, and finally packed. Gosh, cancelled my show tonight so I could have time to chill and pack and only finally packed a few moments ago. Love travelling but not the world's best packer.
And it's only a weekend. But have progressed from taking lots of shoes for a two day trip.
Anyway, the problem is that still have pain in my arm and shoulder area that was radiated. It burns a lot. Did exercises this morning but a once off is not enough.
And now cancelled biokinetics tomorrow cos need to see The Lymph Lady. As far as I know, have a five minute appointment but it's a bit of an emergency cos discovered on Tuesday at my appointment that I was massaging the affected arm incorrectly during the lymph drainage massage. She showed me the correct way but i have forgotten. Read the manual I have but cannot make sense of it. Spoke to her for ages on the phone but could not work it out. So off to Morningside Clinic tomorrow, instead of bio, for her to show me again. In the interim, that is, during tonight's massage session and again tomorrow morning, she said I must leave out all the arm massages and focus only on my body massages.
If my arm has increased in size, which it looked like to me when trying on a sleeveless dress today, might have to get a compression sleeve. Yuch yuch yuch. Hoping the swelling will go down by Monday, that it was just caused by the herceptin but with another 15 sessions to go.....
And it's only a weekend. But have progressed from taking lots of shoes for a two day trip.
Anyway, the problem is that still have pain in my arm and shoulder area that was radiated. It burns a lot. Did exercises this morning but a once off is not enough.
And now cancelled biokinetics tomorrow cos need to see The Lymph Lady. As far as I know, have a five minute appointment but it's a bit of an emergency cos discovered on Tuesday at my appointment that I was massaging the affected arm incorrectly during the lymph drainage massage. She showed me the correct way but i have forgotten. Read the manual I have but cannot make sense of it. Spoke to her for ages on the phone but could not work it out. So off to Morningside Clinic tomorrow, instead of bio, for her to show me again. In the interim, that is, during tonight's massage session and again tomorrow morning, she said I must leave out all the arm massages and focus only on my body massages.
If my arm has increased in size, which it looked like to me when trying on a sleeveless dress today, might have to get a compression sleeve. Yuch yuch yuch. Hoping the swelling will go down by Monday, that it was just caused by the herceptin but with another 15 sessions to go.....
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
swellling is up
Was chirping along today, feeling really good, happy that I am dealing with things and can cut down the visits to the therapist when ... wam! Went to see the Lymph Lady and my swelling was up. My arm was more swollen in three places I think it was, most of all in the upper arm (1/2cm). And my left bra strap is digging into me, which it usually doesn't, so I am guessing my shoulder is puffy too. Dunno.
Plus she said I was kinda pink where I am sore. So phoned the radiation oncologist today and left a message. In retrospect, don't think I left a very clear message. But my underarm is burny tonight, post yoga - which was fab!!
The Lymph Lady said the increased swelling is likely to be due to the herceptin I had yesterday. She keeps referring to it as chemo and when I say: "but it isn't!" she insists it is, a chemical therapy.
Well just praying the swelling goes down - and that the pain goes. Not ideal although luckily found in yoga tonight that my mobility of my left arm is far better than i anticipated. Only once I could not put my arms somewhere (now cannot remember which pose it was). Think it was straightening arms and putting them back.
Gosh but remember the daily radiation..... sjoe but it can lead to complications!!!
Plus she said I was kinda pink where I am sore. So phoned the radiation oncologist today and left a message. In retrospect, don't think I left a very clear message. But my underarm is burny tonight, post yoga - which was fab!!
The Lymph Lady said the increased swelling is likely to be due to the herceptin I had yesterday. She keeps referring to it as chemo and when I say: "but it isn't!" she insists it is, a chemical therapy.
Well just praying the swelling goes down - and that the pain goes. Not ideal although luckily found in yoga tonight that my mobility of my left arm is far better than i anticipated. Only once I could not put my arms somewhere (now cannot remember which pose it was). Think it was straightening arms and putting them back.
Gosh but remember the daily radiation..... sjoe but it can lead to complications!!!
Friday, August 21, 2009
after radiation
It's about two months, maybe three?, since I completed my five weeks of radiation for breast cancer.
At the time, it had barely any impact. Not even on my skin initially. "It's your healthiness (sic)," said the radiation oncologist, a non-existence word (I think) which I now love to quote.
Well, two months or whatever it is down the line, the burn marks that did appear below my neck have disappeared but it's still damn itchy there. And even as I sit and write this, on a Friday evening, I have thick white E45 cream on the area (ok, at home, so no-one can see). I did use a cortisone-acqueous cream mix but apparently it thins the skin so doctor would not prescribe any more.
And worse than that, am in pain. Not all the time, but often and it's fairly extreme. Well, it's sore. Under my arm, above my boob, below my upper arm.... and so on.
None at the moment so it's difficult to remember where exactly.
Anyway have decided the only thing to do is to exercise twice a day, 10 minutes a time. I had to beg the radiation practice for those exercises (they are supposed to be post-operative exercises and I did not have any surgery) but need to do them if don't want to have restricted movement. Or so I say, and so do some websites.
The trouble has been that the radiation also caused swelling - funny that I did not mention that earlier in this posting cos it's damn serious - but luckily that is now under control although I am doing lymph drainage massage twice a day, for about 30 minutes a time, plus seeing an expert for it once a week, and it's do time consuming that have not had time to do arm and shoulder exercises, or write much on this blog.
But not complaining. Hell, the massage has become part of my life. Hopefully not forever though. And, as I said earlier, have to now add 10 to it in the morning and night and surely that cannot be too difficult. Ten minutes is after all only 10 minutes, even if it does mean i now have to wake up at 6.20am and not 6.30am on the days I have biokinetics.
At the time, it had barely any impact. Not even on my skin initially. "It's your healthiness (sic)," said the radiation oncologist, a non-existence word (I think) which I now love to quote.
Well, two months or whatever it is down the line, the burn marks that did appear below my neck have disappeared but it's still damn itchy there. And even as I sit and write this, on a Friday evening, I have thick white E45 cream on the area (ok, at home, so no-one can see). I did use a cortisone-acqueous cream mix but apparently it thins the skin so doctor would not prescribe any more.
And worse than that, am in pain. Not all the time, but often and it's fairly extreme. Well, it's sore. Under my arm, above my boob, below my upper arm.... and so on.
None at the moment so it's difficult to remember where exactly.
Anyway have decided the only thing to do is to exercise twice a day, 10 minutes a time. I had to beg the radiation practice for those exercises (they are supposed to be post-operative exercises and I did not have any surgery) but need to do them if don't want to have restricted movement. Or so I say, and so do some websites.
The trouble has been that the radiation also caused swelling - funny that I did not mention that earlier in this posting cos it's damn serious - but luckily that is now under control although I am doing lymph drainage massage twice a day, for about 30 minutes a time, plus seeing an expert for it once a week, and it's do time consuming that have not had time to do arm and shoulder exercises, or write much on this blog.
But not complaining. Hell, the massage has become part of my life. Hopefully not forever though. And, as I said earlier, have to now add 10 to it in the morning and night and surely that cannot be too difficult. Ten minutes is after all only 10 minutes, even if it does mean i now have to wake up at 6.20am and not 6.30am on the days I have biokinetics.
Monday, August 17, 2009
an aside: the hidden side-effect
When I had chemo, I knew my hair was falling out. But what I did not realise, until the hair was growing back and most of the side-effects subsided, was that the chemo had also had another, somewhat hidden, effect.
It had removed all the unseen hair and blemishes, such as the light facial hair on the sides of my face, and the little red mark on the left side of my nose which my dermatologist had told me could be removed with a beautician's laser treatment.
Hell, now that it's back, I have actually been enquiring about laser treatment, albeit it without urgency.
Think that absence of all hair and blemishes merely added to that ill look I had while on chemo.
Oh well, now today still battling with swelling from the radiation. And got bitten by something on my vulnerable arm, dabbed it with surgical swap, added batroban antiseptic cream... and now off to get more to try to bring down the swelling that tiny unknown creature has caused.
It had removed all the unseen hair and blemishes, such as the light facial hair on the sides of my face, and the little red mark on the left side of my nose which my dermatologist had told me could be removed with a beautician's laser treatment.
Hell, now that it's back, I have actually been enquiring about laser treatment, albeit it without urgency.
Think that absence of all hair and blemishes merely added to that ill look I had while on chemo.
Oh well, now today still battling with swelling from the radiation. And got bitten by something on my vulnerable arm, dabbed it with surgical swap, added batroban antiseptic cream... and now off to get more to try to bring down the swelling that tiny unknown creature has caused.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
did not realise my anger
Went to this breast cancer charity do this morning. Was dreading it. And could not really understand why I did not want to go. But now I do.
Firstly, as much as it does consume a lot of my life, do not want to spend my Sunday morning focussing on breast cancer. But even more so, when I got there, realised how angry I am. And then the first speaker got up and spoke about the need to examine your breasts. Big deal. Would not have helped me. I had a mammogram and scan and was given the all-clear, until less than two months later I found a lump below my armpit.
I am angry because I do not want to hear the standard stuff of how it's important to go for regular mammograms and scans, eat healthily - lots of oily fish (which I often ate three times a day), drink green tea (which I did and still do daily, barring the time I had chemo and swopped to fennel tea).
The second speaker was a radiologist who spoke about how it isn't so clean cut, so obvious, so clear and then the third speaker spoke about genetics and having the gene for breast cancer (as far as I know, I don't). Interesting. My sister in Cape Town was advised not to go for genetic counselling by a doctor as he said it will just drive her crazy as she will spend her entire life worrying about getting cancer.
Anyway, got over the event and it was ok.
Also, think I am a little resentful - but I should have spoken to them about it, or still speak to them about it - about the lack of support groups around at the oncology centre. Guess I could contact them but why does the oncology centre not recommend/endorse them? There was a buddy from the Bosom Buddies suport group there the first day I went for chemo and I realise now how that brief chat helped me with my entire chemo experience as she provided invaluable, practical advice. Maybe will go to their next meeting.
Also kinda anxious - trying not to be - re the swelling on my neck. Doctor felt it and said it was soft but if it did not go away, might have to go for a scan. It is still swollen. Just praying that it is just swelling of the lymph from the radiation, like my left breast is swollen, a typical reaction.
Firstly, as much as it does consume a lot of my life, do not want to spend my Sunday morning focussing on breast cancer. But even more so, when I got there, realised how angry I am. And then the first speaker got up and spoke about the need to examine your breasts. Big deal. Would not have helped me. I had a mammogram and scan and was given the all-clear, until less than two months later I found a lump below my armpit.
I am angry because I do not want to hear the standard stuff of how it's important to go for regular mammograms and scans, eat healthily - lots of oily fish (which I often ate three times a day), drink green tea (which I did and still do daily, barring the time I had chemo and swopped to fennel tea).
The second speaker was a radiologist who spoke about how it isn't so clean cut, so obvious, so clear and then the third speaker spoke about genetics and having the gene for breast cancer (as far as I know, I don't). Interesting. My sister in Cape Town was advised not to go for genetic counselling by a doctor as he said it will just drive her crazy as she will spend her entire life worrying about getting cancer.
Anyway, got over the event and it was ok.
Also, think I am a little resentful - but I should have spoken to them about it, or still speak to them about it - about the lack of support groups around at the oncology centre. Guess I could contact them but why does the oncology centre not recommend/endorse them? There was a buddy from the Bosom Buddies suport group there the first day I went for chemo and I realise now how that brief chat helped me with my entire chemo experience as she provided invaluable, practical advice. Maybe will go to their next meeting.
Also kinda anxious - trying not to be - re the swelling on my neck. Doctor felt it and said it was soft but if it did not go away, might have to go for a scan. It is still swollen. Just praying that it is just swelling of the lymph from the radiation, like my left breast is swollen, a typical reaction.
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