Spoke to The Lymph Lady today - well, by text on the cellphone - and she advised me to sit tight with my arm. I told her it had been swelling and today is a week since my return from overseas, with its 10-hour flight from Paris to Joburg. My arm had been fine on the day of my return, when I had seen her, swollen in the middle of the upper arm when I saw her again on Tuesday, and been feeling awful ever since: slightly sore and definately swollen although it was been worse.
She told me not to wear a compression sleeve and that it could take a few days for it to settle down (post the flight).
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.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Back from my travels
These are some fascinating comments by New York fitness trainer, certified cancer exercise specialist and musician Julie Goodale whose blog fitness for survivors I devour regularly: julie on lymphedema.
I am back from my trip, had a wonderful time and survived doing the flights with a compression sleeve. I even put the sleeve on in the actual plane, before it took off, on the way back in full view of everyone (my sister is right, everybody is too self-absorbed to even notice the kind of things people become traumatised about) and wore it throughout my two days in that glamorous and fashionable city of Monte Carlo. Look, it helped that I knew it was not permanent but my arm felt shitty and I thought, rather wear it and let people think you're wearing a bandage - oh my lunch and dinner guests definately noticed it but said nothing - than suffer permanently later.
Saw The Lymph Lady on the day of my return who said my arm was perfect, better than it had been for ages. Then saw her yesterday and it was badly swollen in the middle of my upper arm. Now, and tomorrow is a week since my return from flying long distance, it is still slightly swollen and slightly sore and I am in two minds about sms-ing her and asking her what I should do.......Might wear the sleeve tomorrow. But it's gonna hurt cos found out - and she told me too when I complained - that if you bend your elbow it hurts like hell and I am going to be banging away on the computer keyboard all day tomorrow... mmm... will think about it.
Anyway, fab trip. Now need to sit down and write about it for the travel mag.
I am back from my trip, had a wonderful time and survived doing the flights with a compression sleeve. I even put the sleeve on in the actual plane, before it took off, on the way back in full view of everyone (my sister is right, everybody is too self-absorbed to even notice the kind of things people become traumatised about) and wore it throughout my two days in that glamorous and fashionable city of Monte Carlo. Look, it helped that I knew it was not permanent but my arm felt shitty and I thought, rather wear it and let people think you're wearing a bandage - oh my lunch and dinner guests definately noticed it but said nothing - than suffer permanently later.
Saw The Lymph Lady on the day of my return who said my arm was perfect, better than it had been for ages. Then saw her yesterday and it was badly swollen in the middle of my upper arm. Now, and tomorrow is a week since my return from flying long distance, it is still slightly swollen and slightly sore and I am in two minds about sms-ing her and asking her what I should do.......Might wear the sleeve tomorrow. But it's gonna hurt cos found out - and she told me too when I complained - that if you bend your elbow it hurts like hell and I am going to be banging away on the computer keyboard all day tomorrow... mmm... will think about it.
Anyway, fab trip. Now need to sit down and write about it for the travel mag.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
fitted for flying to france
I am sitting here with a compression sleeve on my left arm. Oh, nothing radical has happened although my arm did feel heavier as from yesterday, following herceptin on Friday, number 12 out of 17.
That is why I am wearing it now, reckoned it could only help, but the reason I even have a compression sleeve - number/size 2 - is that I am flying to Monaco and the French Riviera to write a travel piece for work. Leaving on Tuesday night. And the deal with The Lymph Lady is that if I went overseas - I live in South Africa - I have to wear a compression sleeve on the plane.
Was kinda horrified when I heard from The Sleeve Man (and was amazed to find out that his two-man practice is so busy, fitting sleeves, prosthesises (sp?) etc)that I have to wear it not only for the flight, but until I go to bed that night. So, in my case, arriving in France at 6am, catching a connecting flight to Nice I think it is, and so will be wearing the sleeve until I finish cavorting around Monaco, my first destination, late that night.
Must say though, that wearing it is not so bad. It has been hurting around the elbow but it is not such a fakking nightmare. And at least it will be wintry where I am going.
Also wasn't so charmed when The Sleeve Man measured my arms, both arms, and found my left arm was 1cm thicker along the middle upper arm and a whole 2.3cm thicker at the top. Damn.
More worrying, however, it that my arm felt thicker yesterday and today. When I put on a cardigan at work last night (was doing the midnight shift), it was tight around my left upper arm, a horrifying feeling. But seeing The Lymph Lady on Tuesday before I fly out - have not seen her for about a month (well it feels like that but is probably only about 3 weeks) as she was at a conference and then I had to cancel seeing her last week as the appointment clashed with the only time the entire week The Sleeve Man could see me.
Anyway, won't be updating blog while on my trip cos not taking my laptop and cannot update it from my phone as won't have internet access on it, as only doing SMS (text) roaming....
I guess I could take my laptop but really, it is not such a portable one, more designed for home use with a wide screen which is great for writing assignments, and anyway, with the hassle of being unable to carry anything heavy with my left arm or over my left shoulder cos of the lymphedema risk, don't need anything else to carry - already have my fab new purple luggage which consists of a large 50cm bag and a matching smaller one, all on wheels of course, for the cabin.
So wish me bon voyage!
Oh, and nearly forgot. They told me at the oncology centre that cos I am on tamoxifen, I am also at risk of developing a clot so am on ecotrin, which is essentially a coated aspirin, for a few days before, then during, plus a few days after my trip - plus have to wear flight socks during the trip...
But what the hell. Will all be fine. More concerned about acclimatising myself for the colder climate and leaving in warm weather and arriving in cold and so how to juggle clothes on the plane, than anything else......
That is why I am wearing it now, reckoned it could only help, but the reason I even have a compression sleeve - number/size 2 - is that I am flying to Monaco and the French Riviera to write a travel piece for work. Leaving on Tuesday night. And the deal with The Lymph Lady is that if I went overseas - I live in South Africa - I have to wear a compression sleeve on the plane.
Was kinda horrified when I heard from The Sleeve Man (and was amazed to find out that his two-man practice is so busy, fitting sleeves, prosthesises (sp?) etc)that I have to wear it not only for the flight, but until I go to bed that night. So, in my case, arriving in France at 6am, catching a connecting flight to Nice I think it is, and so will be wearing the sleeve until I finish cavorting around Monaco, my first destination, late that night.
Must say though, that wearing it is not so bad. It has been hurting around the elbow but it is not such a fakking nightmare. And at least it will be wintry where I am going.
Also wasn't so charmed when The Sleeve Man measured my arms, both arms, and found my left arm was 1cm thicker along the middle upper arm and a whole 2.3cm thicker at the top. Damn.
More worrying, however, it that my arm felt thicker yesterday and today. When I put on a cardigan at work last night (was doing the midnight shift), it was tight around my left upper arm, a horrifying feeling. But seeing The Lymph Lady on Tuesday before I fly out - have not seen her for about a month (well it feels like that but is probably only about 3 weeks) as she was at a conference and then I had to cancel seeing her last week as the appointment clashed with the only time the entire week The Sleeve Man could see me.
Anyway, won't be updating blog while on my trip cos not taking my laptop and cannot update it from my phone as won't have internet access on it, as only doing SMS (text) roaming....
I guess I could take my laptop but really, it is not such a portable one, more designed for home use with a wide screen which is great for writing assignments, and anyway, with the hassle of being unable to carry anything heavy with my left arm or over my left shoulder cos of the lymphedema risk, don't need anything else to carry - already have my fab new purple luggage which consists of a large 50cm bag and a matching smaller one, all on wheels of course, for the cabin.
So wish me bon voyage!
Oh, and nearly forgot. They told me at the oncology centre that cos I am on tamoxifen, I am also at risk of developing a clot so am on ecotrin, which is essentially a coated aspirin, for a few days before, then during, plus a few days after my trip - plus have to wear flight socks during the trip...
But what the hell. Will all be fine. More concerned about acclimatising myself for the colder climate and leaving in warm weather and arriving in cold and so how to juggle clothes on the plane, than anything else......
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