Lymphedema is not an uncommon secondary effect of cancer treatment. With no cure available, an effective long-term treatment effort is necessary for maximizing a cancer survivor's quality of life.
PUBLISHED November 06, 2017
In early 2010, Kim Brandt was diagnosed and treated for stage 1 rectal cancer. However, in 2013, the cancer was discovered to have metastasized, which then required aggressive treatment. Her education and professional career have been focused on urban planning and local government, and she has found her own patient experience eye-opening in respect to understanding the health care community’s physical needs. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dog, swimming and a weekly yoga class or two.
A few days ago, a rather large box arrived at my home. With the same anticipation I feel on Christmas morning, I opened the box and unpacked its contents. It was my very own compression pump system! As I surveyed all the equipment, my first thought was “Cool - this will really help manage my lymphedema.” My second thought was “Wow- where am I going to store it?” There is no doubt about it, lymphedema weighs you down, as your weight on the bathroom scale goes up.
I am no different than most cancer survivors in that I have secondary effects from my treatment. These include peripheral neuropathy and osteoporosis, both of which require medication and various dietary supplements. But I also have secondary lymphedema, which is soft-tissue swelling due to damage to my lymphatic system
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