What does skin and nail care have to do with Lymphedema?

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by touroinfirmary Lillian O’Cain, LOTR, CAPS and Elizabeth Urquhart, LOTR, CLT Cancer Rehabilitation is relatively new in the healthcare system. So much focus has always been on removing or decreasing cancer in the body that the sequela of treatment of the cancer leads to impairment. This impacts everyday life during treatment or after treatment. The goal of Cancer Rehabilitation Care for breast cancer patients is to provide education and treatment for lymphedema. What is Lymphedema? Lymph is a clear fluid that develops in tissue spaces through the body. It accumulates as a result of trauma or surgery to the lymph nodes. It usually affects an arm or a leg, but can also occur in the face, neck, abdomen or other parts of the body. It is different from edema, as it does not resolve on its own. Lymphedema usually develops slowly over time. The swelling can range from mild to severe, and it can develop soon after surgery or radiation treatment or many months or even years later. Doctors are not able to fully understand why some patients are more likely to have problems with fluid build-up than others. Signs of Lymphedema Swelling of an arm, which may include fingers A full or heavy feeling in an arm A tight feeling in the skin. Trouble moving a joint in the arm A feeling of tightness when wearing clothing, bracelets, watches, or rings. Difficulty fitting the arm into jacket or shirt sleeves. Lymphedema often occurs in breast cancer patients who had all, or part of their breast removed, and axillary lymph nodes removed. If you have had lymph nodes removed surgery, or radiation treatment, you may want to examine your body in front of a mirror. If you notice any of the signs listed above, and if they last for one or two weeks, call your doctor. The most common form of lymphedema in the United States is secondary lymphedema. Secondary lymphedema most often affects those who have survived cancer and have undergone surgery and/or radiation of the lymph nodes. If you are diagnosed with lymphedema, therapy offers effective treatment to reduce the swelling, keep it from getting worse and limit the risk of infection. Education to breast cancer patients about lymphedema, includes the need for good skin care, avoiding injections and having blood pressure taken in the affected arm. Touro’s Occupational Therapist and Certified Lymphedema Therapist can evaluate, educate, and treat lymphedema when ordered by a physician. Therapy can include: Meticulous skin care Massage Special bandaging Therapeutic exercise Fitting for a compression garment Manual lymph drainage Self-care treatment Customized home care program Getting treatment early should lead to a shorter course of treatment to get your lymphedema under control. The safest, most effective treatment for lymphedema is MLD/CDT (manual Lymph drainage) by a trained therapist. Source: National Cancer Institute Lillian O’Cain, LOTR, CAPS has over 25 years experience as an Occupational Therapist at Touro Infirmary and in 2013 was promoted to Program Manager for Touro’s STAR Program (Survivorship, Training and Rehabilitation). Lil received a bachelor of science in Occupational Therapy from Louisiana State University School of Allied Health Professions in 1986. She has developed a passion in the field of study for both fall prevention and Aging in Place and regularly volunteers her time to offer innovative programming and opportunities to educate seniors, caregivers, physicians and Touro staff. touroinfirmary | October 23, 2018 at 8:00 am | Categories: 31 Days of Pink | URL: https://wp.me/p3U9Kg-zj Comment    See all comments

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Avoid Extremes, Hot and Cold, With Lymphedema

Lymphedema requires diligence all seasons. Do not let icy cold weather catch you or your lymphedema, unaware. Take precautions to protect yourself.

BY Felicia Mitchell

PUBLISHED January 10, 2018

Felicia Mitchell is a poet and writer who makes her home in southwestern Virginia, where she teaches at Emory & Henry College. She was diagnosed with Stage 2b HER2-positive breast cancer in 2010. Website: www.feliciamitchell.net

Lymphedema requires diligence all seasons.
Summer, we are diligent to avoid sunburns, insect bites and poison ivy. In the winter, moisturizing is even more important as skin is dryer than usual. Autumn and spring? The usual precautions are best kept in mind. Raking, for example, might require an arm sleeve if you do not wear one daily. When planting bulbs and seeds, gardening gloves are helpful.

Lymphedema requires a special diligence in winter.
Now it is winter. It has been cold where I live, which means that the twinges I feel in my arm when I need a compression arm sleeve have been more frequent. Extreme temperatures, hot or cold, are not good for lymphedema. With temperatures ranging from 1 degrees on up, I have had to work hard to avoid additional swelling and to listen to the lessons of the aches and pains that herald a flare.

Over the holiday season, my dryer broke. Cleaning up the basement for the arrival of a new dryer was not so arduous. I also needed to clean the steps into the basement, though, a chore I usually save for spring. Cleaning the steps meant sweeping pine needles and fallen leaves and carrying them into the woods.  

         I thought I was prepared for that, but I was wrong.

Is It My Job to Educate Others About Lymphedema?

After breast cancer surgery and lymph node removal, I developed lymphedema, a painful, lifelong condition. This medical problem is often misunderstood but is it my place to help bring awareness? One survivor speaks out.

BY Bonnie Annis

PUBLISHED December 22, 2017

Bonnie Annis is a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 2014 with stage 2b invasive ductal carcinoma with metastasis to the lymph nodes. She is an avid photographer, freelance writer/blogger, wife, mother and grandmother.

“Is it my job to educate medical staff about the dangers of lymphedema?” That’s the question I asked myself recently while sitting in my primary care physician’s office. I’d gone in for a checkup and had found myself frustrated once again.

I’ve been a patient in this practice for almost four years. The doctor, nurses and lab technicians are aware of my history with breast cancer. I’ve been questioned so many times while there, about the colorful compression sleeves I wear for lymphedema. One staff member actually told me she wished she had lymphedema so she could wear fun and funky patterns. I cringed when she made that comment thinking, “if you only knew…”

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Making Room for Lymphedema

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.

BY Kimberly Brandt

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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Lymphedema

New post on Living Well Lymphedema by touroinfirmary Lymphedema is the chronic, or continuous, swelling in a part of the body that may occur after cancer surgery or radiation. Lymphedema is caused by the buildup of fluid that does not properly drain when the lymph nodes are removed during cancer treatment. The condition can happen years after cancer treatment. While there is no cure, there are ways to prevent it and reduce the symptoms. The most common treatment is a form of therapy performed by certified physical therapists. During the therapy treatment, manual massage may be used to move the fluid out of areas which it is collecting. Compression garments, such as sleeves, gloves, stockings, or others, may also be used to compress the body part and prevent fluid collection. These garments would be a lifelong treatment and may be worn during the day or full time. To prevent lymphedema if you have not already developed the condition and are at risk, consider the following tips. These should become integrated as daily habits to reduce your chance of the condition and an associated risk of infection with fluid collection. Don’t wear tight sleeves, cuffs, watches, or jewelry that could constrict your skin. Trim your fingernails and do not pick at either the skin or nails. Do not carry heavy items with that arm Click here to learn more about lymphedema and the symptoms that you may see with the condition. Click here to learn more about Touro's Cancer Rehabilitation Program and read patients' testimonials who went through lymphedema therapy. touroinfirmary | October 28, 2017 at 5:00 am | Categories: 31 Days of Pink | URL: https://wp.me/p3U9Kg-px Comment    See all comments    Like Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Living Well. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://livingwellblog.co/2017/10/28/lymphedema/

From Cancer to Career Changes, Kathy Bates Talks Life's Challenges

Kathy Bates knows how to roll with the punches. In the last 14 years, she has beaten bohttps://parade.com/590180/nicolepajer/from-cancer-to-career-changes-kathy-bates-talks-lifes-challenges/th ovarian cancer and breast cancer. And, after a long and lauded career in film, the 69-year-old actress has shifted her focus to TV, starring in four seasons of FX’s American Horror Story and playing actress Joan Blondell in FX’s Feud. Next, she’ll star as Ruth, the owner of a California cannabis dispensary, in Netflix’s comedy Disjointed, out August 25.

An ongoing challenge for Bates is lymphedema, a blockage in the lymphatic system often triggered by removing lymph nodes during breast cancer surgery. The chronic condition causes excessive swelling in the arms and legs and affects 10 million Americans, “yet nobody really knows what it is,” says Bates. She’s now a spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN).
We caught up with Bates to talk about lymphedema, her newfound niche in TV and ditching the prosthetics after a double mastectomy.

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Celebrate the 2nd annual World Lymphedema Day - March 6!

Learn More about Lymphema