Hi everyone, I know it's been a few weeks! I'm still here, and definitely feel more robust now that it's ten weeks post-surgery.
However, from my infection which is now fully cleared, I developed the dreaded lymphodema in my biopsy arm (the same area that got the infection).
Your arm swells up, the fluid doesn't drain as well, and it's... puffy. Not majorly puffy, no-one could tell by looking at it but my hand looks very different to my normal hand. And if you don’t tend to it the puffiness doesn’t go away. So I am tending!
What makes matters worse is that I broke my wrist on that side twenty-five years ago. Let's just say I was out with my sister, having fun at fancy bars in my highest heels and my heel caught on one of the steps up to our house on our way home and I fell backwards onto my hand.
Not my proudest moment and now it's coming back to bite me in the butt! The oncology masseuse I've been seeing for lymphatic drainage massage said 'none of the bones are in the right place' of my wrist. She was quite perplexed and that’s when I remembered my wrist injury.
Honestly it's my full-time job at the moment worrying if it's going to be permanent, managing it with my compression sleeve and glove, doing exercises for my arms, going for walks to get everything moving. I thought I was out of the woods but there are still a few more trees yet!
It shouldn't be permanent and I'm clinging to that hope. I only had one lymph node removed, others have all removed. I'm not having radiation on the area. It was caused by infection not other things. I have full movement in my arm. So fingers crossed.
I am writing though! I'd love to get my writing flowing regularly again and I've been doing that all morning today. I'm working on my breast cancer book and I promise you it will be more uplifting than it sounds haha.
So it's nice to pop in and see you, and if you’ve had lymphodema I feel for you. It's not nice. It's not painful, just a little bit uncomfortable as swelling can be. It's just the worry that I will have to manage it for a long time. Even ‘temporary’ is measured in months, not weeks or days.
But I’m keeping on keeping on.
Hugs to you, Fiona x
#positivity
However, from my infection which is now fully cleared, I developed the dreaded lymphodema in my biopsy arm (the same area that got the infection).
Your arm swells up, the fluid doesn't drain as well, and it's... puffy. Not majorly puffy, no-one could tell by looking at it but my hand looks very different to my normal hand. And if you don’t tend to it the puffiness doesn’t go away. So I am tending!
What makes matters worse is that I broke my wrist on that side twenty-five years ago. Let's just say I was out with my sister, having fun at fancy bars in my highest heels and my heel caught on one of the steps up to our house on our way home and I fell backwards onto my hand.
Not my proudest moment and now it's coming back to bite me in the butt! The oncology masseuse I've been seeing for lymphatic drainage massage said 'none of the bones are in the right place' of my wrist. She was quite perplexed and that’s when I remembered my wrist injury.
Honestly it's my full-time job at the moment worrying if it's going to be permanent, managing it with my compression sleeve and glove, doing exercises for my arms, going for walks to get everything moving. I thought I was out of the woods but there are still a few more trees yet!
It shouldn't be permanent and I'm clinging to that hope. I only had one lymph node removed, others have all removed. I'm not having radiation on the area. It was caused by infection not other things. I have full movement in my arm. So fingers crossed.
I am writing though! I'd love to get my writing flowing regularly again and I've been doing that all morning today. I'm working on my breast cancer book and I promise you it will be more uplifting than it sounds haha.
So it's nice to pop in and see you, and if you’ve had lymphodema I feel for you. It's not nice. It's not painful, just a little bit uncomfortable as swelling can be. It's just the worry that I will have to manage it for a long time. Even ‘temporary’ is measured in months, not weeks or days.
But I’m keeping on keeping on.
Hugs to you, Fiona x
#positivity
You look wonderful, Fiona, and I’m sorry you’re having such a tough time. Breast cancer is a tough thing and I admire your positivity. Take good care of yourself. Thinking of you!
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