Oncology Rehab

Today I went to talk to a lymphedema therapist. What is lymphedema, you ask? Well, when lymph nodes are removed, it interrupts the normal flow of fluid through your body. Fluid can build up in that area and cause swelling, in my case, my right arm. The swelling can be permanent if not dealt with early enough. Since I'm a fairly active person, I'm more at risk of getting lymphedema. It also can cause a breakdown in your immune system, and you have to be really careful about cuts and burns not getting infected. So my Bellevue oncologist referred me to the therapist to learn all about lymphedema and how to counteract it.

After explaining how the lymph system works, and what causes lymphedema, the therapist checked my range of motion in the right arm. She made several measurements on both arms. This helps you recognize if there's swelling in the affected arm.

Then she showed me about ten different massages to do daily to help the fluid drain into the healthy parts of my lymph system. I also have the option of wearing a compression sleeve on my arm when I know I'm going to be active (i.e. skiing, hiking, weight training, etc.). I learned too that when you fly, the cabin pressure in the plane is not the same as being on the ground, so I will probably need to wear the sleeve for traveling. And it's so stylish, too.

With all this new knowledge, I feel like I'm on my way to a medical degree of some kind.

Health Blog - Getting started

I had a good friend ask me if I was going to blog my experience with breast cancer. I thought, "why would anyone be interested in that?!" But I guess in this age of technology, maybe some friends and family would find it helpful to keep in touch with me as I work my way through treatment. I've also noticed that as information is passed from person to person, misinformation happens.

So here is what happened up to this point:

After finding a small growth during a routine physical, my doctor told me I should probably have it checked out with a diagnostic mammogram. I went the following week. The radiologist also did an ultrasound, and had this comment, "This doesn't look good. We should probably set you up for an MRI, followed by a biopsy." So I had that to think about over the Thanksgiving weekend.

After the MRI and the biopsy, I was told it would be 3 days before they would have the results. On the evening of the second day, Dec. 3rd, my doctor called. "I just got the results of your biopsy" he said. "You have infiltrating ductal carcinoma." I didn't hear much else of what he said, other than it was in the early stages and that I should meet with surgeon to discuss my options.

After meeting with a surgeon in Bozeman, I decided it would be a good idea to travel to the Seattle area and meet with a surgical specialist. After the meeting and much discussion with my husband, I decided to have a lumpectomy and scheduled it for Jan. 4th.

The surgery went well and was performed in an outpatient facility, so I didn't have to spend any time in the hospital. The surgeon told me she took out 7 lymph nodes, which is a bit unusual, since they normally take 2-3, but apparently I have a very healthy lymph system. Just as I was feeling good that the surgery was behind me, the surgeon called with results of the lymph node pathology report. They had found cancer in one of the seven lymph nodes. This was a blow to my mental state, because it meant chemotherapy would be part of the treatment.

It also meant I had to have a CT scan and bone scan to make sure the cancer hadn't spread into other parts of my body. Those fortunately came out clean, plus further tests on the lymph nodes all came out negative.

I met with the oncologist to discuss the results of all the tests. She laid out a recommended course of treatment, starting with 3-4 mos. of chemotherapy (infusions every three weeks), followed by 7 weeks of radiation and 5 years of hormonal therapy. I would lose my hair after the first infusion. This information took several days (and a lot of emotional distress) for my mind to process. I also had to decide if I wanted to have my treatment in Bellevue, or back home in Bozeman. Despite having family in the Seattle area, and my best friend, I thought I would be happier overall in Bozeman.

So that leads us to today. I will be driving back to Bozeman at the end of the month, and will meet with the oncologist there. It will be a tough road ahead, but I think I'm finally up to it.

Lou Ann