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.