Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema, A Manageable Condition
After the journey of breast cancer treatment often involving surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, some survivors face an unexpected challenge: lymphedema. This chronic condition causes swelling, tightness, and discomfort, often in the arm, chest, trunk or breast, and can significantly impact choices for clothing, daily life activities and emotional well-being.
You don’t have to manage this alone. A therapist who has earned the CLT-LANA credentials is a powerful partner for identifying symptoms, restoring comfort, and reclaiming function.
The initial step is managing the onset or flare up of the lymphedema through specialized interventions. Next, we develop a personalized, effective set of habits to manage your condition. We may teach your loved ones techniques that can be helpful at home. We focus on allowing you to return to doing all of the things you want to do and need to do to live fully.
So what Is Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema?
Don’t feel embarrassed if you have heard the term, but are unsure exactly what it means. Many healthcare professionals also lack understanding due to inadequate training and this unfortunately can limit the information provided to patients.
You may even feel a sense of dread if you think about lymphedema developing. You are not alone in these feelings. I have had patients tell me: “I could deal with losing my hair and all of the cancer treatment, but I can’t handle the idea of developing lymphedema.” Elsewhere in this blog, as I’ve said, I get it. Not only have I treated lymphedema for years, as a breast cancer survivor, I now have it. I know many people who are currently coping with it. We are warriors.
Let’s start with the basics: What the heck is the lymphatic system? Our lymphatic or lymph system is an important aspect of the body’s immune function and waste filtration.
I’m confident that you’ve seen or felt your lymph system in action under 3 conditions:
- You had a sore throat and your doctor feels a firm round bump on neck/throat area. Your doctor says: “you have swollen glands” or perhaps you felt this lumpy tissue yourself. The doctor is referring to lymph nodes (In lay terms, they may be called lymph glands. They are actually NOT glandular tissue.) What happened in this condition? Your lymph nodes became reactive and enlarged as they produced immune defenses, known as white blood cells, to fight against the germ causing your sore throat. This is a normal body reaction.
- You strike your shin against a table leg and get a bruise. The bruise is caused by bleeding under the skin, but the lymphatics come into play when your body heals from the bruise. As you watch the color fade or become yellowish, you have seen the lymphatic clean up cells doing their work. The waste management job of the lymph system in this example is to absorb the blood under the skin and send the cells to the lymph nodes to filter the debris.
- You walked a distance in a new pair of shoes and got a blister. If that blister opened, you may have seen or felt a clear, yellowish liquid. This is lymph or lymphatic fluid. In this instance, the lymph is responsible for bathing the injured tissue in a sticky, high protein fluid for cushioning, infection prevention and scar tissue formation. Fascinating (at least to someone like me.)
If those are examples of the lymph system’s function, what is lymphedema?
Lymphedema is a buildup of lymphatic fluid that can occur after lymph nodes are removed or damaged during surgery or other aspects of breast cancer treatment such as radiation therapy. It may appear weeks, months, or even years later. Breast cancer-related lymphedema typically occurs within the first 18-24 months after surgery, although it can also develop several years later in some individuals. It is recommended for your affected side to be monitored by your medical team for 2-5 years after surgery.
We know that there are conditions that put people at greater risk for developing lymphedema, so you may want to talk to your medical team if you are not sure how the following factors apply to you:
- Full axillary lymph node dissection
- BMI greater than 25 at the time of surgery
- Radiation to the regional lymph nodes
- Some types of chemotherapy
- Post-op complications such as seroma, hematoma or cording
Lymphedema can present with the following symptoms in the arm, hand, trunk and/or breast:
- Swelling
- Heaviness
- Skin tightness
- Aching or decreased mobility
- Skin changes
- Weeping from the skin
People with lymphedema are at risk for developing cellulitis infection which is a bacterial infection under the skin that can spread rapidly. This requires immediate medical attention. If you experience the following, you need to call your doctor immediately:
- Fever/chills
- General malaise (a medical term for feeling lousy/unwell)
- Fever greater than 101 degrees
- Pain, redness and warmth in the area with lymphedema
As with many medical conditions, individuals may have differing experiences with their lymphedema symptoms. It is very important to be diagnosed with lymphedema to learn the best way to monitor and take care of yourself. Your CLT-LANA therapist can be your resource by providing recommendations for compression garments, creating personalized exercise programs, performing specialized massage work called manual lymphatic drainage and education on self-management steps. Though lymphedema is a life-long condition, it is manageable when treated early by a skilled therapist.
OT CLT-LANA Rehabilitation: Promoting Independence, Strength, Healing, and Confidence
Occupational Therapy intervention not only enhances healing but also promotes independence in daily activities. This therapy addresses both physical and emotional recovery, restoring strength and confidence as you regain the ability to perform tasks, improve your quality of life, and embrace your body’s resilience post-surgery.
Someone with the CLT-LANA credentials has earned the highest level of certification available in the field and is able to help you. You can live a full life as a breast cancer survivor who has lymphedema. There are many of us out there and you are not alone.
Manage your symptoms, restore your strength, and heal with confidence—occupational therapy helps you return to the life you love, one step at a time.
If you need Occupational Therapy Lymphedema Management, CLT-LANA in Evanston, Illinois, I would be happy to work with you. Click on the link below to reach my website.
If you do not live near the Chicago North Shore, click on the link for the LANA website where you can search for a CLT-LANA provider near you.
Flourish Recovery & Wellness 