My lymphedema flare up started 23 days ago. I am still bandaging from around 4 PM and throughout the night, wearing my sleeve and glove during the day so I have some flexibility to do things, such as wield a knife to cook, drive a car, put in my contact lenses. You know, the basics. Once bandaged I have limited fine and gross motor control -- that is, I can hardly hold a pen or a fork, have trouble lifting a glass. You get the picture.
Physical therapy will help, but the therapist is so booked that I can only get one appointment a week. So I imagine it will be another month before this flare up calms down. I have heard one should avoid stress, especially when facing more cancer, but dealing with lymphedema remains one of the most stress-inducing things to ever happen to me.
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Hopefully you will have a good physical therapist who will teach you what to do. I've had a couple of flare ups and my PT taught me a very simple massage to reduce the pressure. Works like a charm. Goof luck!
ReplyDeleteI've been dealing with lymphedema since 1999 and know all the ropes, but there are increasingly times when self-massage and bandaging don't help. I'm with a good PT now but her calendar is so full that I can only see her once a week. It's just a cycle of frustration.
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