Lymphedema.  Bleah.  Next to chemo it’s sort of the other great unknown in the cancer world.  I know BC (Before Cancer), I had never even heard of it.  I take that back.  I had heard of it by watching those shows about the really big people on the Learning Channel and it was primarily in their legs.  It was definitely not something I associated with cancer.

I had my evaluation last Monday, and I was right.  My left arm was 2 cm larger than my right, and my left hand is swollen.  It hasn’t spread to the fingers yet.  I’m currently in a temporary compression sleeve until I can get the permanent one.  And the gauntlet.  Yep.  Gauntlet.  Awesome.  The lymphedema therapist recommends I wear it 5 out of 7 days.  For the long haul.  I’m not sure how I feel about that.  Annoyed mostly.  I also have been doing Lebed exercises to open the lymphatic channels.

Some of my girls over at Mothers with Cancerhave been dealing with this for a while and have been very supportive.  (Still waiting for that lymphedema post, WhyMommy.  *grins)

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