Hi TNBS sisters!
I searched the whole site and only found two references to lymphedema in the entire TNBC Foundation site!
Does this mean that TNBC patients/survivors/thrivers don't get lymphedema much, or that there is another place to talk about it, or we have bigger cancer-related issues to discuss?
I'm hoping for some help and opinions here. Two months after my radiation ended (25 tx to four fields) I got the dreaded lymphedema. I did EVERY preventative measure known to woman from the time of my surgery to favour that arm (I had 20 lymph nodes removed), but it came anyway.
With massage, self-massage, skin care, compression sleeves and gloves, I kept my arm at 3% over the size of my left.
I have revision of my breasts in May, and by June my hand and arm had jumped to 23% larger than my left. Now I am bandaging for 23 hours a day. I hate it. But that's what's necessary to get the arm down.
Two weeks after I started bandaging my ring finger went numb on the top and the left side. I still have mild neuropathy in my fingertips on the right, which I have had since chemo, just tingling almost all the time, and nothing to complain about. But the top and side of this ring finger are completely numb, as in I cannot feel anything. I tried not bandaging for 2.5 hours one night after massage, and no feeling in the finger. I then tried no bandaging (but with elevation) for an overnight, and no improvement.
Has anyone experienced this? What did you do? Did it get any better? Worse?
Thank you so much for any and all input. Stay strong.
Jacquelyn