For some breast cancer survivors, their breast cancer treatment is just the beginning. Up to half of breast cancer survivors in British Columbia can develop a complication called “lymphedema” post-surgery, particularly in patients who undergo lymph node dissection and radiation therapy to the underarm area as part of their treatment.
Lymphedema is a painful and chronic swelling of the lymph nodes that results in an accumulation of fluid at or near the site of the cancer surgery. Breast cancer survivors who have had lymph nodes under the arm removed as part of the breast cancer treatment are at risk of developing lymphedema in that arm.
The symptoms can vary depending on the severity of the lymphedema and can include swelling in the arm (including fingers); feelings of fullness, puffiness or heaviness in the arm; an aching or burning feeling in the affected area; a tight or warm feeling in the skin of the arm; trouble moving the joint; a hardening or thickening of the skin; and jewellery and/or clothing in the affected area becoming progressively tight.
In the early stages of lymphedema, the swelling can feel like nothing more than a slight distraction or tingling sensation. Over time, however, the swelling can get worse and become painful, chronic and debilitating, leading to restricted movement that impedes daily activities. Once lymphedema appears it is almost impossible to get rid of and requires constant care.
How to treat lymphedema with compression therapy
Kootenay Columbia Home Medical Equipment (KCHME) offers compression garments to help patients with a variety of venous and edema disorders, including lymphedema. Compression garments can also be referred to as pressure garments, compression sleeves and lymphedema sleeves; all are the same product, just under different names. Compression garments are made of an elasticized fabric that applies a controlled amount of pressure to different parts of the arm to help move lymph (fluid) and keep the fluid from building up.
The compression garment used to treat lymphedema should be fitted and customized to the individual; at KCHME, we have a certified fitter in-house to take the patient’s measurements and provide a full range of consultative services.
“When lymphedema patients come into our store, they’ll have a prescription from their doctor stating a certain amount of compression,” says Cathie Ruston, KCHME’s in-house certified compression fitter. “Then I’ll assess the site and customize the specific garment and treatment based on what I see during the fitting. Once the patient’s customized garment arrives, they come back and I show them how to put it on, take it off, and how and when to wear it. Patients can think of me as their lymphedema specialist: the person they can depend on to help them manage their symptoms.”
Not only is every compression garment customized to the individual, but so are the phases of treatment. As a supplier of Medi compression products, KCHME follows the Medi lymphedema treatment concept that involves three phases: (1) decongestion, (2) transition and (3) maintenance. “Some patients stay in one of these three phases indefinitely while others naturally progress through all three,” explains Cathie. “It just depends on how the compression controls the swelling.”
Schedule an appointment with Cathie today
In our blog “The ins and outs of compression garments” we explored the importance of seeing a professional fitter in person over simply buying compression products online and the treatment of lymphedema is no exception: “Some patients try to take a shortcut and get a sports sleeve off Amazon instead of a custom compression garment but this approach never works over time,” Cathie elaborates. “Lymphedema is a serious condition. If left untreated, or poorly treated, the patient may start to develop blisters and cellulitis, which will cause the skin to swell even further, get more painful and may even require antibiotics for treatment.”
In fact, untreated cellulitis can spread into the bloodstream and trigger sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to an infection damages its own tissues. Ironically, untreated lymphedema can also lead to a form of soft-tissue cancer.
While lymphedema can be an unfortunate result of breast cancer treatment, it is easily manageable, especially when patients begin this next chapter of their recovery in consultation with a certified fitter.
“It’s a lifetime disease,” Cathie concedes. “It’s like taking medication; you have to take it every day to keep the symptoms at bay. When patients have the right, positive outlook, they realize they just have to make the best of it and always wear their compression sleeve during the day. It just becomes a natural extension of who they are.”
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with lymphedema, make sure to get a doctor’s prescription and book an appointment with our certified fitter, Cathie Ruston, today. You can call Cathie at our Castlegar location at 250-365-7772 or simply fill out our contact form online and we will get in touch with you as soon as humanly possible.