If you haven’t had a dye test you might want to consider. While my initial die test should a total loss of function that was restored with VNLT surgery, I continued to get some areas, one by the wrist, and one by the elbow of swelling. It was determined that I have blockages in both of those areas and additional surgery could address that by placing a stent, allowing the lymph fluid to move directly into a vein. I haven’t done that second surgery yet as continued use of compression garment seems to be keeping everything in check and my measurements are not elevating. That does not mean that at some point in future an additional surgery might be warranted. The stent surgery is a much more minor procedure than the VNLT. I really think that many of us who developed Lymphedema following surgery for cancer really need to be more thoroughly evaluated than is the norm. Part of that is due to the fact that there are not many specialists for Lymphedema in the United States. I had to travel out of state. Hopefully over the next several years that will change and more thorough evaluation of all patients will become the normal.

I want to deal right away with my recent hand swelling, probably lymphedema, and my breast cancer centre says it will be weeks until a physiotherapist will contact me. Everything I read says to treat it quickly. The only advice in the meantime from the nurse is to raise that hand above the heart level. I see there are compression gloves for arthritis online, can one assume they treat lymphedema as well? Or does anyone have a link to lymphedema compression gloves?