Spiders & Lymphoedema

Yesterday whilst walking Fagin in the woods I got bitten on my elbow by a spider  :( Ouchy!

 

I used some antibiotic cream and took an antihistamine but when I woke up today my arm was hot, bright red and swollen. Because I had an SNB during my operation I am at risk of something called Lymphoedema. Therefore I made an emergency appointment with the GP and got prescribed a week's worth of antibiotics (they are the size of horse pills!)

 

 

Lymphoedema is something that I had never even heard of before I was diagnosed with breast cancer. As soon as I did hear about it I was really scared that I would get it.

 

Let me explain a bit more.. Lymphoedema is the swelling that develops because of a build up of fluid in the body's tissues. This happens when the body's lymphatic system isn't working properly and cannot drain fluid away.

 

After treatment (surgery and/or radiotherapy) for Breast Cancer, the areas most at risk are your arm, hand and armpit (axilla). This is because during surgery you have 1 or more lymph nodes removed to test for spread. The more lymph nodes removed, the greater the risk of lymphoedema. Around 25% of people who have had BC surgery will develop it. As I had an SNB, my risk rate of developing lymphoedema is around 10%.

 

Unfortunately there is no cure for lymphoedema so the best idea is to try to reduce your risk of getting it in the first place. This is easier said than done which is why it is something that worries me so much.

 

 

Tips for Reducing Risk (taken from BCC):

·         Gentle exercise such as swimming or walking will keep your joints supple and is important for lymph drainage.

·         Look after the skin on your ‘at risk’ arm.

·         Try not to use very hot or cold water.

·         Avoid very hot saunas or steam rooms.

·         Avoid having your blood pressure or blood samples taken from your ‘at risk’ arm.

·         Avoid having deep-tissue massage to your ‘at-risk’ arm.However, there is no need to avoid massage altogether.

·         Try to avoid cuts, scratches, insect bites or stings on your ‘at risk’ arm.

·         Avoid biting your nails.

·         Avoid getting sunburnt.

·         Take care when removing unwanted hair in your armpit. Using a well maintained electric razor is the safest method. Waxing is not recommended because it can cause damage to the skin and might increase the risk of infection.

·         Avoid constriction around the arm and armpit from tight fitting bras, sleeves and clothing or heavy shoulder bags.
Ensure watches, rings and bracelets are not too tight.

·         Try not to strain with activities such as pushing or pulling, digging the garden or heavy lifting such as carrying heavy shopping bags.

·         During long journeys, gently exercise your arm as much as possible. If you are standing on a train or a bus, try not to hold on with your ‘at risk’ arm.

 

So as you can see there are loads of things to avoid! When I got bitten by the spider I started to panic a bit but got antibiotics pretty quickly so I hope I have done enough to minimise my risk. Since doing some more research though, I have learned that even if you do do any of the things above, it doesn't necessarily mean that you will get lymphoedema, just as some people who don't do any of the things above may develop it anyway. It's all down to the individual's drainage system. 

If you notice any changes to your skin, signs of swelling to your arm, hand or chest wall, redness or infection then contact your GP. They will prescribe you antibiotics or refer you to a Lymphoedema Nurse.

As I said before, there is no cure for lymphoedema but it can be managed through:

Compression Garments
These work by:

• compressing the swollen tissues and stopping fluid from building up
• helping to move fluid to an area that’s draining well
• providing support, which allows the muscles to pump fluid away more effectively
• applying more pressure in certain areas to encourage the fluid to drain.

These aren't all horrible tan colours thankfully:

Specialised Massage
Manual Lymphatic Drainage
Simple Lymphatic Drainage

Limb Positioning
Info from Macmillan

Lymphoedema does sound stressful but manageable and thankfully there are some really helpful sites out there:

The Lymphoedema Support Network
The British Lymphology Society
Macmillan

Fingers crossed my antibiotics do their job!