That Sinking Feeling
Receiving the dreaded diagnosis of breast cancer-related lymphedema brings a surge of emotions. You know you are f*cked for life.
This heartbreaking video from the Moore Lab at Imperial College London conveys the raw emotions and shellshocked thoughts that a breast cancer survivor goes through when diagnosed with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL).
This video is a powerful message that I share with my family and friends to convey the stunned despair that can overwhelm me every now and then.
“Lymphedema is a type of swelling that happens when the lymphatic system becomes blocked and is not able to take the lymph fluid back to the heart… Lymphedema may occur when some of the lymph nodes under the arm have been removed during surgery or treated with radiation, or when cancer has spread to these lymph nodes. When the lymph system does not drain properly, the arm is at risk for developing lymphedema.” - Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center
Bad enough you get the cancer, and then the side effects that comes of it, and then you’ve got lymphedema, which is irreversible and incurable. - Telesha Reid
There is so much more to the terrible lifelong impacts of BCRL that five minutes of video doesn’t provide the opportunity to detail:
Nearly all breast cancer survivors are at risk for this dreaded complication1
BCRL can develop within days and up to years after breast cancer surgery2
There is a massive “risk list” of BCRL triggers that impact daily living that I’ll cover in another post. As an example, breast cancer survivors at risk of BCRL “should continue to be cautioned against using their affected arm or hand to carry a shoulder bag or other heavy objects or perform strenuous lifting that may cause trauma or injuries.”3
BCRL will cost a patient $14,000 annually in additional treatment costs, for the rest of her life4
The emotional impact is just absolutely horrendous. Because you have this constant reminder that you’ve had breast cancer, and the amount of work you have to keep (lymphedema swelling) down. - Sonal Thakrar
Too many of us, up to 65% of breast cancer survivors, get BCRL. There is an immense lack of public awareness about BCRL and worse, a lack of understanding about it by our own medical care practitioners. Let’s change that!
Check out the Athena Lymphedema Substack or Athena Aftercare for more information.
Thank you to Katy Snell, Sonal Thakrar, Telesha Reid, Kristin Spencer for bravely sharing their experiences so we can all learn from them. You are not alone. We got this!
Thank you as well to Professor James Moore Jr. and the Imperial College London Moore Lab team and for creating this important video about BRCL.