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		 I played tennis for years before my cancer and played during my chemo...nothing was going to keep  me off the courts.  But like an idiot I overdid it, was not kind to my arm.  It was fine for awhile but then I started getting symptoms like tennis elbow.  So completely not thinking, I bought this brace that you put on your arm for tennis elbow.  It's this little strap with a gel pad that you strap around your forearm to relieve stress on elbow.  I was in the middle of a match, when my friend and tennis teammate  (who had breast cancer 9 months before me) screamed at me from another court. "Sherry look at your arm , take that damn thing off your arm".  I looked down and my arm and hand look like a ballon.  I had been so careful not to let anyone take blood pressure in that arm, why in the world would I think it would be OK to put that strap on it.  I just wanted to play tennis pain free.  Needless to say, I haven't been able to play for months now, my arm swells and aches when I try.  I had lymph massages and have ordered the electric pump to help when at home, haven't gotten it yet.  I have a sleeve that I wear when on airplanes but it didn't really help on my last flight.  My arm doesn't swell really big, but darn does it get painful....sherryg683 
		
	
		
		
		
		
		
		
			
				__________________ 
				Sherry 
  
Diagnosed: December , 2005 at age 44 
13+ positive lymph nodes 
Stage IV , Her2+, 2 small mets to lungsChemo Started: Jan, 2006 
4 months Taxotere, Xeloda, Hercepin 
NED since April 2006!! 
36 Rads to follow with weekly Herceptin indefinately 
8 years NED now 
Scans every year 
  
Life is not about avoiding the thunderstorms, it's about learning to dance in the rain!
			 
		
		
		
		
		
		
	
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