View Single Post
Old 02-17-2015, 02:20 PM   #1
Rachnick
Senior Member
 
Rachnick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 29
Lymphedema or something else?

Hi!

I have a question about a new issue I'm having and I hope someone can shed some light on it for me. I'm 11 years away from bilateral mastectomies during which they removed 3 lymph nodes from each side (cancer was on the right side). In 2012, I was diagnosed with a new breast cancer. After it was removed, I had chemo and radiation (to the right side). Radiation ended in July 2013. Lately, I've been having pain when I extend my right arm out in certain directions. And I just noticed today that when I feel the tender spot that's in the middle of my bicep from which the pain radiates, it feels like there are some lumpy "strings" in my bicep. I also noticed that further down my bicep toward the inside of my elbow, my skin looks like it's a little puckery. When I compress that bicep with my left hand and extend it, it doesn't hurt.

Does anyone know if this is the start of lymphedema? As much as I don't want to deal with that, I'd rather have the problem be treatment-related than cancer-related. Thank you so much for any input you can give me!

Susan
__________________
April 2004 - DXd with DCIS in right breast
April 2004 - Bilateral Mastectomies
NED until
October 2012 - DXd with IDC near right,
reconstructed breast, 1.9cm, grade 1, no
LVI, ER+/PR-/HER2+
November 2012 - 2 lumpectomies, clear bone scan, clear CT scan
April 2013 - 6 rounds of TCH completed
30 rads completed in July 2013
Herceptin completed in November 2013
10 years of Tamoxifen to go
Rachnick is offline   Reply With Quote