lymphedema started

[Sherryg683]

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