Abundance    at P.H.I.

In 2004 I was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. I received chemotherapy, had a mastectomy which included removing 5 lymp nodes and then received radiation (Good results – cancer did not spread and I am now cancer free). Because I received all of these treatments, I was informed that I was at risk to develop lymph-edema. In February of 2007 (after flying on a plane) I noticed that my arm and hand had started to swell. I went to my doctor who informed me that I had lymph-edema and he recommended that I start physical therapy to reduce and maintain the swelling in the arm and hand. I started physical therapy on March 13, 2007, which included learning how to perform a lymphatic massage and wrapping bandages on my fingers and arm for compression. Before wrapping my arm I had to use an antibacterial cream to ward off any bacteria that could possibly grow under the bandages causing infection in the arm.

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