Post Cancer

Treatment after you've kicked cancer's butt!!

Now that you’ve gotten through your biggest hurdle, or at least are well on your way, we need to have a chat about lymphoedema!

You may or may not have already been given the heads up that there’s a chance the treatment you received may have increased your risk of developing lymphoedema. 

Lymphoedema can be present within days to weeks after treatment, but it can also be a slow progression, taking years to appear. So being proactive now, doing all that you can to prevent it, may just be the difference between developing it or not.

The diagram below is a snapshot taken from a webinar (by impedimed) called ‘the PREVENT Trial’,  These were their success rates based on the stage of lymphoedema for those in the trial. The results absolutely highlight early intervention giving the best possible outcomes.

The most common reasons for developing lymphoedema after cancer treatment is due to either,

  • cancer removal and the damage to the lymphatics in the process
  • radiation therapy, burns everything in it’s path
  • lymph node dissection, the pathway has been removed, causing the lymph to pool which in turn has a flow on effect that causes lymphoedema
  • Or your system was already compromised, and now with the impact of further injury to the system has put tremendous stress on it, causing it to fail

Although this doesn’t paint a pretty picture, there is hope, you just need to learn how to manage it. And the sooner the better.

See the lymphoedema page for more information..

So, What Now

A proactive approach to helping the body heal and supporting your gut health can greatly reduce the risk of developing lymphoedema. 

For your lymphatics

Sal will work with you to look at your areas of concern and devise a plan to help the vessels repair or regrow and get that lymph moving optimally.

When working without the presence of lymphoedema, it should be a quick succession through the following steps of Decongestive Therapy. However, if lymphoedema is present, it may take some time to get through each step.

Treatment in Clinic with Sal

(MLD) Manual hands-on lymphatic Drainage – used to activate and assist lymph flow, redirect through anastomoses to an alternate pathway and get the system pumping

Scar & fibrosis management – Low Level Laser Therapy & manual hands-on techniques to break through scar tissue (potentially) causing part of the obstruction or has the potential to later

Pneumatic Compression Pump – used in conjunction with MLD, or alone once the system is moving for accumulative affect. It may be worthwhile considering investing in your own pump. All available through Sal as well.

Compression Bandaging & Garments – There are a few different forms of compression that can be used at this stage. Bandaging is a likely option whilst trying to decongest the tissues. Then once we reach a baseline, a compression garment may be ordered to keep the limb at that baseline

Education & @ home management – In all of your appointments with Sal, you’ll be educated on how to look after your conditions at home. It’s a process, one that you can’t learn all at once. Sal has information based within these pages that can help, but you will also need time to practice, and we need time to evaluate what you system is doing from treatment to treatment. 

Plus, on occasion, specific instructions may change to drain in alternate directions to the usual pathways.

check out the ‘Conservative Management @ Home’ page on what you can do at home to increase your outcomes.

Check-ups – Once we have it all under control, and you are being proactive with home care, we will schedule in some check-ins. How often you need these will depend on how well you’re doing with your home care.

Remember, letting it lapse, thinking it will be ok, will likely be your undoing, most certainly putting you in a harder to manage position for later struggles. 

Nutrition

There’s a lot to consider to best serve your situation. Depending on your type of cancer, your progression, stage and your oncologists’ recommendations.

So, for Nutrition, Sal will direct you to a specialised Nutritionist that has a particular interest in nutrition for cancer recovery.