anyone have or heard of lymphadema?

My daughter is 28 and just got married in Nov. She had been complaining for awhile that her calves & ankles were getting heavy. She was so self conscious that she wouldn't wear shorts. She researched it and went to several drs. Finally this is the diagnosis they gave her. There is no cure. It's lymphatic fluid that settles in the legs rather than circulating thru the body. She will be starting treatment next Mon. at Sloan Kettering in Commack. The treatment is 4-6 wks. long. She will have to go there Mon thru Fri. at 7:30 am. They do a soft massage to get the fluids traveling back thru the body, then they will bandage BOTH her legs from her groin to her toes!! What a way to start her marriage, wrapped up like a mummy! She will not be able to wear regular shoes. She will have to wait till after she's bandaged and find shoes, in a wide size and larger than what she wears. She will also have to get some baggy pants since she won't be able to wear her regular pants with the bandages. She is SO upset. I want to cry for her. She called me today in tears. Someone she knows has the same thing, except she has it in one leg from the knee down. She began treatment today and came out of the place crying. She called my daughter & was in tears on the phone. Sorry, but I just needed to vent. Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions?

Message edited 1/7/2008 7:36:09 PM.

Re: anyone have or heard of lymphadema?

I've never heard of it so I can't offer any advice. Many to you both, though.

Message edited 1/8/2008 2:12:25 PM.

Re: anyone have or heard of lymphadema?

Yes my sister has it. She stopped her treatments though.

Re: anyone have or heard of lymphadema?

Yes. I know what it is.

They usually do the "sleeve" treatment and she may have to do it at home.

Massage can be done but make sure the person is qualified and had training in doing massage with patients having lymphadema.

Re: anyone have or heard of lymphadema?

My MIL has this in her arm after they removed her lymph nodes due to breast cancer. She did the sleeve before, but you must do it every day. Now she has a sleeve that she puts on for an hour each day that is hooked up to a pump and it sort of pumps the fluid up her arm to the remainder of her lymph nodes for circulation.

It looks like this: