as some of you know, i have been struggling with muscle and joint pain- especially in my right arm, shoulder and back- for some time now. i blamed it on the arimidex that i am taking to block any estrogen that could be lurking around in my body. and of course, the arimidex is partly to blame. finally, i made an appointment with a physical therapist and had my first visit yesterday. i have been seeing a masseuse and getting therapeutic massage on that area. it has been very helpful, but i could not help but think that there was even more that i could do.
i had wonderful doctors, nurses,etc, but i did not receive any "holistic care" for my breast cancer. at some major cancer centers across the country, holistic care is the norm. unfortunately in this area, it is not. since i had to go to the doctor several times a week, and of course had the unfortunate nausea( i will spare you the rest ), to deal with, it was not feasible for me to travel so far from home. i could not have received better care for my cancer before and during, but afterwards? not so much. anyway, i finally decided that i needed some help, hence the physical therapy visit.
my husband and i have been to a wonderful physical therapist in the past- for other old people ailments. luckily, i was able to see her. i have a lot of confidence in her abilities, and she is not too far from where i live. yesterday, i learned a whole lot about my problem and how i could improve my quality of life. she told me that physical therapy was the standard protocol in the hospital near where she works. really?? i went to a larger hospital, but bigger is not always better, i guess. anyway, the physical therapist did an extensive evaluation and we worked on some exercises that specifically address my problems.
she put her hands right on the spots that are so tender and sore, without me having to show her. that was amazing to me! she told me that my lymphatic system is also compromised. even something as minor as a mosquito bite could cause swelling in my arm. i have always hated mosquitoes. the physical therapist used this analogy: imagine a ten lane highway all of a sudden changing into a four lane one. the cars get backed up, and all hell breaks loose. i had eleven lymph nodes removed with my thyroid cancer, and three with my breast cancer. i guess that i have been on the highway to hell all of this time.
the physical therapist ordered a compression sleeve for me to wear on my right arm, and one for my left arm if that one starts to act up. she said that preventive treatment for lymphedema was way better than trying to treat it after it got really cranked up. i can not change the activities that i do, well very much, anyway. ironing clothes bothers my arm, but the real kicker is work! no surprise there, i guess. the last day that i worked, we filled 240 prescriptions and i was the only pharmacist there. i had to open every darn child proof bottle to check the contents. also, i did not realize, but reaching across the counter to get the bags that hold the prescriptions is aggravating my condition.
i also have some exercises to do at home, of course. i have to see her twice a week for now. the physical therapist told me something else that surprised me. she said that my recovery time from this would be much, much longer than if i was recovering from shoulder surgery! she said, to my relief i must say, that we are going to take it slow, and no weights for now. i do have a "lymphatic massage" whatever that is , in my future. i am continuing therapeutic massage- just twice a month, as well.
i am hopeful now that i am on the right track, albeit a little late. i am hoping that perhaps a newly diagnosed breast cancer patient will read this, and make plans to see a physical therapist a lot sooner than i did. of course, i will post updates of how things are going and how i am doing.
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