SUE - a breast cancer survivor
  • Home
  • Snippets: My blog
  • My story
  • Prayer Shawls
  • 31 stories for 31 days
    • Day 1: I got the news >
      • Day 2: Those crazy 4 men
      • Day 3: Chemo: What a wonderful time of the year
      • Day 4: Bald
      • Day 5: Seroma, hematoma, fudgicles...I am swollen!
      • Day 6: I feel pretty, oh so pretty!
    • Day 7: Weary and tired! >
      • Day 8: Where did my dreams go and did they get lost in Cancer?
      • Day 9: Germany
      • Day 10: Diversion
      • Day 11: Duke
      • Day 12: Did I ever tell you waiting rooms suck?
      • Day 13: Did I ever tell you my dad died of CA?
    • Day 14: My best friend’s sister >
      • Day 15: Graduation
      • Day 16: Book club
      • Day 17: Surgery
      • Day 18: What is it about Pittsburgh….?
      • Day 19: Radiation
    • Day 20: Now that the treatment is over >
      • Day 21: Toby,
      • Day 22: Reconstruction or not
      • Day 23: Prosthesis or not?
      • Day 24: Recurrence
      • Day 25: Nothing Special
    • Day 26: What have I learned? >
      • Day 27: Impact- Activist
      • Day 28: New Position
      • Day 29: Life will never feel or look the same.
      • Day 30: Reflections
      • Day 31: I'm here to help
  • Links
  • Contact me

Lymphedema care

5/14/2012

0 Comments

 
I have talked before about lymphedema and that it is an incurable but treatable medical condition caused by injury, trauma or congenital defects in the lyphatic system.  There are two types which are primary that can be present at birth and develop at puberty or adulthood and then there is secondary which is acquired most often after the removal of lymph nodes for cancer surgery, radiation damage or injury.
Now having said that I would like to address treatment which is often called Complete Decongestive Therapy consisting of manual lymph drainage, compression therapy, exercises and skin care. it is administered in two phases: a clinical phase and a home care phase all of which are prescribed by the patient's physician and qualified therapist.
Initial treatment is by a qualified lymphedema therapist which consists of 2-6 weeks of frequent manual lymph drainage sessions and decongestion exercises as well as compression bandaging.  After the initial s welling is reduced the patient is measure for a compression grament and continues self-treatment at home.  The goal is to transfer responsibility for ongoing treatment to the patient and thereby lessoning the burden on the healthcare system.
When lymphedema is untreated, you can have increased swelling and hardening or fibrosis of the tissues and can even lead to decrease or loss of functioning, skin breakdown, chronic infections and irreversible complications.
All of these things does cause difficulties in daily living and can limit your lifestyle. Treatment is important in order to halt and reduce the progression and to reduce and prevent complications.
Legislation is needed since lymphedema affects up to 3 million of medicare beneficiaries  who receive  substandard treatment accordking to the current medical standard of care.  Medicare does not currently cover the compression garments and bandages  and only covers or pays for statutorily limited therapy and sequesntila compression pumps.   A lymphedema treatment mandate went into effect in NC on January of 2010.  There is legislation at this time for Lymphedema Diagnosis and treatment  Cost Saving Act of 2011, HR 2499 which will improve coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of lymphedema.  Theis is a preventative treatment bill that will reduce health care costs while improving patient care and quality of life.   With that being said it is important for you to learn as much as you can about this and contact your senators and representatives to support this endeavor.  I hope you will make the time and effort to look at Lymphedema Diagnosis and Treatment Cost Saving Act, HR 2499, 112th Congress, Representative Larry Kissell (NC-8).
Making it a great day!
 SK
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    My name is Sue Kilburn and I am a clinical nurse breast cancer educator at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute in Meadville, Pennsylvania.

    Archives

    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009

    Categories

    All
    Fun Opportunity

    RSS Feed


Powered by
✕