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  • New Techniques for Lymphedema

    Posted 5/7/2013 by hhill
      The really good news is that more attention is being paid to lymphedema and surgeons are increasingly willing to acknowledge that it happens, and that women should be educated about the possibilities even prior to surgery. The not so good news is that it continues to happen, that it is impossible to predict who will develop this problem, and that it is treatable, but not curable. The statistics re incidence are all over the place, so no one seems to really know how many women have been affected. Read more... Comments (0)
  • Acupuncture and Lymphedema

    Posted 4/22/2013 by hhill
      Lymphedema can be an intractable problem. Although most women with breast cancer do not ever develop this problem (thankfully), those who do quickly find that it never can be cured. Yes, there are treatments, and, yes, it waxes and wanes, but it is a chronic problem. It is pretty impossible to get accurate statistics on the incidence of lymphedema. Depending on who you ask, the number seems to fluctuate wildly, and many surgeons insist that "this never happens to my patients." This, of course, is just not true, and the development of lymphedema is not a negative reflection on the surgeon's skills. Read more... Comments (0)
  • Lymphedema and Exercise

    Posted 4/7/2013 by hhill
      Occasionally, there is a nice convergence of events. This entry arises from one of those moments. This morning at the gym, I was thinking (who knows why) about lymphedema and the sometimes contradictory advice about exercise and the risk of developing it. As I write this, I can see myself doing leg presses while watching a woman who was lying on the window sill, on a mat, doing arm lifts with small bar bells. I assume she was lying on the window sill, instead of the floor, as she wanted her arm to hang down. I don't think I have ever seen anyone do this before, and I was curious why she chose this position rather than standing up to do the lifts. I didn't ask her, so, unless one of you knows the answer and responds, this will remain a mystery. Anyhow, this moment happened, and then I came home and read this study about the possible impact of both heavy and light resistance exercises on the risk of developing lymphedema. Read more... Comments (0)

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About the Blogger

Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW, OSW-C is the Manager of Oncology Social Work at BIDMC. For more than thirty years, her daily work at BIDMC has been primarily focused on supporting women with breast cancer. A nationally known writer and speaker, she was the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's first Hatcher Survivorship Professor. In 1993, and again in 2005, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through the standard treatments of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy. These experiences have given her great credibility with her patients and transformed her life's work to her life. Ms. Schnipper lives gratefully with her husband in an ancient farmhouse outside of Boston and spends as much time as possible in a water front cottage on Mt Desert Island. Between them, they have five adult children and seven grandchildren; she claims biological responsibility for two and three of them.