Coping with dreadful oedema following breast cancer

Hello please help 

My lovely friend is 10 years on from stage 3 breast cancer.  She had a lumpectomy with lymph node removal at the time.  She's been a real coper and has kept the oedema at bay for all these years.  Now it's really bad and the therapies she was relying on are no longer working and she spends up to 8 hours a day massaging her arm and using a specialised laser (used in oedema prevention in antipodean countries I understand) to attempt to keep the swelling at bay but it's defeating her.

My friend's also recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis.  It's a terrible blow for her and she is no longer coping emotionally and is at her wit's end.  Anyone who's been through anything similar, please offer some advice, especially in coping with or treating oedema as it is this that dominates each and every day. Thank you. I'll pass on any helpful comments; right now she so overwhelmed I don't think she could post herself.

  • Hi there ..

    I had to have my non boob drained twice ... and know it's scary seeing all that fluid come out ..not sure if it's the same as oedema though ...

    If she's feeling really low , l called McMillan when I was feeling down, and they explained things and you can talk to them too ... it was really comforting and reashoring....

    Go on their home page and get their number .. though I think it's the same as our lovely nurses Mon to Fri .. there's a number on this home page too .. both are really good , hope she finds the help she's looking for ..  chrissie x

  • Thanks Chrissie, the McMIllan suggestion is really useful.

    I think oedema is a limb-swelling side-effect of having your lymph nodes taken out and it's a reoccurring and ongoing rather than a temporary result of surgery infection etc. I really think my friend needs therapy to cope with and manage the condition as it sounds untreatable. I really hope I am wrong and she can find a way of diminishing it's effects at least.

  • I’ve tagged @Jolamine and hopefully she’ll get in touch shortly. She’s also got lymphoedema  following breast cancer treatment.