Lymphedema Success Stories
by Elizabeth Pennebaker, M.A., M.St., D.Phil.
While lymphedema of the arms and legs following cancer treatment is well-documented and extensively treated, truncal lymphedema (lymphedema of the chest, breast and/or back) is far less known – even though some studies show that up to 80% of women may develop truncal lymphedema after certain breast cancer diagnosis and treatment procedures. Because truncal lymphedema is not as widely acknowledged as lymphedema of the extremities, physical therapist Lesli Bell, PT-LANA, found that there were no appropriate compression garments available for the chest and breast area. Frustrated by seeing her patients suffer needlessly, Bell, together with Jogbra® inventor Lisa Lindahl, designed a compression bra women with truncal lymphedema. Bell and Lindahl then started to travel around the country to clinics and conferences, helping to educate the medical community about truncal lymphedema.
Bell and Lindahl take every opportunity of alerting medical professionals to the prevalence of the problem, and to the extreme pain, suffering, and disability it can cause. Lesli also gives other therapists tips on diagnosing truncal lymphedema, something that is often very difficult to do because swelling in the trunk is not as obvious as in the extremities – and because truncal lymphedema can mimic many other conditions, such as post-radiation soreness, infections, or even inflammatory breast cancer.
Bell and Lindahl hope that their efforts have contributed to the medical community’s increasing acknowledgement of truncal lymphedema as a significant problem for breast cancer survivors. However, they also like to emphasize the positive by talking about the freedom and high quality of life that can come from appropriate treatment and compression. For example, they love to tell the story about the woman they met in New York whose breasts had been too swollen and painful for her to ride her beloved horses, and who, after being fitted for a compression bra, felt so good that she headed straight for the stable. Because lymphedema can be brought on or exacerbated by flying, Bell and Lindahl also count as a great success story the woman who was finally able to take her dream vacation – including a 24-hour flight to Australia! – after purchasing a bra that delivered appropriate truncal compression.
Lightning 2, LLC