Lymphoedema Treatment and Support for Patients

Signs of Ovarian Cancer in the Absence of Ovaries

If you all know me, you know that I had stage 4 endometrosis before and also polycystic ovaries, so this story is close to my heart.  I have my CA 125 tested every year too cause I now have medical education…                                                                                                                   this is the story of Kathy West

As all of you know, I have Primary Peritoneal Cancer. This cancer has only recently been identified as its OWN type of cancer, but it is essentially Ovarian Cancer.

Both types of cancer are diagnosed in the same way, with the ‘tumor marker‘ CA-125 BLOOD TEST, and they are treated in the same way – surgery to remove the primary tumor and then chemotherapy with Taxol and Carboplatin.

Having gone through this ordeal, I want to save others from the same fate . That is why I am sending this message to you and hope you will print it and give it or send it via E-mail to everybody you know.

One thing I have learned is that each of us must take TOTAL

responsibility for our own health care. I thought I had done

that because I always had an annual physical and PAP smear, did a monthly Self-Breast Exam, went to the dentist at least twice a year, etc. I even insisted on a sigmoidoscopy and a bone density test last year. When I had a total hysterectomy in 1993, I thought that I did not have to worry about getting any of the female reproductive organ cancers.

LITTLE DID I KNOW. I don’t have ovaries (and they were HEALTHY when they were removed), but I have what is essentially ovarian cancer. Strange, isn’t it?

These are just SOME of the things our Doctors never tell us: ONE out of every 55 women will get OVARIAN or PRIMARY PERITONEAL CANCER.

The ‘CLASSIC’ symptoms are an ABDOMEN that rather SUDDENLY ENLARGES and CONSTIPATION and/or DIARRHEA .

I had these classic symptoms and went to the doctor. Because these symptoms seemed to be ‘abdominal’, I went to a gastroenterologist. He ran tests that were designed to determine whether there was a bacteria infection; these tests were negative, and I was diagnosed with ‘Irritable Bowel Syndrome‘. I guess I would have accepted this diagnosis had it not been for my enlarged abdomen. I swear to you, it looked like I was 4-5 months pregnant! I therefore insisted on more tests

They took an X-ray of my abdomen; it was negative. I was again assured that I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and was encouraged to go on my scheduled month-long trip to Europe . I couldn’t wear any of my slacks or shorts because I couldn’t get them buttoned, and I KNEW something was radically wrong. I INSISTED on more tests, and they reluctantly) scheduled me for a CT-Scan (just to shut me up, I think). This is what I mean by ‘taking charge of our own health care.’ 

The CT-Scan showed a lot of fluid in my abdomen (NOT normal).

Needless to say, I had to cancel my trip and have FIVE POUNDS of fluid drawn off at the hospital (not a pleasant experience I assure you), but NOTHING compared to what was ahead of me.

Tests revealed cancer cells in the fluid. Finally, finally, finally, the doctor ran a CA-125 blood test, and I was properly diagnosed.

I HAD THE CLASSIC SYMPTOMS FOR OVARIAN CANCER, AND YET THIS SIMPLE CA-125 BLOOD TEST HAD NEVER BEEN RUN ON ME, not as part of my annual physical exam and not when I was symptomatic. This is an inexpensive and simple blood test!

PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FEMALE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES TO INSIST ON A CA-125 BLOOD TEST EVERY YEAR AS PART OF THEIR ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMS.

Be fore warned that their doctors might try to talk them out of it, saying, ‘IT ISN’T NECESSARY.’ Believe me, had I known then what I know now, we would have caught my cancer much earlier (before it was a stage 3 cancer). Insist on the CA-125 BLOOD TEST; DO NOT take ‘NO’ for an answer!

The normal range for a CA-125 BLOOD TEST is between zero and 35.

MINE WAS 754. (That’s right, 754!). If the number is slightly

above 35, you can have another done in three or six months and keep a close eye on it, just as women do when they have fibroid tumors or when men have a slightly elevatedPSA test (Prostatic Specific Antigens) that helps diagnose prostate cancer.

Having the CA-125 test done annually can alert you early, and that’s the goal in diagnosing any type of cancer – catching it early.

Do you know 55 women? If so, at least one of them will have this VERY AGGRESSIVE cancer. Please, go to your doctor and insist on a CA-125 test and have one EVERY YEAR for the rest of your life.

And forward this message to every woman you know, and tell all of your female family members and friends. Though the median age for this cancer is 56, (and, guess what, I’m exactly 56, women as young as 22 have it. Age is no factor.

A

NOTE FROM THE RN:

Well , after reading this, I made some calls. I found that the CA-125 test is anovarian screening test equivalent to a man’s PSA test prostate screen (which my husband’s doctor automatically gives him in his physical each year and insurance pays for it). I called the general practitioner’s office about having the test done. The nurse had never heard of it. She told me that she doubted that insurance would pay for it. So I called Prudential Insurance Co, and got the same response. Never heard of it – it won’t be covered. I explained that it was the same as the PSA test they had paid for my husband for years. After conferring with whomever they confer with, she t old me that the CA-125 would be covered.

It is $75 in a GP’s office and $125 at the GYN’s. This is a

screening test that should be required just like a PAP smear (a PAP smear cannot detect problems with your ovaries).

Treating Warts on a Lymphoedema Patient

Before

We found the first tiny wart on her big toe of her left foot in late July 2008.  It was wrongly diagnosed as a corn and we realized something was wrong when 2 more appeared on the ball of her left foot.  Its taken us nearly a year to find a treatment which works without much pain and without new warts appearing. These were the treatments we tried and didn’t work much – Salicyclic acid under the guidance of an experienced podiatrist – the warts became bigger and white and soggy; putting silver solution – the warts became soggier and white; duct tape (worked for the warts on my feet when I accidentally infected myself but worked a little for my daughter); apple cider vinegar (worked somewhat but new warts kept appearing), banana peel, organic mangosteen juice (we had abit of success with this until the juice which we bought somehow looked different from the previous batches), pulsed dye laser (this was good only for very new warts), nitrogen (worked only for very new warts). By August 2009, my daughter was limping as the warts had multiplied and were so huge and thick.  She had to be carried all the time as she couldn’t walk without pain. We were also considering to purchase a wheelchair for her.  We tried to check with the TCM clinics but were told to put salicyclic acid. That month, I found a youtube posting by a guy who said that he went to a sinseh in Singapore for his wart problem on his fingers and hands.  The sinseh is Dr Yu Zhe Kai of the TCM clinic at Eu Yang Sang, Plaza S’pura B2-08A. The sinseh is in the clinic only Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 10 pm. He prescribed something to be taken internally and a paste to be applied externally.

treatment phase

After the application of the TCM past, we found that the warts became dry and crumbly. The 2 largest warts which were very thick became very flat as we could easily scrape them.  Previously, with the other methods, scraping the wart would result in a growth overnight.  At least with the Chinese paste, there doesn’t seem to be an overnight growth or if there is, it’s very slow. At the end of the 2nd week of TCM application, my daughter was hopping out of the clinic.  At the end of the 4th week, she was dancing, jumping, hopping out of the clinic.  She’s fine now, though, we are at the final stages of clearing the warts. It costs about S$100 for 2 weeks of medicine and paste.  Its not cheap but I think I spent alot more on the other treatments which didn’t see much progress and a lot of pain on the part of my daughter. The treatment process is slow if there are a lot of warts.  We’re into our 5^th month of TCM application and we’re down to the 2 largest warts.  The guy (mentioned above) took 2 months to heal his warts on his hands but continued with oral medication for another 2 months.

healing phase

Hopefully, this information can help others with persistent wart problems.

Veronica is now a Leduc graduate too..

What is Medical Lymph Drainage and why is it different from Vodder Drainage?

In Sep I went back to Sydney Australia to attend another certification course for Medical Lymph Drainage Therapist offered by Leduc UK conducted by Jane Wigg, this course   is a nurse led program in that it is taught by nurses to other nurses and in this group, they believe in combining therapy manually and with machines.  This technique is rather unique in that it was developed strictly for Lymphoedema only. It is gentle and simple and produces results very quickly especially for acute swellings and harden fibrotic areas when compared with my current technique from Vodder method.

However Vodder method is more thorough in coverage and more massage like.  The level of softness I can achieve with this method is far greater than what I had ever experienced with the Vodder method.

This method is called an evidenced based method (because every step with take is backed by visual imaging evidence) and is developed by Professor Albert Leduc from Belgium back in 1978 and he had used over 300 human cadaver to document specifically where are all the lymph vessels, lymph nodes and collateral vessels.  He had even used ultrasound scans and x rays while he did the technique to show which movement has the best reabsorption back into the tissues talk about result oriented, I think he wins this title.  So I have used this method over the last 2 weeks and the results speaks for itself, Amazing!

Leduc Course: A word to the wise, it is best you have at least 2 to 3 yrs experience in lymphoedema work, this is not a basic level of teaching even if you are a qualified nurse.