Cancer Facts
(Source: National Cancer Institute)

*American Cancer Society, Inc. Cancer Facts and Figures 2005. Atlanta: American Cancer Society, Inc., 2005. Also available at cancer.org

"I am a breast cancer survivor, but I have to say the treatment was worse than the disease. I had no pain in or around the tumor in my breast, but after surgery and treatment, I had lots of pain in my arm, my back, my chest and my breast! Surviving the treatment has been a bigger challenge than surviving the cancer.

When I first saw Marian Lord, I had so much swelling and pain that the skin over my arm and breast was stretched so tight, I thought it would tear. Both areas were hard as a rock. It hurt to wear clothes, especially bras. It hurt to move. It hurt to lift laundry or groceries. It even hurt to drive! I had been led to believe that I would have to deal with it and accept it.

The Radiation Oncologist was the first person who took me seriously when I described the issues. He declared it to be lymphedema and sent me to Marian.

Marian said, 'We CAN make this a lot better!' I felt a huge improvement after my first visit, and after a series of treatments, my arm and breast almost felt like the other side.

Throughout our sessions, we discussed things I could do at home to maintain the progress and possibly build on it. I worked at home, doing the techniques she taught me.

After a while longer, we agreed that it was as good as it was probably going to get. She 'graduated' me, but left the door open for me to come back if the lymphedema monster came to pay another visit.

It was about 6 months after that, when I noticed that I was conscious of my breast and arm all the time. They were annoying, but not painful. As my job picked up, the swelling continued and the pain returned. I boosted my 'homework' on the lymph drainage exercises, but I could not get ahead of it. Dismayed and discouraged, I called Marian and said, 'I can't stand it any more. It hurts all the time. Nothing I am doing at home is keeping up.'

She told me to come back. She said she had developed new techniques. I was eager to experience her new techniques and hopeful that it would again make my arm, back and breast 'invisible.'

Her diligence at figuring out ways to get to deeper tissues is amazing. Her abilities to un-stick all the tissues that cause fluid to build up in places has paid off! Most of the time, my left side is as quiet and invisible as my right side.

Lymphedema never completely goes away. Tissues that we have unstuck tend to re-stick when my job is extra busy and stressful. My job involves a lot of physical activity for up to fifteen hours at a time, in heat and humidity. The lymphedema flares up occasionally, but we have developed a plan that keeps the worst of the lymphedema monster at bay. I do my home exercises every day, no matter what, EVERY DAY. We also schedule appointments right before, during, and right after the busiest times of my job so she can give me a super charge!

It has been a team effort from the beginning. I have never believed that Marian's job is to FIX me. We talk about lots of things together and have developed a program that works for me.

You do not have to settle for anything. Areas scarred from surgery, radiated areas, swelling and soreness can all go away. Marian can make the area quiet, and calm like the rest of your body so that you don't have to constantly be reminded that you had cancer!"