Lymphodema

Hi RachelL How bad is it? 
I had mild lymphodema which I managed by stroking the area gently towards lymph nodes that I knew were intact.  I have a post in my blog with a video. 

It is very early stage - only started x3 days ago. Can I ask about appetite too?  He just isn’t interested in food at all.  Not ill.  Just says if he doesn’t feel hungry why eat until you do?

Hello, I'm sorry to hear your husband is experiencing lymphodema.  Does he have neck stiffness as well? Hopefully you are able to see someone sooner than later, but I understand it's difficult in the waiting period. I am currently seeing someone at least once a week to help manage, but I do exercises/gentle massage in the neck area myself at home in between appointments (which the lymphodema specialist should be able to help with).  

Wishing you and your husband all the best~Tara

RachelL said:

Just says if he doesn’t feel hungry why eat until you do?

Hi Rachel

After treatment is when I lost weight, but not much. For six months I couldn't care whether I ate or not. By 12 weeks I could eat a lot of things but the taste wasn't there and neither was the interest. Stan and I cook together so I ate when he did. There was little joy in it apart from the company of eating together, but food is fuel and If I wanted to recover I had to eat. The better you eat the better the recovery. 

Your husband's body has taken a real battering, his taste is likely to be hugely diminished and his stomach shrunk from eating no solid food for a long time. He needs the fuel though.

There are masses of emotions swirling round after we come through treatment and lose the wrap around care. There is a good article by Psychologist Dr Peter Harvey about the psychological impact of a cancer diagnosis. Click on the link and have a read. His analysis is a real eye opener AFTER TREATMENT

Maybe let him see the posts here. These and the ones to come.

FOOD IS FUEL is the mantra

He'll get there, It's just a glitch.

Hi Rachel many if us had no appetite bits really a case of food is fuel and eat to Live not live to eat. Was my mantra for a good 6 months. It was a case of 2500 calories snd 3 litres of water each and ever day. I didn’t put weight back on for 15 months out metabolism alters. You might have to nag him a bit. 

Hazel xx