Lymphedema
A Breast Cancer Patient's Guide to Prevention and Healing
Second Edition
by Jeannie Burt
, Gwen White
About 30 percent of breast cancer surgery patients in the United States get lymphedema—a disfiguring, painful swelling, usually of the arm. Most doctors suggest that little can be done for this condition. This book explains what a woman can do to prevent or minimize it.
Lymphedema: A Breast Cancer Patient’s Guide to Prevention and Healing emphasizes active self-help. It provides extensive information on reducing lymphedema through professional therapy as well as exercise and self-massage. It covers compression garments and pumps, diet, the effects of environmental chemicals, and the benefits of relaxation.
Complete with more than 60 illustrations, Lymphedema also shows patients how to find emotional support and resources for additional help. Personal stories of women who have dealt with lymphedema successfully highlight practical issues and give patients hope for the future.
Over 20,000 copies were sold of the first edition. This new edition provides updates on the latest research, as well as updates on products and techniques developed for treating lymphedema. As excess weight has been found to play a role in lymphedema, information about obesity and weight management is provided, and the nutrition and exercise sections have been expanded. Other new sections cover naturopathy, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and new alternative therapies currently being tested.
Lymphedema: A Breast Cancer Patient’s Guide to Prevention and Healing has been recommended by the National Lymphedema Network: “Finally, here is a superbly informative and useful book about lymphedema... Reading (it) is emotionally satisfying, as well as empowering.”
REVIEWS AND TESTIMONIALS
" Lymphedema is a swelling caused by an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in tissues and is common among women who have undergone breast cancer surgery with axillary node dissection and/or radiation. Yet prior to surgery, most women are unaware of this condition and the heartache it can bring. Burt, a human resources consultant and breast cancer patient who has been affected by lymphedema, and White, a physical therapist, have put together an informative little book that should help all women suffering from the condition, at least to some degree. In the past, many women were told they would have to live with the swollen arm and lack of mobility that appeared after their surgery. Burt and White present treatment plans, massage therapies (professional and self-administered), and exercise regimens to alleviate or diminish this surgical aftermath. Though the authors advise vigilance to keep the skin and affected arm as healthy as possible, unfortunately, lymphedema can strike many years after surgery. Their useful guide will help women remain active and, one hopes, less obsessed with the "other" results of breast cancer. Recommended for patient health collections. -Library Journal
"...this book’s strength lies not only in its content, but in the spirit of hope it engenders." - MAMM Magazine
"…focused on patient education and empowerment while compiling a wide range of information and expertise…an excellent resource to clinicians." - Physical Therapy (American Physical Therapy Association's official publication)
"…incredibly well-written…exactly the information patients want. The low cost makes this information accessible to many people and a real find." - Oncology Nursing Forum
PUBLICATION DETAILS
PUBLICATION DATE: 2005 June
EDITION: Second
PAGES: 224
SIZE: 5-1/2 x 8-1/2
ILLUSTRATIONS: 61
INDEXED: Yes
BIBLIOGRAPY: Yes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeannie Burt, a former lymphedema sufferer, currently leads an exercise program for women with the condition. A human resources consultant, she is the author of several previously published works of nonfiction.
Gwen White has been a practicing physical therapist for 25 years, and specializes in the treatment of women with lymphedema.
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