The goal of these self-management strategies is to move fluid from areas of the body with lymphatic damage to higher-functioning lymphatic areas, which can help reduce swelling.” “Various treatment techniques include massaging affected areas of the body or wearing compression bandages.
“If left untreated, excessive swelling from lymphedema can lead to mobility issues, pain and possible infections,” Anbari said. When implemented, Anbari found that these strategies helped improve these survivors’ quality of life. While rural and small-town survivors emphasized feelings of resiliency and self-reliance, they also reported a willingness to meet with therapists and implement personalized self-management strategies to help reduce swelling, while also going about their daily activities. With her own experience in mind, Anbari, an assistant professor in the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing, conducted a study to better understand how rural Missourians are managing their lymphedema after surviving breast cancer. This usually occurs after the surgical removal of lymph nodes or radiation to the lymph nodes – common treatments for breast cancer. As a two-time breast cancer survivor, Allison Anbari knows that the combination of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgeries that she endured during cancer treatment puts her at greater risk for developing lymphedema, a chronic condition of swelling caused by disruptions to the body’s lymphatic system.