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Hi, Princeline,

How frustrating it must be to have gone five years and then to have this appear!

From the research I've done, I can tell you that you are doing everything right. Your physical therapy, your compression, your self-massage and water exercises are all fabulous. As you know, there is no "cure" for lymphedema, but these are the things recommended to manage it.

Have you noticed any relief at all since you have been following these routines?

I am wanting to make sure you are seeing someone with expertise in this area. (I bet you are, as I know you are so knowledgeable about your situation and about how to do research on the web. But I want to be sure.) This is a page of Certified Lymphedema Therapists in your area:

http://www.clt-lana.org/therapists/default.asp?SearchType=State&Key=AZ

And this is a site for lymphedema patients where there are patient forums where people can trade information about their experiences:

http://www.lymphedemapeople.com/

This is one page in that forum where people are asking and writing about treatments:

http://www.lymphedemapeople.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=8&sid=ef93b3bf5d447a02dfaee54ae9eb7084

And this New York Times study discusses a study on the role of exercise in controlling lymphedema:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/health/18well.html

This book, Lymphedema: A Breast Cancer Patient's Guide to Prevention and Healing by Jeannie Burt, is recommended at www.breastcancer.org:

http://www.amazon.com/Lymphedema-Breast-Patients-Prevention-Healing/dp/0897932641

I hope some of these links help, and I hope other women who are dealing with lymphedema will chime in with their experiences here.