big swollen legs - Cancer Message Board

Jacquie23 · 11-08-2004, 12:27 PM

my moms legs are huge, and her ankles, and it looks really painfull, I can even see her knees anymore, and her upper body is very think and her hands are boney, has anyone delt with this or can help me?
we have talked to the doctor and she said she needs to walk, they locked her in a hospital for 2 weeks and now she looks like this. comming home

SamQKitty · 11-08-2004, 06:04 PM

Have they done any tests regarding her heart? It's possible she could have congestive heart failure, which is a chronic condition that gets worse gradually. Don't be too alarmed here...my Dad had CHF for over 20 years before he died. In CHF, the body also loses its ability to move the lymphatic fluid around efficiently, so it tends to collect in the legs. And, yes, walking is actually good for this!

Did you discuss with the doctor what tests were taken and what she thinks may be going on? Does she recommend any medication (such as diuretics to reduce the swelling)?

At any rate, this definitely does NOT sound like cancer.

Ruth

Jacquie23 · 11-08-2004, 09:16 PM

really? I will talk to my doctor and see what tests she has done and get back to you, 20 years would be amazing,,, but you don't see my mother, she is not looking good, did your dad look sick all the time during that 20 years, I fined some people are real fighters, i hope my mother is. if she has cancer and this as well....

she has lung cancer liver cancer, stomach and bone, so it moving in to the heart or kidneys would be very possible, and yes she has done Chemo and that.

what about a foot bath? you know hot water that vibrates would that be good for her?

SamQKitty · 11-09-2004, 08:07 PM

Oh Jacquie,
You didn't say in your first post that your Mom had already been treated for advanced cancer. It's quite possible that some of the treatments could have caused this, especially radiation.

Where did her cancer start? I know you mentioned lung, liver, stomach and bone, but it's unusual to have all of those types of cancer at the same time, so I'm guessing she had one kind (lung or liver maybe?) that spread? Can you give me any more information? Is she considered to be in remission? What types of treatments has she had in the past, for example: chemo...what kind?, more than once?, radiation - to what parts of her body? How many separate courses (i.e., one 5-week course, 2 five-week courses?).

Ruth

Marimac · 11-10-2004, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamQKitty

Have they done any tests regarding her heart? It's possible she could have congestive heart failure, which is a chronic condition that gets worse gradually. Don't be too alarmed here...my Dad had CHF for over 20 years before he died. In CHF, the body also loses its ability to move the lymphatic fluid around efficiently, so it tends to collect in the legs. And, yes, walking is actually good for this!

Did you discuss with the doctor what tests were taken and what she thinks may be going on? Does she recommend any medication (such as diuretics to reduce the swelling)?

At any rate, this definitely does NOT sound like cancer.

Ruth

It sounds from your post like your mother has lymphedema. This is common in cancer patients due to the lymph system being "stopped up" either from having too much fluid to move or from medications used to treat the cancer. Some surgery patients experience lymphoma from excess tissue being removed and the lymph nodes as well. Since you have not mentioned any surgeries, I will have to guess that she has had some surgery as well as some radiation or chemo and that will cause all of those problems as well as being immobile due to recovery time.