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I was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in April 2019, after noticing a lump in my right breast between screening mammograms. I thought my treatment would be simple: I¡¯d have seven rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy near my home in Austin, and that would be the end of it.  

But all three lymph nodes the surgeon removed from my right armpit ended up testing positive for the HER2 genetic mutation. I needed another year of chemotherapy, 33 rounds of radiation therapy and 18 months of targeted therapy to treat it.  

Fortunately, all of those treatments left me cancer-free. But I developed severe lymphedema in my right arm as a result of having 26 additional lymph nodes removed. I tried wearing some off-the-shelf compression garments and having regular manual lymph drainage. My arm still got so huge, purple and swollen that even my normally level-headed husband was concerned. 

Finally, my local oncologist referred me to MD Anderson. She said Austin just didn¡¯t have the resources to handle this type of problem. I needed an expert.  

Going to MD Anderson may be the best decision I've ever made. The survivorship care I¡¯ve received there has truly changed my life. 

MD Anderson took me from crisis to freedom

By the time I met with plastic surgeon in October 2023, my right forearm was so swollen that I had to stay in Houston and work with senior physical therapist and lymphedema specialist Marc Miller every day for two weeks.  

Every morning, Marc would wrap new bandages around my arm to force the fluid out. And every day after those two weeks were over, I would use a special air pump to drain off even more ¡ª sometimes for as long as an hour. Marc also fitted me with custom compression garments that were much more effective than the ones I¡¯d been using. I had three different sets: one for daytime, one for sleeping and one for high altitudes. 

Every six months, Marc would measure me for a new, smaller set of compression garments. Eventually, I went from needing daily manual lymph drainage and multiple sets of compression garments to needing no manual lymph drainage at all and just two sleeves: one that stretches from my wrist to my shoulder and another that stretches from my fingers to my elbow.  

It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that MD Anderson has changed my life. They took me from crisis to freedom. My right arm was so swollen when I first got there that I had trouble wearing clothes. I had to buy tops two sizes larger than normal, just to accommodate the swelling.  

Since then, my arm has shrunk back down so much that I¡¯m eligible for a surgical procedure called lymphovenous bypass surgery. That¡¯s when surgeons go around a blockage by connecting functional lymph vessels to healthy blood vessels.  

Why I¡¯m going through with the lymphovenous bypass surgery

The difference between where I was two years ago and where I am now is so huge that I almost forget sometimes how awful it was. I went from constantly being worried about my right arm to not thinking much about it at all. 

Back then, I was getting infections in my right armpit every six months. I haven¡¯t had a single one since coming to MD Anderson. I can also do all the things I like to do again, like hiking at high altitude, and not worry about my arm swelling up.  

Even the surgery I¡¯m about to have is much simpler and straightforward than the one Dr. Schaverien originally recommended. I went from needing a vascularized lymph node transplant  ¡ª in which healthy lymph nodes are taken from one location and moved to another ¡ª to just needing a bypass.  

I¡¯m doing so well now that I¡¯m actually on the verge of not needing surgery. Still, I¡¯d prefer not to have to wear compression garments, so I¡¯m going through with it. The longer you wait to address lymphedema, the lower your chances of success. 

Looking forward to MD Anderson's location in Austin

I don¡¯t think any other organization can compare to MD Anderson. It really is unparalleled. It¡¯s on the cutting-edge of every stage of cancer care: from diagnosis to survivorship. That¡¯s why I was thrilled to learn that MD Anderson would be opening a location in Austin in a few years. 

I think the prospect of its aftercare programs excites me the most. Some cancer treatments last for only a matter of months. But the side effects and issues you deal with afterward can last for years. I feel like those are much harder to deal with, and they¡¯re not addressed by many health care facilities. 

It¡¯s very difficult to piecemeal together a dietitian, a sexual health expert, a physical therapist and support for appearance changes ¡ª just a few of the resources you might need after treatment ends. MD Anderson has all of those and more together under one roof. Nothing like that exists here in Austin right now. But the need is huge. So, I can¡¯t wait. 

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