56. Natalie Ditri's Reflection on Limb Restrictions After Breast Cancer Surgery

There are new realizations all the time in this breast cancer life experience. I recently realized I need to preserve the veins in my arm not affected by breast cancer surgery. I have been mindful about not getting any injections, blood draws or bug bites on my left arm since I had my mastectomy and sentinel lymph node dissection 2 years ago. Recently I realized that preserving the veins in my right arm is something to be mindful about.  I have had a few blood draws over the past year. These are generally drawn from the same place in my right arm, at the bend of the elbow. The phlebotomists are always good at hitting the vein on the first attempt, which I appreciate greatly. However, I recently thought about the effect of consistently having blood drawn in the same place. There could be scarring there. I realize it is possible that in the future, I could need IVs or other labs that are done at the same place. I need to preserve the veins on my unaffected side.  If it were not for breast cancer, this would not be an issue. This is another reason I make this podcast - to share the experience of all that encompasses this life.  If you'd like to be the first to receive updates and exclusive content from the upcoming Breast Cancer Life newsletter, please email me at [email protected]. I'd love to have you on the list! LET'S CONNECT: [email protected]  Follow us on Pinterest