Breast Cancer Surgery Recovery: What No One Tells You About Healing, Swelling & Lymphedema with Tina Tsan,DAOM, LAc, CLWT

In Part 1 of the Boobalicious podcast, hosts Chris and Jenni welcome Tina San — acupuncturist, certified lymphedema therapist, and wound care specialist — for a deep dive into post-surgical recovery after breast cancer surgery. Tina shares her origin story: a martial arts enthusiast turned massage therapist who discovered acupuncture for injury recovery, then stumbled into lymphedema work after receiving a YouTube link about acupuncture treating lymphedema — the same week she got a hospice call for a patient with bilateral leg lymphedema. That pivotal moment sent her down a decade-long path of specialization. The conversation then shifts to what Tina actually does for post-op patients. She and the hosts discuss the frustrating gap in patient education — how surgeons rarely refer patients to lymphatic therapy after mastectomy or reconstruction, leaving women to Google their way through recovery. Tina walks through the typical healing timeline week by week: the emotional first three to five days with drains, the relief of drain removal around week two, and the gradual softening of swollen, hardened tissue over a three-month recovery. The episode also covers fat grafting and liposuction — what they involve, when they're done in the reconstruction process, and why lipo recovery is more traumatic than most patients expect. The hosts and Tina advocate passionately for better post-op protocols and patient advocacy, encouraging listeners to ask surgeons about referrals before going into surgery. Follow the show! @boobaliciouspod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices