Preparing for an appointment

Here's some information to help you get ready for the appointment with your doctor.

What you can do

List the following:

• Your symptoms, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment
• Key personal information, including major illnesses or trauma, cancer treatments or recent life changes
• Medications, vitamins and supplements you take
• Questions to ask the doctor

For lymphedema, some basic questions to ask the doctor include:

• What's the likeliest cause of this swelling?
• Could there be another cause?
• What tests do I need? Do these tests require special preparation?
• Is the swelling temporary or long lasting?
• What's the treatment for lymphedema?
• Are there alternatives to the approach you're suggesting?
• Are there medications to ease the swelling?
• I have other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
• Do I need to restrict my diet or activities?
• Do you have brochures or other printed material that I can take? What websites do you recommend?

Don't hesitate to ask other questions, as well.

What to expect from the doctor

Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, such as:

• When did the swelling begin?
• Did anything precede the swelling, such as surgery, trauma, radiation therapy or new medications?
• Do you have other signs or symptoms?
• Has the swelling been continuous or occasional?
• Does anything seem to make the swelling better?
• Does anything seem to worsen the symptoms?
• What have you tried to treat the edema, and how did it work?

What you can do in the meantime

Keep the swollen limb elevated as much as possible and protect your skin from injury. The swelling from lymphedema might dull pain from an injury or burn, so don't use heating pads on the affected limb. Moisturize your skin daily.