“I’m so lucky to have this treatment from St Catherine’s”

When Lois Reynolds discovered swelling under her breast after undergoing grueling cancer treatments, she was terrified the disease had returned.

So she was shocked to be told she had lymphedema, and was even more surprised to learn that St Catherine’s could help her to manage the condition. The mum-of-two has been attending our Woodside Clinic as an outpatient, accessing specialist treatments including laser therapy.

“I had a lumpectomy, radio and chemotherapy, and now I have annual mammograms and check-ups,” Lois said. “But about a year after I was discharged, I started experiencing pain under my breast and noticed it was swollen.

“I was worried the cancer was back. But they told me it was lymphoedema, which I’d heard of but didn’t know much about.  Then they said St Catherine’s offers treatments which really surprised me; everybody thinks of hospices as being all about end-of-life, and I didn’t even know this service existed.”

Lymphoedema develops when lymph fluid can’t be drained properly from our bodies, resulting in swelling, and is sometimes caused by surgery to remove cancer.

Office administrator Lois, 56, added: “The nurses are so welcoming and talk you through everything; they really put me at ease. I’ve really noticed a difference and they have also taught me massaging techniques which I can do at home, to help me keep on top of the symptoms. It’s much more manageable now that I have this extra support, and I just feel so lucky to have access to this treatment with St Catherine’s.”

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