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Supportive lymphatic care · South Berkeley
Manual Lymph Drainage During and After Cancer Treatment. Whatever you have decided, I am on your side.
I provide MLD during and after cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, surgery recovery, and lymphedema after lymph node removal. I do not treat cancer. I support your body through what it is carrying, and I work within the instructions from your oncology team.
- Method
- Dr. Vodder MLD, certified since 2009
- When
- During treatment, afterward, or years later
- Clearance
- Your medical team sets the timing
- First step
- A free phone call with me
Why this work
Cancer care is a large part of why I chose this work.
This is not a service I added later. Wanting to be useful to people during cancer treatment and after it ended was one of the reasons I went into lymphatic work in the first place.
My role is specific. Your oncology team treats the cancer. I help with swelling, lymph flow, tightness, and the high-alert state your body may have been living in through treatment and surgery. I am not trying to take over anyone else’s job. I am one careful part of the larger care you already have.
Some people call during treatment. Others call years later because an arm has started feeling heavy and nobody warned them that could happen. Both are good times to reach out.
Where this helps
What I help with.
Your medical team decides whether and when this work is appropriate. That conversation comes first.
During chemotherapy or radiation
When your oncologist is comfortable with it, gentle lymphatic work may help with puffiness, heaviness, and the feeling that your whole body is carrying too much. It also gives you quiet time to settle.
After cancer surgery
I work with swelling, tightness, and limited movement after mastectomy, lumpectomy, lymph node surgery, reconstruction, or abdominal surgery. Your surgeon sets the timing.
Lymphedema after node removal
This is one of the most common reasons people find me. Removing lymph nodes or treating them with radiation can change drainage there, sometimes years before you notice.
Reconstruction recovery
Expanders, implants, flap reconstruction, and revision surgery can each bring new swelling and tightness. I have stayed with clients through several stages of reconstruction.
Scars, once they are closed
Once everything is fully closed, I work with mastectomy and reconstruction scars using my hands and Dolphin microcurrent. Tight chest scars may affect how comfortably your arm moves.
Being in your body again
Sometimes you need an hour where nobody is testing or treating you. I pay attention, and you get to rest in a quiet room.
The rule I work by
Your medical team decides. I work within that.
I do not usually need a formal note. I do need you to talk with your oncologist or surgeon about lymphatic drainage and tell me what they said. If they want you to wait or avoid a certain area, I follow those instructions.
- If they say go ahead, we begin, and I keep working within any restrictions they have given you.
- If they say finish this phase first, we wait. If they say wait six months, you wait six months, and I will still take your call now so you know what is coming.
- If they have not mentioned it, ask them. On our call I will tell you exactly what to ask, so the conversation is short and specific.
Sometimes someone calls again a year after our first conversation because life and treatment got in the way. That is completely normal. There is no deadline for getting back in touch.
Worth understanding
Lymphedema after cancer treatment.
Many people are not told enough about this, so I want to explain it plainly.
Why it happens
Edema is ordinary swelling. Lymphedema is ongoing swelling caused by a lymphatic system that cannot drain normally. After cancer treatment, it is called secondary lymphedema. Risk is affected by lymph node removal, radiation, and your individual anatomy. The number and location of lymph nodes are not exactly the same in every person, which is one reason risk is not identical for everyone.
Where it shows up
The body drains in broad regions. Secondary lymphedema usually appears on the side where surgery or radiation changed the lymph nodes. It may begin closer to those nodes and move outward, such as the upper arm before the hand or the thigh before the lower leg. That is why the first feeling may not be where you expected it.
What it feels like first
Heaviness and tightness often come before visible swelling. A ring, watch, or sleeve may suddenly feel different. You may feel the change before anyone else can see it, and I always take that very seriously.
What helps with lymphedema
A proper diagnosis may give you access to compression garments and covered care. Ongoing management may include MLD, compression, movement, skin care, and sometimes a home pump. The goal is to stay ahead of the fluid, because catching up after it builds is much harder.
A person with lymphedema absolutely knows the feeling of a limb filling up. They will tell me on the table that they feel it moving. That is awesome to me.
Most of the people I see are in the maintenance phase, and we work together to keep the fluid under control. If you are newly diagnosed, carrying a large amount of fluid, or need wrapping and intensive treatment, tell me on the call. If your insurance covers a clinic that offers that level of care, use it first. I will help you understand what to ask for beforehand. More on lymphedema →
Please read this one
Protecting your skin really does matter.
If lymph nodes were removed or treated with radiation, that arm or leg may have less protection against infection. Your skin is the first barrier, so small injuries deserve attention.
A small cut, insect bite, or scratch can become a bigger problem in an area with reduced lymph drainage. Cellulitis can become serious quickly. Signs may include redness, warmth, swelling, flu-like symptoms, or feeling generally unwell.
Wear gloves for dishes and gardening, keep shoes on outdoors, use insect protection, and take care of any break in the skin. If the area becomes red, warm, or more swollen, or you feel unwell, call your doctor that day. Do not wait overnight.
One word is easy to mix up. Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection. Cellulite is the dimpled fat many people have on their thighs. They are completely different, but people confuse the words all the time. I say it plainly because cellulitis needs medical attention.
However you are treating this
You do not have to defend your treatment decisions to me.
Some clients follow only the treatment their oncologist recommends. Some combine conventional treatment with complementary care. Others have made a different choice after a great deal of thought.
You may be following conventional treatment, complementary care, or a combination. I am not here to argue with you about a decision you have already made. You have your reasons, and I respect that it is your decision. My job is to provide careful lymphatic support, stay within medical safety limits, and be one steady part of your care.
I may point you toward books or resources I think are worth your time. I keep some in the office and lend them out. One I often mention is Radical Remission, which looks at people who recovered after being given very little reason to expect it. Some used conventional care, some used other approaches, and many used both. I do not treat the book as a medical protocol or a replacement for your oncology team. I mention it because cancer treatment can fill your days with frightening information, and sometimes you also need information that leaves room for hope.
I always want to point somebody to things that are going to give them not just knowledge, but hope.
Worth saying plainly
What I do not do.
I do not treat cancer
MLD is supportive care. It does not treat, shrink, or cure cancer. I will never tell you otherwise, and I would be very cautious with anyone who does.
I do not diagnose
I do not diagnose lymphedema or any other condition. If I think something needs medical attention, I will tell you clearly and help you decide who to call.
I do not override your team
If your oncologist or surgeon says to wait, we wait. Their advice comes first. I do not work around your medical team’s instructions.
I do not do wound care
Anything open, weeping, infected, or not fully closed belongs with your medical team. We pause and resume only when they say it is safe.
Above all, I want you to have a real care team. That may include a good doctor, a therapist, or another qualified practitioner you trust. I would rather be one useful part of something well built than the only person you are relying on. No one person should be carrying all of this for you.
Before you call
Questions people ask me.
Is lymphatic drainage safe during cancer treatment?
Your oncologist needs to answer that for your specific situation because the answer depends on your treatment and where you are in it. Some people are cleared during treatment, and others are told to wait until a particular phase is finished. I do not guess. Ask your medical team, then tell me exactly what they said.
Can lymphatic drainage spread cancer?
This question has worried people for a long time, and it is one reason medical clearance matters. Your oncologist is the right person to answer it for your type and stage of cancer. I am not. I will not work with you if your medical team has said no, and I will not try to change their mind.
Do I need a doctor's note?
No written note is usually needed. I do need you to speak clearly with your medical team first and tell me what they said about timing and restrictions.
How likely am I to get lymphedema after breast cancer surgery?
Risk varies from person to person and is affected by lymph node removal and radiation. Nobody can give you a certain number for your body. What matters most is learning the early signs, especially heaviness and tightness before visible swelling appears.
I finished treatment years ago and my arm has started feeling heavy. Is it too late?
No. Lymphedema can appear months or years after treatment, and many people were never warned. Get the arm assessed so you can access the right care and compression if needed, then call me about maintenance support. Staying ahead of the fluid is easier than trying to catch up with it.
What if I am doing only natural treatment?
You will receive the same careful, respectful treatment. I am not there to argue with you about your decision. I am there to understand what care you have and stay within safe limits.
Can you work on my mastectomy scars?
Yes, once they are fully closed and your surgeon is satisfied with the healing. Tight chest scars may limit arm movement. I work with them using my hands and Dolphin microcurrent. More on scar care.
Should I be worried about cellulitis?
Be informed rather than frightened. If lymph nodes were removed or treated with radiation, that arm or leg may have less protection against infection. Wear gloves for dishes and gardening, keep shoes on outdoors, and take care of cuts, bites, and scratches promptly. Call your doctor that day if the area becomes red, warm, or more swollen, or if you feel flu-like and unwell.
How often would I need to come?
There is no set schedule. It depends on whether you are in treatment, recovering from surgery, or managing lymphedema over time. Some people need closer support at first and then spread appointments out. We will make a plan that fits your body, your medical instructions, and your budget.
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The next step
Tell me where you are.
Set up a free 15-minute call and tell me where you are in treatment or recovery and what your medical team has said. I will tell you whether I may be able to help, when it may be safe to begin, and what questions you still need answered.