Occupational Therapy Lymphedema Cancer Care
In October 2024, Prairie Mountain Health received funding through the Cancer Care Manitoba, Centre of Hope, to hire a part-time Occupational Therapist. The Occupational Therapist’s role was intended to provide lymphedema management services for cancer survivors. Before this time, there was either a long wait for service or clients had to travel to Winnipeg for care.
Lymphedema is an abnormal accumulation of protein-rich fluid, which, when left untreated, can lead to chronic inflammation, hardening of the tissues, a decrease in function, and a decrease in quality of life.
Kayla Bueckert assumed the role of Occupational Therapist at that time and quickly completed extensive coursework to become a certified lymphedema therapist. She worked hard to integrate herself into the Cancer Care practice environment to work with referred clients effectively.
She works with clients who experience lymphedema in their breasts, upper extremities, lower extremities and in their head and neck areas.
Since Kayla started, she has had nearly 200 individual patient visits. She has begun collecting program data on how frequently clients need to see her before they can transition to self-managing their symptoms. She has also started to recognize the value of early intervention, where clients seen earlier in their symptom onset can have their symptoms treated and actively managed, preventing or delaying chronic symptom progression. She is actively working to reduce wait times for service and to expand the role of Occupational Therapy to meet clients’ needs beyond their experience of lymphedema.
Here is some feedback from clients who were seen by Kayla:
How long did it take you to get into lymphedema treatment? How knowledgeable were you about lymphedema before your symptoms?
It took 9 months to schedule an appointment with a lymphatic therapist in Brandon. However, I understand the new wait time after Kayla has begun is 4 months. Upon meeting my oncologist in Winnipeg for the first time, I had never heard of Lymphedema. The oncologist explained the type of surgery I would need and that I would be prone to developing Lymphedema. She briefly explained what to expect, but I didn’t fully understand it, and we didn’t go into detail about what can be done or how to be referred to a lymphatic therapist. ~Gerharda Reuvekamp~
How has lymphedema impacted your quality of life?
My quality of life was dismal at best. I was very depressed. I cried at the thought of how bad my situation would be as a senior in a care home and told my husband that I will be seriously considering MAID in my future. Kayla Bueckert at Cancer Care Brandon quite literally changed my life. My will to live. She was able to see me for 2 weeks straight, and I improved 50%! Since then, I have only been able to see her periodically due to her enormous case load, and my progress has slowed. ~Michelle Green~
What would you say the difference is after receiving some treatment and education on the topic?
The information I received from Kayla was so helpful. I felt (and feel) I was taken care of very well. She taught me how to manage the swelling, the importance of wearing my garments daily and how to do skin stretch massages. She also taught my husband how to do these for me. Many primary caregivers don’t know about lymphedema, which is a serious side effect of cancer treatments and also don’t know how to treat this (many think that taking a diuretic pill and deep tissue massage will help, but neither is the wrong treatment and might even make the condition worse). ~Gerharda Reuvekamp~
What are your thoughts on those in rural areas with little to no treatment for lymphedema?
It is setting these patients up for a life of misery. The aftercare for women after breast cancer surgery is abysmal. ~Michelle Green~
It’s very frustrating that not only has there been minimal access to lymphedema in Brandon prior to April 2025, but there is also very little KNOWLEDGE about it. I saw my oncologist, radiologist, physiatrist, three rheumatologists, two neurologists, two massage therapists (external to CancerCare), and two physiotherapists (external to CancerCare). I also had a nerve test done, and NO ONE thought of lymphedema as the cause of what was going on. The CancerCare team members are AMAZING, but the actual clinical help for managing side effects from cancer treatment is not there. After one hour with the OT at Brandon’s CancerCare Centre, I was able to start moving my arm. I wish I had known more about the risks of lymphedema, cording, and seromas. ~Elizabeth Glaseman~
If there is one thing you would like to say regarding your journey through cancer care, what would it be?
Cancer takes so much away from people; it’s difficult to survive but not be able to thrive because of side effects from life-saving treatment. You want to be able to put cancer behind you, to live the life you’ve been given a second chance at. But when you’re constantly dealing with things like pain, incapacitation, declining movement ability, etc., it takes a real toll on your physical and mental health. To go from someone who hiked 10 km every weekend, swam twice a week, and did yoga to now not being able to grab soup from a top shelf is really frustrating. I am 40 years old, and cancer treatment has left me in the body of an elderly person. ~Elizabeth Glaseman~
They have been a Godsend. My quality of life has improved dramatically. I wish I could see my OT more often. To think that each breast cancer patient is not automatically referred after surgery displays a failure of the Manitoba health care system. ~Michelle Green~
Based on the professional treatment and education I received from Kayla. I am very supportive of an additional certified lymphedema therapist in Brandon and/or rural areas, so that more people can get access to timely and effective treatment of this serious side effect condition from cancer treatments. ~Gerharda Reuvekamp~
Prairie Mountain Health is grateful to Kayla for her efforts in helping the clients she serves and for her fearless entry into a new practice environment for Occupational Therapy.
October of each year is National Occupational Therapy Month. Prairie Mountain Health has Occupational Therapists who work in hospitals, clients’ homes, long-term care homes, schools, preschools, and management. Occupational Therapists make a difference in the lives of Manitobans every day!