|
 |
Bellisse® E-Newsletter |  |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dear Bellisse,
March is National Lymphedema Month. Especially during this time, we keep in mind our patients and customers who live with this condition every day, and the family members, healthcare providers, and friends who support them. More than five years ago, Lesli developed the Compressure Comfort® Bra because she was inspired to improve the quality of life of her patients with lymphedema of the breast and chest. We are pleased and proud that we have succeeded in that mission, as your cards and emails tell us. We continue to be inspired to improve the lives of patients who have undergone breast and chest surgery. Recently, we announced that David N. Krag, M.D. has joined Bellisse as Director of Medical and Research Initiatives. Working with this renowned breast surgeon and researcher, we have learned that there are many other medical interventions that create truncal and breast edema. We now know that the problem of breast edema is not confined to the breast cancer patient. Our product has also been used for breast and truncal edema caused by surgical and radiation treatment of lung cancer, malignant melanoma, open heart surgery, and for post surgical edema that has not progressed to the lymphedema stage. The Compressure Comfort Bra can help improve the quality of life of these patients, too! Through our continued clinical work, we have also come to understand the concerns of patients once they are discharged from the hospital. The comfortable compression the Bellisse Compressure Comfort Bra provides can address many of these issues, as the following articles describe. Thank you for helping us increase awareness of truncal and breast edema, no matter what the cause. Please share your experiences with us! By providing immediate postsurgical intervention with comfortable compression, we can improve quality of life, and possibly decrease the pain our sisters, mothers and friends live with.
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. -- The Dalai Lama
The following is a press release we issued a couple of months ago to share some great news with the local and national media. BURLINGTON, VT - November 7, 2007 - Bellisse announced that David N. Krag, M.D. has joined the Company as Director of Medical and Research Initiatives. Bellisse developed and markets the revolutionary Compressure Comfort ® Bra for post-surgical edema and lymphedema management. "Dr. Krag is a giant in the world of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment and a noted researcher. We are excited to have him join Bellisse," said Lesli Bell, physical therapist and principal of Bellisse. Dr. Krag, an oncologist at the Vermont Cancer Center and Fletcher Allen/University of Vermont, has focused on developing innovative methods to diagnose and treat cancer for more than 20 years. Since 1999, he has led the National Institute of Health's clinical trials examining sentinel node biopsy, a radiotracer-guided surgery he pioneered for checking the spread of cancer in the lymph nodes in breast cancer and melanoma patients. Nationally recognized for his leadership in new technologies, Dr. Krag is now working to achieve targeted delivery of cancer therapeutics to tumors. His research has identified compounds that bind to molecules important in breast cancer and are believed to play a role in slowing cancer growth. "Our experience tells us the Bellisse bra has already improved quality of life for many breast cancer survivors suffering from the pain of post-treatment edema. We intend to focus more directly on research to determine the garment's clinical efficacy," said Krag. Bellisse (www.bellisse.com) developed and markets the Compressure Comfort Bra, a medical garment that combines compression with a unique non-restrictive design to increase comfort and decrease pain and swelling after breast cancer treatment and other truncal surgeries or radiation. Contact: info@bellisse.com # # # For more information on what's new at Bellisse, visit http:// www.bellisse.com/new/index.shtml.
By Lesli Bell, PT Breast cancer patients deserve something special, tailored to their special needs, to make them more comfortable after surgery! Some type of post-surgical compression support is recommended following most surgical procedures. Surgery generally causes swelling (also called edema) and swelling causes discomfort and pain. Compression helps the body "pump" out the excess fluid, reducing the swelling and pressure on sensitive tissues, which can help relieve pain and discomfort. In the breast, there is no muscle tissue to aid in this pumping action, so comfortable compression can help. As with any compression garment or bandage, it should be comfortably snug, but should not bind or cause a tourniquet effect. Many women want to know what the "right" bra or undergarment is following breast or chest surgery. Important considerations are: Something that will not irritate the drain (if there is one), something that will "hug" the sore tissues to the chest wall and support comfortably, and something they can sleep in so turning in bed is easier. After breast surgery, one of the biggest complaints is pain from the incisions in the axilla and at the site of tumor removal. A garment that provides non-restrictive compressive support can provide the patient with the confidence to be able to move around comfortably, and this can make recovery easier and less painful. The most comfortable option for the recovering breast cancer patient is for her to be secure after surgery. Wearing a comfortable compression garment that can decrease pain and swelling post-surgically, and then support tissues through the healing process and post radiation process, is something every breast cancer patient deserves. Comfortable compression works! For more information on how the Bellisse Compressure Comfort Bra provides comfortable compression following surgery, visit http://www.bellisse.com/comfort_bra/index.shtml.
Fear grows in darkness; if you think there's a bogeyman around, turn on the light. -- Dorothy Thompson
Compression provides security following breast or chest surgery Our doctors, nurses and technicians provide excellent medical care to patients requiring breast or chest surgeries. Despite this, many patients get home and find they feel confused, frightened, and "lost" about how to care for themselves. You may have heard these patients describe pain, discomfort, and/or a "full" feeling or swelling. They may be afraid to relax or to move their upper body, leading to tension in their back, shoulders or neck. Some panic if they sneeze or cough, especially if they have a drain they fear will detach. Others may have skin irritation or allergy to the tape that holds the bandage in place. They may be reluctant to check their wound or change the bandage because they don't want to remove the tape. Some are so troubled by this that they don't touch the bandage until their first post-operative visit. Imagine how uncomfortable it would be to not shower for several days, especially right after surgery. And imagine the anxiety of wondering if their wound is healing well. Wearing the Bellisse Compressure Comfort Bra immediately after breast or chest surgery can help address these concerns. Compression helps the body remove excess fluid, which reduces swelling, which in turn can help relieve pain and discomfort. The Compressure Comfort Bra affords the patient gentle compression around the torso and can make the patient feel secure that sutures and drains will not be disturbed by normal activity. Our garment can also eliminate the need for tape - the compression will hold the gauze in place, making it easy for the client or healthcare provider to check the wound or change the bandage.
For Frequently Asked Questions about compression bras, visit http://www.bellisse.com/comfort_bra/faq.shtml.
On the subject of health and healing, we know that for many patients and caregivers there may be a both a medical/physical aspect and a mental/spiritual aspect to the process. Recently, we came across the following observations from Deepak Chopra, in the February issue of his e-newsletter "Namaste": "We are the only creatures on the planet who can change our biology through our thoughts, feelings, and intentions. Our cells are constantly eavesdropping on our thoughts and being changed by them. When we fall in love, positive thoughts and emotions course through our body and strengthen our immune system." And in another article from the same source: "According to the ancient Vedic tradition, we are multifaceted beings. We have a physical body, a subtle body (the realm of the mind), and a causal body (the realm of spirit). We live simultaneously on each level, and becoming intimate with these dimensions of our nature enables us to live with vitality, creativity, and happiness. "For thousands of years, the relationship between the mind, the body, and the soul has been a matter of great debate.... "The Buddha taught that we should look after our body and maintain the health and vitality of this flesh temple. In the Dhammapada, the Buddha states, "The One who knows [that] the self is dear will cherish and protect it; the wise one is vigilant through the night." To read more about the spiritual aspects of health and healing, go directly to the Chopra Center's online newsletter at ww w.chopra.com/namaste/february08. There is a wealth of information about the Aruyvedic approach from Dr. David Simon, as well. It is fascinating, thought-provoking, and can be quite inspiring.
For a list of some of our favorite books on the mental and spiritual aspects of healing, visit http://www.bellisse.com/resources/books.shtml.
This newsletter contains articles that we believe will be of general interest to the Bellisse community of lymphedema patients, their family and friends, and their health care providers. Sometimes, however, we have news and links that are of interest to only one of these groups. To be sure that you are you are in all the categories that interest you, please click on the "Update my profile" link at the very bottom of this newsletter. As always, Bellisse will not share your information with anyone else.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
