Hello all - has anyone had any advice along the lines of not receiving massage when you have CML? I was told by a massage therapist that I was to check with my specialist before having massage - I did and she did not seem concerned. Any comments?
Cheers
Kenny
You are here
Massage - OK?
maybe the cofusion/worry is more relevant to the lymphocytic leukaemia's because of lymphatic drainage etc. i cannot see how masssage would be contra-indicated in myeloid leukaemia's such as CML. given your doctor is not worried then go ahead and enjoy your massage. ;o)
sandy ;o)
Diana G
My holistic therapist asked me to check with the doc before having an Indian head massage, which involves shoulders, back, neck as well as head and face: I asked the haematology nurse who said it was OK to proceed.
By the way, does anyone out there feel the cold much more since Glivec? I'm never without a big woolly scarf these days, but I don't know whether the chill factor is caused by imagination or Glivec! A shivery cold feeling seems to come on without warning - as though the ambient temperature has suddenly dropped. Very mysterious. Still, it takes your mind off the leg cramps!
Regards,
Diana
PS. Just heard the weather forecast for next week...looks like a Two Hot Water Bottle job!
Diana G
Thanks for the replies: glad I'm not the only one wearing woolly scarves and thermal underwear. Thought I was getting paranoid for a moment - e.g.'There are rats living under the hen house - I'm sure they've only been there since I started taking Glivec...'!
Val's consultant advised that massage is fine with CML. The need to ask arose because of a horrible incident at a well-known health spa.
Val was bought a massage as a gift by a friend just after she was diagnosed. The idea was to cheer her up. They went together to the spa. After getting undressed and putting on the towel robe etc, Val was asked to fill in a form. One of the questions was "Are you suffering from any illness?" Being an honest person she answered "Yes, CML." The therapist took the form and then returned with the supervisor who said "We are not going to touch you" in a very aggressive and frightening way - like Val had a communicable disease that they could catch.
Val, already feeling down from the diagnosis, felt like she had been abused by the way it was handled. The incident got worse because she was left alone in tears, crying her heart out, in the treatment room and the staff did not even bother to tell Val's friend who was enjoying her massage not knowing what had happenned to Val just down the corridor.
It seems that the trade organisation for spas has this policy because of the insurance it arranges, probably for very good reasons. I was told by the spa when I complained about the way it was handled that if you have a Doctor's letter saying it is OK to have massage, the spas will be fine. The other option is what Val now does: having checked with the Consultant that massage is not a problem with CML, she doesn't disclose it on the health form when she has a massage. That may not be the best solution but it is much better than going through what Val went through.
If anyone else has had this problem, could they post about it? If there are a few people, I might try to see if I can talk to the spa trade body about getting the policy changed for CML patients.
David
That's a terrible thing to happen. How insensitive can these people be ? I can understand, in a way, about the insurance issue in these days of Claimant Culture - but surely they could have given out the "Illness Form" in advance when the massage was booked and then it could all have been sorted beforehand with no upset or embarrassment.
As an aside, did you know that nowadays, anyone who "touches"
you, for whatever reason i.e. massage, reflexology etc MUST have an Anatomy and Physiology Qualification from an accredited source. (Usually a Local Authority College, not some "tinpot" beauty salon or Spa - no disrespect to any beauty therapists on here!). Ask to see the Certificate of whoever is doing yours......
Bee
It was a terrible thing to happen in the first few weeks after diagnosis.
No, they didn't send out the health form in advance and added insult to injury by subsequently suggesting they had sent them and saying that Val hadn't bothered to return it to them! Unfortunately that was totally untrue and made the whole episode even worse. So much for client care and common humanity and decency.
David