A nurse's twenty-four-year journey with breast cancer-related lymphedema

Lymphedema is one of the major complications following breast cancer treatment. The majority of women who develop breast cancer are in their years of employment. Occupational functioning and employment are issues of significant concern among women with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). We present a single-case study of a nurse living with BCRL for more than two decades in the Midwestern United States, as an exemplar to explore the 'return-to-work' phenomenon.

A sixty-minute, semi-structured interview was conducted with a selected single case ("Linda"), following a pre-interview survey. Themes and sub-concepts were generated through constant-comparison of evidence within the case.

Themes included: the feeling of being lost, functional impairments related to BCRL and bandaging, being limited yet not being limited, and experiencing different challenges with different jobs. Overall, returning to work with BCRL was a complex phenomenon involving interactions of the disease process, the work activity, the individual, and an array of contextual factors.

Linda's struggles, efforts, and adaptations at different career points were revealing and exemplified how individuals navigate the journey of returning to work with BCRL.