Lymphedema Program Brings New Hope to Cancer Survivors in Prairie Mountain Health

WINNIPEG — When Prairie Mountain Health received new funding in October 2024 to hire a part-time occupational therapist for lymphedema management, it marked the beginning of a quiet but powerful shift in cancer aftercare for patients in western Manitoba.

For years, cancer survivors experiencing lymphedema, a painful and often debilitating swelling caused by an abnormal buildup of protein-rich fluid, faced long waits or had to travel to Winnipeg for treatment. Many simply went without care.

Now, thanks to support from CancerCare Manitoba’s Centre of Hope, those services are available in Brandon.

Kayla Bueckert joined the CancerCare team as the new occupational therapist shortly after the funding announcement and quickly undertook specialized training to become a certified lymphedema therapist. She integrated herself into the cancer care environment, taking on referrals from across the region and providing targeted therapy to patients experiencing swelling in the breast, limbs, head, or neck.

Since beginning her role, Kayla has completed nearly 200 patient visits. Her focus has been twofold: treating active cases and identifying opportunities for early intervention.

“When we can treat symptoms early, we can often prevent or delay chronic progression,” she explained. “That means less pain, more mobility, and a better quality of life for patients.”

Early data she’s collecting helps track how many visits patients need before they can transition to managing their symptoms independently.

For cancer survivors like Michelle Green, access to lymphedema therapy has been life-changing.

“My quality of life was dismal at best. I was very depressed,” Green said. “Kayla quite literally changed my life. She saw me for two weeks straight, and I improved 50%.”

Before Kayla’s arrival, the wait to see a lymphatic therapist in Brandon could be nine months. That wait time has now dropped to about four months. For some, that difference is the line between living in pain and finding relief.

Gerharda Reuvekamp remembers arriving at her first appointment without knowing what lymphedema even was.

“My oncologist mentioned it after surgery, but I didn’t fully understand what to expect,” she said. “Kayla taught me how to manage the swelling, how to use garments, and how to do skin stretch massages. She even trained my husband to help.”

She added that before her treatment, she saw multiple specialists, oncologists, neurologists, massage therapists, physiotherapists, but no one identified her symptoms as lymphedema.

Rural Patients Left Behind

Patients in rural Manitoba still face major access barriers.

“It is setting these patients up for a life of misery,” Green said. “The aftercare for women after breast cancer surgery is abysmal.”

Elizabeth Glaseman shared a similar story. After months of misdiagnoses, she finally saw Kayla.

“After one hour with the OT at CancerCare, I was able to start moving my arm,” she said. “I wish I had known more about the risks of lymphedema, cording, and seromas earlier. It could have saved me months of pain.”

For many cancer survivors, treatment doesn’t end when chemotherapy or surgery does. Lingering side effects like lymphedema can severely impact daily living.

“Cancer takes so much away from people,” Glaseman said. “To survive but not thrive because of side effects takes a huge toll. I went from hiking 10 km every weekend to not being able to grab soup from a top shelf.”

Reuvekamp believes every breast cancer patient should be automatically referred to a certified lymphedema therapist post-surgery.

“Based on the professional treatment and education I received from Kayla, I strongly support adding more certified therapists in Brandon and rural areas,” she said.

Prairie Mountain Health credits Kayla for her commitment to building a new service from the ground up and for pushing to reduce wait times and expand access.

The organization is also using the success of the lymphedema program to highlight the broader contributions of occupational therapists working in hospitals, homes, long-term care facilities, schools, and community programs across Manitoba.

» Winnipeg Sun