BC Survivor Experiencing Post-Fracture Lymphatic Swelling

Question
I had BC 33 years ago and have been fine ever since.  I never got lymphadema and up until now, all was perfect.  However, I took a tumble 4 weeks ago and broke my left humerous up by the shoulder area.  The BC was on the left side and I had a halstad radical.  Now the break is healing well, but I now have what appears to be lymphadema in my left arm.  My PT is working very hard to get the swelling down, but I am concerned that the swelling will be permanent.

1. Will this swelling go away?
2. What can I do to help bring down the swelling?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Answer
As I have not examined you, reviewed the medical record, lab tests, or imaging, what follows is offered for information purposes only and does not constitute treatment.  I always suggest a thorough examination by a health care professional before embarking on a course of treatment.
A fracture causes local soft tissue trauma with disruption of cellular membranes and a noteworthy amount of bleeding.  The edema in the area is the result of water and plasma attraction to the proteins left over from the  disruption and the inflammatory response.  The edema will resolve, eventually.

A Halstad radical mastectomy, done thirty-three years ago was a fairly uncommon procedure.  It is more likely you had a Patey modified radical mastectomy, but that is an academic discussion. The axillary clean out results in the sacrifice of a large number of lymph vessels and varying degrees of lymph vessel incompetence.  About thirty to fifty percent of all total mastectomy patients have lymph edema.  

In the case of a humerus fracture consistent elevation of the extremity will yield diminished edema.  Humerus fracture is treated with a triangle bandage and splinting the extremity to the torso.  Elevation higher than the heart while sitting is problematic.  However, elevation of the left extremity can be achieved in the lateral decubitis position with the right side down.  That is, lay on the right arm with a pillow under the right arm pit, flex the knees and position a pillow under the head and between the knees.  The upper left arm is now above the heart.  

The arm must be slightly externally rotated so the wrist and fingers can be supported on a fourth pillow, higher than the right atrium.  Edema resolution will accelerate.  This position must be maintained for an hour or more three to four times per day.  Check with the orthopedic surgeon prior to obtaining instruction from your physical therapist.