SHOULD

You happen to stroll along the banks of Dublin’s Grand Canal some bright Saturday morning, you may see a dragon’s head rearing up from the water. It will probably be accompanied by rhythmic splash of paddles and the unmistakable sound of drumming.

Nothing to worry about — it’s simply the Plurabelle Paddlers on their regular weekend run. Every Saturday morning, two long dragon-boats, Anna and Livia, one pink, one blue, each capable of holding more than 20 people, glide through the waters of the canal basin to the rhythm of the drum and the splash of many paddles.

The name of the group and the canoes comes from the memorable title given to the Liffey by the writer James Joyce in his book Finnegan’s Wake.

The paddlers are survivors of breast cancer who have formed an unusual support group.

For businesswoman Tara Byrne, it’s a tonic in more ways than one. Byrne, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2010, finished her in-hospital cancer treatment last July, though she still takes daily medication, Tamoxifen, something she will have to do so for the next four years.

The diagnosis, she recalls, hit her like “a ton of bricks” and the treatment left her listless and without energy for a time. After her attention was drawn to the Plurabelle Paddlers by her mother, the 36-year-old managing director of Dataconversion Direct joined while still on treatment. However, it was when she was diagnosed with lymphoedema following her surgery, that Byrne really began to feel the benefits of dragon-boating.

Research carried out in 1996 in Canada has shown that the repetitive upper-body movement required for dragon boating can be beneficial to patients with breast cancer — and the use of dragon boating as a means of helping women with the condition has resulted in the establishment of 150 dragon boating teams around the world.

Portrane-based Byrne has secondary lymphoedema, which is a chronic swelling of the arm and/or breast. The condition, which can sometimes arise as a result of cancer, or as a consequence of breast cancer treatment, can present at any time, even years after all therapy has stopped.

The most common type of secondary lymphoedema can arise when the surgeon has removed the lymph nodes under the arm as part of breast cancer surgery, though this only happens in some of the more than 1,700 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in Ireland each year.

It is not a curable condition but it can be treated or managed with the help of a certified lymphoedema therapist.

Byrne underwent a specialised type of massage called manual lymphatic drainage for four months, and was later fitted with a special sleeve.

“I found the dragon boating was brilliant for lymphoedema,” she says. “It keeps it under control, it has stopped any further swelling and has stopped any tightness in my arm.

“As part of the surgery I also had a muscle removed from my back and this affected my reaching movements.

“The dragon boating has helped me build up strength in my upper right body which was quite badly affected by the surgery and the lymphoedema in my right arm and hand.

“I find the dragon boating has helped me regain strength. It’s easy to start saying you cannot do something because something bad has happened, but the dragon boating pushes you to bring yourself back to the best recovery possible.

“It makes you get over that wall — it is a constant positive focus on living and life,” says Byrne, who along with 23 other members of the Plurabelles, headed off to Malaysia earlier this month to participate in the world dragon-boat racing cancer championships.

“There is a lot of evidence to say that exercise is beneficial after breast cancer — and paddling fits in very well with the recommendations,” says Síne Vasquez, clinical specialist physiotherapist at Beaumont Hospital.

“Paddling such as dragon boating has been proven to be beneficial for breast cancer survivors including those with lymphoedema.”

This type of moderate intensity aerobic and resistance training has been proven to be beneficial for lymphoedema. It also contributes to good survival rates and helps counteract fatigue among cancer sufferers.

“Up to 30% of people who have had all their lymph nodes removed following breast cancer may get lymphoedema at some stage in their lives,” says Vasquez.

And although it is not curable, says the physiotherapist, lymphoedema can be treated or managed with the help of a therapist.

“The full treatment involves special massage immediately followed by compressive bandaging,” says Vasquez.

The process takes place on a daily basis or every second day during the acute treatment phase. “This will continue until the swelling is reduced as much as possible. Exercise and skincare is very important.”

Following the acute treatment phase, patients must wear a made-to-measure sleeve which is usually replaced every six months.

. For more information about the Plurabelle Paddlers, visit plurabellepaddlers.com or the Irish Dragon Boat Association on Facebook.

. See page 10 where cancer survivor shares her tips in self-help book.