This discovery was devastating because her first cousin had died of melanoma at the age of 42, having opted to forgo aggressive surgery. This family history and fear of micro metastasis made Eleanor determined to seek treatment that would offer her the best outcome. She consulted with a plastic surgeon at Yale University, and they discussed lymphadenectomy, an option she decided to pursue because it might improve her chances of survival. The lymph node dissection resulted in lymphedema. Although Eleanor has lymphedema of the leg, the debilitation it causes and its treatment are basically the same as those for lymphedema related to any other cancer in which many lymph nodes are removed, especially breast cancer.