Six months ago I had a rt. hemicolonectomy to remove a cancerous tumor.  The surg. included the removal of 22 lymph nodes from the abd.  The cancer had not metastasized and the lymph nodes were all neg. for cancer.  I now am having swelling of my feet & ankles (especially the left side) which subsides during the night.  Would the removal of the 22 lymph nodes cause me to have lymphedema?  Is the remoral of 22 lymph nodes a normal amt. to be removed during this type of surg.?  I take Diltiazem 240mg daily and HCTZ 25mg daily which controls my BP fairly well.  Could the edema be a side effect of the Diltiazem, or could it be due to venous insufficiency?  I would appreciate your professional opinion about this condition and how to differentiate between the possible causes.

Thank You