Map it

Lets get Lymphoedema on the map

Lymphoedema doesn’t seem to be on the map. Some things I have come across are scary and annoying.

·      GPs not knowing what Lymphoedema is, me having telling them what I need to do instead of the reverse.

·      Trying to access a professional who knows about Lymphoedema when you feel it is an emergency.

·      Health funds giving you a waiting period and then finding out that the lymphoedema treatments are not really covered under any of their sections.

·      Trying to get travel insurance and lymphoedema isn’t recognised on their list of pre-existing conditions.

·      Going to the blood bank and being rejected until I have a letter from my doctor………………………………….We need to put pressure on the right people, obtain PR to get Lymphoedema on the map.

What I’m asking of you today is for you personally to educate everyone you know and everyone you come across about lymphoedema, directly engage with your networks and what you do every single day, I know these may be things that some of you are already doing, and that’s fantastic and when lymphoedema awareness has increased ten fold we can all look back and know that we played a part in it.

Its up to everyone to be confident, we need to really create resources and look for every opportunity to educate.

Staying positive is very important, the effort everyone puts in now, can help an unimaginable amount of people down the track.