MARCH is for Lymphedema D-Day

All it takes is one person to get the ball rolling in each state and before we know it, lymphedema will be a household word. The more people know about lymphedema, the better for our cause - for better insurance coverage, for more informed medical personnel, for more research, for more therapists - it all has a snowball effect.

Several years ago, several lymphedema advocates wanted to pass a resolution in their state declaring a specific day as Lymphedema D-Day. Well it started slow, and has grown in great leaps and bounds. Many states now have an official Lymphedema D-Day; others vary by month (New York has LE Day in October, in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month).

Please remember that lymphedema comes in two varieties: primary (which is genetic and usually presents early in life) and secondary (which is post trauma or surgery and the type most of us are familiar with). Primary lymphedema is, in many cases, devastating and deserves just as much, if not more, research thans secondary lymphedema. But, sorry, I went off track...

The National Lymphedema Network (NLN) has worked tirelessly with lymphedema advocates throughout the country to get Lymphedema D-Day approved on every state calendar. You can check out the progress this year at http://www.lymphnet.org/legislation.html...

Even if you are not a political activist, you personally can make a difference. Write a short note to your local legislator or state senator (there is a sample letter at the website listed above) and send it off. That is all there is to it. If you belong to an organization (such as a breast cancer advocacy or support group) you can urge all your members to write a letter.

If you are unsure who your state representatives are, you can check them out at: http://www.ncsl.org/public/leglinks.cfm

If the NLN update page shows that your state already has a resolution in place, perhaps you may want to consider joining other LE advocates in your state.

Several years ago, I wrote a letter (followed the NLN form letter) to New York's legislators and shortly thereafter, I received a nice letter from our elected officials and an official proclamation proclaiming Lymphedema D-Day in New York. I made a copy of the resolution to use in our lymphedema awareness activities and forwarded the original to Saskia Thiadens, Director of NLN. There is strength in numbers and the more states that acknowledge LE as a medical condition, the better for all of us.

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