b'DONNA FABER There is not enough funding and support for lymphedemaand lymphatic diseases. My hopes is that our stories can raise Ocala, FL awareness and make lymphatic diseases known, but to also At age 55 I suddenly got lymphedema in my left leg. Ive had this forultimately achieve the means for research andsomeday find a cure. twenty years now. My left leg is, of course, bigger than my right legI was lucky and am now able to manage my lymphedema, but there so I have to buy a special stocking, which is costly and requires aare thousands of individuals living with chronic lymphatic diseases prescription from a doctor. I also buy leg wrappings and gauze tothat do not have what they need. Nor do they have the medical and wrap the leg, none of which insurance covers. I have to take care offinancial support their disease requires to maintain a high quality leg daily; if not it swells, aches, and leaks fluid. of life.A cure would be awesome! So many people are enduring much pain, malformations, and expense. P. S. Shoes are hard to findANNALEA GRAYwhen one foot is bigger than the other. Thank you for your time. Tampa, FLIm 41years old and started showing symptoms of lymphedemaBRIDGET FORSTER at age 15. I went to numerous doctors but none knew what was Boca Raton, FL wrong. At 23 I was diagnosed with Primary Lymphedema. Ive had I was born with primary lymphedema in both hands and arms andrecurrent cellulitis (serious bacterial skin infections) over the last went 12 years without a proper diagnosis. I lost 12 precious years17 years. Im unable to do activities like go to the beach, wear heels/of what could have been valuable treatment and managementboots, or walk long distances. Ive had numerous visits to the ER, with compression garments, but instead was told there washospitalizations, infectious disease treatments, and IV antibiotics, nothing they could do for me. Between having my hands calledcosting myself and my insurance thousands of dollars. These costs hot air balloons in kindergarten, and being avoided by kids forwould be significantly reduced for thousands of individuals if fear if they got too close they could catch my disease, I had toMedicare & health insurance companies covered preventative learn to develop a thick skin early on. I found a passion for compression garments.tennis when I was seven, but having lymphedema made it tough I paid $850 for one pair of custom thigh highs but my insurance as the name-calling continued. But worse than that, traveling toonly covers cancer-related lymphedema. Those patients only make different climates and by plane caused unwarranted swelling orup a fraction of cases. Garments are expected to last only six even heat exhaustion.months before needing replacement. This is a lifelong condition with no cure and an expense for the rest of ones life. Please take I went misdiagnosed for almost 20 years before I became my own advocate and wouldnt just take You need to eatmore salads asthe answer to mylipedema and LE.MARIE APODACA Colorado Springs, COAN AMERICAN TRAGEDY 16'