b'Living with lymphedema is a daily challenge. Kids at school dont like to play with me becauseI cant jump as high and run as fast.KAITLYN TANG Dublin, CAANN ROSS in more ways than I could have ever expected. The venom had quickly traveled through my lymphatic system in my right leg and Ballwin, MO shut my lymph nodes down. My leg gradually began to swell and it I accidentally fell while I was skiing, tore a leg muscle, and gotcontinued to move up my leg. I spent weeks in and out of hospitals lymphedema as a result of the lymph vessels not healing perfectlyand doctors offices trying to figure out why. Thats when I metaligned. Its a lifetime disease. Dr. Penn at UNMC. He told me I had developed lymphedema.I had no idea what that meant, along with most doctors and medical staff for that matter! Every day for 16 years I have had TARA PARKER pain and discomfort given that my right leg is about 5060% larger Kalispell, MT in size than my good leg.I am a 33-year-old mother of two who has been dealing withI honestly thought it couldnt get worse until I went in for mylymphangioma since I was 11 hours old. I have been to Seattle33 week perinatal appointment and found out my daughter had Childrens Hospital and the Mayo Clinic to receive treatment but,lymph fluid sitting on her lungs. I had an emergency C-section and unfortunately, there is no cure. They all say what I have is genetic,they drained as much fluid as they safely could out of her tiny fragile so every day I am afraid that my boys will soon have to go throughbody. I spent two long and emotionally draining months in the the same suffering I have. My lymphedema is in my right leg upNICU by her side. Sophia fought so hard to push out the remaining into my abdomen, which affects my every day life, Im not able tofluid and I prayed to God it wouldnt come back. She just turned one stand for long periods of time or sit for long periods of time so itlast month and thankfully has not shown any signs of it coming back. makes it very difficult to do anything. As much as I try to keep itI now pray more than ever that my baby girl will not ever have to down it continues to grow and the pain also continues to grow. go through any of this. I would do anything to protect her from I have lived with this condition for so long that my lymph systemthis. Please help us find a cure.no longer works so there are no other options other than just maintaining. RHONDA BRANNAGANGrand Island, NEAMANDA BERG I am submitting a story for my daughter, as she doesnt have Valley, NE computer. She has had severe lymphedema, especially in her legs, 16 years ago this month, I was bitten by a brown recluse spider inbut it is now progressing to other parts of her body. She would be the computer lab on my last day of college. This day shaped my lifeso thankful if they could find a cure for her lymphedema or at least AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY 25'