After breast cancer surgery and lymph node removal, I developed lymphedema, a painful, lifelong condition. This medical problem is often misunderstood but is it my place to help bring awareness? One survivor speaks out.
BY Bonnie Annis
PUBLISHED December 22, 2017
Bonnie Annis is a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 2014 with stage 2b invasive ductal carcinoma with metastasis to the lymph nodes. She is an avid photographer, freelance writer/blogger, wife, mother and grandmother.
“Is it my job to educate medical staff about the dangers of lymphedema?” That’s the question I asked myself recently while sitting in my primary care physician’s office. I’d gone in for a checkup and had found myself frustrated once again.
I’ve been a patient in this practice for almost four years. The doctor, nurses and lab technicians are aware of my history with breast cancer. I’ve been questioned so many times while there, about the colorful compression sleeves I wear for lymphedema. One staff member actually told me she wished she had lymphedema so she could wear fun and funky patterns. I cringed when she made that comment thinking, “if you only knew…”
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