Lymphoedema Awareness Week 2021

This week we are proud to be promoting Lymphoedema Awareness Week to help raise awareness and give a broader understanding of the chronic condition

Lymphoedema should not prevent you from your everyday activities, or limit your usual lifestyle. We are happy to be able to share with you, a story from one of our patients Pat, who at 90 years old, still manages to live a busy, independent life, whilst caring for her husband and managing her condition.

“My name is Pat Robertson and I live on the outskirts of a small west Cumbrian town. I have just recently turned 90 in January, and I was diagnosed with Lymphoedema some 5 years ago. I am also my husband’s sole carer.

A typical day for me starts at 06:30am. I get up and dressed I put my Lymphoedema stockings on before my feet get change to swell. I get my husband a cup of tea and his medication and then make myself a coffee and sit down to do my diabetic blood test and asthma treatment.

I then prepare our breakfasts, cereal and fruit or porridge for my husband and fruit and yoghurt for me. My husband has his breakfast in bed but I have mine in the dining area and watch the news, after which I put my legs up for 30 minutes or so whilst I sort our day out.

My morning is filled with daily chores and housework, until around 1:00pm when we have a snack and a cup of tea and watch the news, during this time I put my legs up again for an hour or so.

After lunch I carry on with housework, or gardening or the online food shopping list. I occasionally take a taxi into town for the Post Office and one or two other shops I need to visit. In the evening prepare our evening meal after which when everything is tidied away we watch television until my stockings need to come off with the help from my husband. We then get organised for bed. Needless to say because I am a carer not everything goes to plan.

I have always been able to get the stockings on myself, but cannot get them off independently.

Perhaps because I am older I can accept my condition easier and if looked after as advised by my Lymphoedema nurse it isn’t a big problem. My one regret about my condition is not having as much choice of shoes! (I have always loved shoes)

Lymphoedema certainly doesn’t stop me doing what I have to do. A far bigger problem is that I am partially sighted.”

Hospice at Home West Cumbria needs £1.3 million each year to meet the needs of our local communities – that’s over £3,500 every single day. Our services are provided FREE, but do come at a cost. If you can, please donate today by clicking on the donate button or donating through our website here https://bit.ly/2S4nB3T