Lymphedema is common, but diagnosis by primary care providers is not

Lymphedema, a non curable life long disease, affects more people than all cancers combined yet very little information is conveyed through local media sources. This is big news! Congress passed legislation in 2022 which stipulated Medicare was to begin covering compression garments for those diagnosed with lymphedema on Jan. 1, 2024.

I know you have all seen people with swollen extremities. You must envision how difficult it is for the people who expose themselves in public. This disease can be active in all ages. Imagine the ridicule for kids attending elementary though high school education or adults walking in stores. Did you know that most primary care providers (PCPs) have no idea how to diagnose it? According to medical school studies, less than 30 minutes is spent on this subject during the four years. My PCP missed it even though I tried to show how to evaluate while explaining it a couple times. The disease was only recently confirmed after an X-ray, 3 months after an injury.

The main causes for secondary lymphedema disease (not a condition) are obesity (40%), patients who have had any type of cancer surgery or treatments (25%) or trauma (10%) in my case, via history of DVT and a pulled calf muscle from playing pickle ball.

I have signed up to become an advocate to help with outreach in the 2nd Congressional District.

Charlie “Tuna” Visek

Hiawatha