Life with a lymphatic disease isn’t fun. Your body has morphed, changed shape and added extra problems. Balance issues, brain fog, lack of energy all factor in.

You feel ugly; you beat yourself up over developing this incurable condition. Life becomes complicated. You play the “what if” game — what if I hadn’t done this. Weight becomes a weapon used against you. If you are overweight, you get told it led to your condition. Fat shaming is too common. Everything weighs on you.

Depression is very common for folks dealing with these diseases. You look down a long hall way and there is no light at the end. It can consume you, leading to deciding you don’t need to use compression or get therapy. You shut down, letting the lymphatic condition overwhelm you.

Some people stop leaving their homes and walk away from friends feeling they won’t understand what you are dealing with. Life shatters.

Ok - let’s take a break and a few deep breaths. Then remember YOU DID NOTHING WRONG! You did not cause the cancer that led to the surgery that started this disease. You did not cause your Lipedema or Primary Lymphedema. I know, it is easier to say that then it is to stop beating yourself up. If it is a game, I think we all play — if I hadn’t flown my lymphedema wouldn’t have started. If I had listened closer to the doctors before the surgery, this wouldn’t have happened. 

Some of the techniques used to fight cancer work well for dealing with Lymphedema. Deep breathing, imaging and affirmations all help with lymphatic diseases. Diet changes, exercise changes all fit into our toolbox for dealing with our day to day lives.

Years ago, I heard what you dwell on grows stronger. Ok, some days beating up a pillow or having a good cry help. But if you are beating yourself up all the time it isn’t going to help you in the long run.

If you are feeling helpless and depressed, please talk to your doctor. They can help. Our bodies and mind are interconnected. Asking for help for depression is the same as asking for help for diabetes. Sometimes the world seems out of whack and it is hard to find the right balance without reaching out for help.

Make sure you give yourself time every day to breathe and relax. Do some exercise that you enjoy. For some, it is at the pool, for others it is going for a walk or bouncing on a rebounder. The exercise itself isn’t as important as the impact it has on your mental health.

My escape is on an electric trike. I go from an old lady dealing with swelling in my noggin and the areas (a lady never tells exactly where she swells) to feeling like a kid again. I can’t balance a bike but I can definitely pedal a trike. This is my second trike and some days it provides me sanity. I can hear the birds and the crickets when I ride my trike. Even a trip to the grocery store becomes an adventure. I keep smiling when I am pedalling along. 

The greatest gift you can give yourself is to look in the mirror and smile and say“I am good enough just the way I am.” Because you definitely are.

Willa Condy