I’m Tired of Hiding
NO MORE SHAME
Hello, my name is LaShonn Edmunds and this is my first time blogging! I’m so nervous and excited all at the same time because I’m actually going to expose my medical issue to the world. Scary!! However, I hope and pray that my story will help somebody else!
I will use blogging to share my life-story “LaShonn’s Lymphedema Chronicles” about living with Primary Lymphedema. Some of you may ask what in the world is that! I know I asked the same thing! To my surprise, most people never heard of it …not even doctors!!! Talk about scary! In fact, I was misdiagnosed by several doctors for a couple of years because of their lack of knowledge about the disease. Of course, this is not the doctor’s fault because they only receive about one hour’s worth of lymphatic diseases training during their four years in college.
REALLY, REALLY, REALLY
Really, Doctor, I’m Overweight…
BUT I LOOK FABULOUS WHATEVER DUDE…
After all of the doctor’s test of heart diseases, vein issues, gout, diabetes, overweight, cancer, thyroids and they could not come up with anything. The doctor’s final prognosis was I’m overweight and I need to watch my salt intake. He prescribed me some fluid pills and sent me on way. Let’s keep in mind I was 24 just had my 3rd child and weighed about 145lbs!! So you can imagine how I felt my doctor just told me I was fat!! Even though I am a strong woman those words from my doctor cut like a knife. My thoughts were “I just had a baby a few years ago and I’ve never been a small woman. Come on… is obesity the real answer to my feet swelling! Don’t argue Shonn just Go Get K.I.M!” The doctor just gave me a life mission “lose weight to reduce the swelling”. In my mind, I’m now on a mission to get fit! Surely this will fix me and I will be healthy again.
YOU GOT WHAT NOW
You Got What Now…
LYM(LEM) PHA(FA) DE(D) MA(YOU KNOW LIKE MA) …LYMPHEDEMA
Getting fit didn’t work out too well! New baby, work, and marriage…just too much on my plate. My swelling was there but hey I could still wear my shoes so no big deal. Until one day I was outside and got bit by a bug. I kept picking at the scar and my leg got
I tried to follow-up with my doctor but this particular day he did not have any appointments so they sent me to the nurse practitioner. I say she was an angel sent from heaven!!! My nurse practitioner explained to me what cellulitis was and also asked me a million questions, reviewed my charts and opened a book and said…I figured out what’s wrong with you…. you have LYMPHEDEMA!!!! I was Excited, Thrilled, Relieved!!! Yes, I got something and you know how to fix it…give me my medicine an send me on my way!!! Then the excitement quickly stopped as she pronounced my death sentence….” I’m sorry there is NO CURE!!!!!!!! ” This is where my story begins……
