The Drum Theatre will be lit blue from tonight until Sunday 9 March to raise awareness for a little-known chronic illness.
The Dandenong landmark is among 102 locations in Australia to shine a light for Lymphoedema Awareness Week (3-9 March).
Lymphoedema Association Australia vice-president Dr Debbie Geyer, also a GP, has had lymphoedema diagnosed in her right leg since she was 20.
The misunderstood condition should be recognised and funded like other chronic conditions such as diabetes, including more trained lymphoedema health professionals, she says.
“Doctors receive very little training on lymphoedema and are often unable to recognise and diagnose the condition, let alone refer on for treatment.
“There is a lot of collective wisdom about how to navigate the health service, where to get support, what helps, however it is currently difficult to access.”
The Association is also encouraging people to host a ‘Bunch for Brunch’, gathering their friends to raise money to go towards support for people with lymphoedema.
Lymphoedema describes swelling as a result of malfunction of the lymphatic system.
Symptoms include swelling of a body part, feeling achy or stiff, reduced range of movement and recurrent cellulitis (skin infections).
It can be caused by underdeveloped lymphatics or due to damage of the lymph system from cancer treatment or trauma.
It is estimated that at least 1 in 6000 people are born with lymphoedema.
However, the rate could be significantly higher, due to the condition being often misdiagnosed and undetected
Treatments can include compression garments, exercise, skin care and massage.
