Lymphedema Raises Cost of Breast Cancer Care

The best thing that couild happen to our cause is...........

The best thing that could happen to our cause is if someone extremely popular and in the public eye was to be afflicted by lymphedema. If President Obama, Oprah, Michael Jordan, etc, were to, heaven forbid, come down with the disease, it would put a face on it for the public. It would prompt the media to reasearch it and write about it, attracting public awareness.

It will take something like this to happen in order to begin the process of forcing the government and insurance executives to ante up for treatment. If Angelina Jolie's face was on all of these tabloids, for her struggles with Lymphedema, instead of Brad Pitt, then we would see some real progress.

It just baffles me how this disease has been around for over a thousand years and no one has found a cure for it. How can this possibly be? We have made so many advances in medical science, yet lymphedema and the common cold have defeated medical science for centuries.

I really think that is what we need. We need to put a very human face on this disease. Let's make the entire world aware of the pain, frustration and hopelessness of living with this affliction.

In order to gain the public and government's support, they need to understand what it is like to suffer dailey with huge, swollen limbs, the embarrasment of having to wear pants so tight on your calves that you can't wait until you can take them off, and most importantly the desperation of knowing that there is no relief in sight! That more than likely, you will live out the rest of your natural life until death finally releases you from your torment.

lymphedema

We sure do fare worse, the fact that doctors do not diagnose us soon enough for lymphedema also raises treatment costs and allows us to worsen and wind up on disability. Doctors are not educated enough nor is the medical community in general. I run Lymphland International Lymphedema Online support group, we have about 600 members from all over the world and about 90% of them have not been diagnosed soon enough. It takes 30% of the lymph system to fail before lymphedema shows up and when it does, in stage 1 it is very treatable but yet we are told we should live with it, elevate our limbs, and told to lose weight! Many times the "weight" is fluid and you cannot lose it without combined decongestive therapy treatment.

Lymphland is devoted to the patient, we do not accept donations of any kind and we help you find a therapist to treat you.

Cost Comparison for Treatment Versus Complications:

TREATMENT:

1) Physical Therapy/Rehab $3,200.00 to $5,000 intensive phase

2) Compression Bandaging $75.00 to $175.00 each

(replaced every six months)

3) Foam Compression Garments $550.00 to $2,500.00 each

(replaced every two years)

4) Multi-Density Foam Garments $550.00 to $3,000.00 each

(replaced yearly to every two years)

5) Compression Stockings $ 80.00 to $300.00 per pair

(replaced every six months)

6) Miscellaneous Other Compression $ 50.00 to $1,500.00 each

7) Gradient Compression Pumps $5,500.00 each

(replaced every five years)

COMPLICATIONS:

1) Wounds/Re-ocurring wounds $900 to $500,000

2) Infection/Cellulitis $100 to $250,000

3) Infection/ Osteomylitis $80,000 to $500,000

4) Limb deformation cost unknown

5) Reduced Mobility cost unknown

6) Obesity due to lack of mobility cost unknown

7) Amputation $25,000

8) Loss of ability to maintain employment Unknown

These amounts are per incident. Since wounds and infection reoccur, the cost of health care results in

millions of dollars being spent yearly unnecessarily. The CDC estimates 50% of amputation could be

prevented with effective disease management.

The only items Medicare covers is $1,750 per year for rehab and gradient compression pumps. No other

items listed are currently covered under Medicare guidelines.

If there is anyone out there reading this and needs help, feel free to contact me through my website Lymphland.com, click on the email tina button on the top.