I got primary lymphedema in my left leg in 2008 at age 16 after a dance injury where the swelling just wouldn’t go down. It took a whole year of doctors before I finally received a proper diagnosis and almost 10 years before I finally got the right compression garments and management tools because I finally saw a lymphedema specific doctor.
I’m now 32 years old and while I struggled for a very long time with acceptance of my condition and my body, finding pole dancing and this online community has made my life so much better. I now know I am not alone and that even with lymphedema, I can still do things that I love like dancing. I hope that by sharing my story I can connect with more people and show that we can still do what we love and try new things.
