https://www.grouprev.com/2019NYLymphWalk-lisa-mcpartland
Yay my goal of $200 raised by my birthday was reached, but now with only one month left until the New York 5K Fun Run & Walk to Fight LE & LD, I am behind on my updated goal of $500. Thank you to all who have donated directly or who donated cans/bottles so far!! There’s still time to get in on the action! Every little bit is so helpful and so appreciated 
Why do I do this?? I have suffered from lymphedema for more than 10 years now (wow … I feel so old!). Even after this decade of learning and advocating, I see so many people who are suffering from unexplained swelling, not knowing that they have a disease that is treatable. I do this to help make others’ lives better … in the hope they will receive treatment in the earlier stages so their outcomes will be better than mine.
Tomorrow marks the 15th anniversary of my cancer diagnosis, and the end of the year marks my 15th anniversary of being cured of cancer. I’m so grateful to still be around. Lymphedema is a bump in the road for me, but I want to fight for a day when lymphedema and lympathic diseases are a thing of the past … I am fighting for a cure.
LERN NY 2019_Walk_Flyer_081319
It’s been a while since I posted. This year for World Lymphedema Day we had many sites across the state aglow in teal, but we still couldn’t convince the Empire State Building to join us. Maybe next year!! My husband and I did not make it out March 6 to take photos of this year’s teal because he was recovering from cancer surgery of his own. For 2020, we hope to be back in action taking photos of everything TEAL in the Buffalo area! We also hope to recruit others across the state to snap photos of teal structures in their areas (hopefully, ESB will be among them!).
Please visit the NY Chapter of the Lymphatic Education & Research Network and like the page! We are 14 likes shy of 500 … please LIKE and spread awareness!
The NY Chapter is planning its NY Run/Walk to Fight Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases. The walk is October 19 … click here for all the info and to create/join/donate to a team 🙂
Last night was so exciting! My husband, Patrick, and I wandered from Buffalo to Niagara Falls to take pictures of all the places that agreed to glow teal for World Lymphedema Day. My husband is the best husband and photographer, and I really appreciate his support for all my projects. I’m so lucky he does not mind being run all over the place and freezing in the name of lymphedema awareness and action!
I have to share some of the great photos my husband and I took last night! They include Niagara Falls, the Buffalo Electric Tower, and more!! To see all the coverage my husband and I gave this, you can visit the Facebook page of Lymphatic Education & Research Network NY Chapter. There you will find more of our photos as well as those from others who helped to turn the state teal 🙂
Photos by Patrick J. McPartland
When I was a kid, one of my favorite
hobbies was collecting old coins with my father. We never found anything super-rare or anything worth more than a few cents over face value, but it still was fun combing through the old coin book and squinting to see if we had found that illusive double-die wheat penny in a pile of change after a shopping trip. How exciting it was to think that we might find a penny worth thousands of dollars!
Those memories have come rushing back as of late. My father passed away the day after Thanksgiving 2017, and one of the things he left behind was a Snickers coin banks. My mother said that Dad had been placing mostly pennies into the bank since 2010, and she gave it to me to count up and roll as part of my fundraising for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network. She said that my dad had been proud of my fundraising efforts and that he would have wanted me to have this to put toward this year’s Walk for Lymphedema.
Before I began to count and roll the coins, I tossed in some change of my own. Only pennies and dimes fit through the slot. Then I weighed the football — 16 pounds! I’m in the process of counting, and I’m up to $19 already. It makes me happy to know that my father is still helping me to raise funds for lymphedema research even today. And every time I come across a wheat penny, I find myself squinting and Googling just in case. I have not found any worth more than a few cents, but I have found a renewed closeness with my dad. I’m “buying” the wheat pennies up and placing them in the box with the other coins I still have from my childhood. Someday, these pennies will be more than 100 years old … a lot sooner than we realize! Then I’ll have these memories of my dad to pass on to my children and grandchildren.
* * *
With one week left until World Lymphedema Day on March 6, I’ve been busy trying to convince groups that control the lighting of landmarks and other structures to “Light it Up for Lymphedema” across New York State! The press releases are out, and hopefully the media will assist me in spreading the word. But in case you don’t see it in the media, you can read it here!! More than a dozen locations have signed on to the “Light it Up for Lymphedema” campaign, which means on March 6 (World Lymphedema Day) and during the month of March (World Lymphedema Month), waterways, buildings and other landmarks will glow in teal — the color of lymphedema (LE) awareness. Patrick and I, along with my sister and brother-in-law, Mary & Robert Codick, will be out taking photos and videos at the WNY locations, LE&RN will have the Canadian Chapter covering things up north, and the Lymphedema Awareness Network of Rochester has volunteered to capture the magic in Rochester. We’re so excited to have the word spreading so far!
Western New York and Southern Ontario attractions/facades that will be illuminated in teal include (overnight from March 6 to 7, unless otherwise noted):
– Peace Bridge: Buffalo to Fort Erie, Ontario, from 9 p.m. March 6 to 1 a.m. March 7.
– Niagara Falls (U.S. and Canadian sides): The Niagara Falls Illumination Board will light the Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls in teal from 10 to 10:15 p.m. March 6.
– Buffalo City Hall Dome: 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, from dusk to dawn March 6 to 8.
– Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, dusk to dawn March 5 to 7.
– Electric Tower: 535 Washington St., Buffalo.
– Seneca One Tower: 1 Seneca Drive, Buffalo.
– Bell Tower of Rockwell Hall at Buffalo State College: 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffa
lo.
– 
CN Tower: 301 Front St. W., Toronto. A standard light show March 6 will
run for 8 minutes at the top of every hour and will be visible about 30 minutes after sunset.
Rochester attractions/facades that will be illuminated in teal overnight from March 6 to 7 include:
– Xerox Tower: 100 S. Clinton Ave.
– Legacy Tower: 1 Bausch and Lomb Place.
– Tower280 at Midtown: 280 E. Broad St.
– Rundel Memorial Library: 115 South Ave.
– High Falls: Browns Race.
Syracuse attractions/facades that will be illuminated in teal overnight from March 6 to 7 include:
– Barclay Damon Tower: 125 E. Jefferson St.
– Syracuse University Hall of Languages: University Place, main campus building.
– Syracuse University Hendricks Hall: West Zone on main quad.
In the Albany area, the Times Union Center Rainwater Wall at 51 S. Pearl St. will be teal for the entire month of March.
To find a full list and interactive map of World Lymphedema Day activities around the world, visit https://lymphaticnetwork.org/wld. For more information about lymphedema, visit https://lymphaticnetwork.org.
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LE&RN in the news (more to come soon, hopefully!):
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/resolutions/2017/j3914
https://lymphaticnetwork.org/news-events/nys-to-honor-lisa-mcpartland-lern-new-york-chapter-leader
http://www.kentonbee.com/news/2018-02-28/Entertainment/Special_Events.html
http://www.allwnynews.com/2018/03/area-landmarks-to-light-it-up-for.html
And this story from The Buffalo News (I’m adding the pic because you need a subscription to read most of their stuff online):
With less than a month left until the Walk for Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases (#LymphWalk), I’m finalizing my fundraising endeavors and transferring all the donations to the website.
Those who have read my past posts understand that since September 2016 I have been embarking on “The Year of Change,” a twofold fundraising project. Part one is that I simply have been collecting change in a gallon-size hot sauce container. The pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters have come from several sources, but much of it has been found around my house, particularly when kids and the hubby leave shiny coins on tables and floors or in pockets 🙂 I filled it quite a bit today. My husband, Patrick, has a coffee can into which he is supposed to toss only quarters, but over the past six or so months, he’s been tossing everything in there (today, I found a Kentucky pin in there!). So this afternoon I spent an hour digging out the cheaper change, and to the right you will see how much fuller my hot sauce container is as a result! I will be collecting the change until Sept. 5, when we will cash it in and add it to the #LymphWalk fundraising page at https://www.crowdrise.com/What-the-Swell–
Part two has involved collecting refundable bottles and cans from family and friends and cashing them in for the nickels. Thank goodness those can/bottle redemption centers exist now! We’ve returned 2,620 cans/bottles ($131) already, and we’ll be doing another collection and cashing that in Sept. 5. Labor Day weekends should net us a good amount of nickels!
At $636 raised so far, I’m not doing bad, but I always wish I could do better. Truth be told, I probably will never be fully satisfied with my contributions … I often wish I could win the lottery or something so I could give a large chunk to my favorite groups, especially the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (lymphaticnetwork.org), which sponsors #LymphWalk. But for now, I do what I can without totally annoying my family and friends 🙂
PHOTO: Me during my Florida vacation in 2010. You can tell that the left leg is a little chunky already, but at that point, I did not know why. Now I know it is lymphedema. Here’s hoping I can be this brave and show a little leg at the beach seven years later!
Well, not me that much anymore.
I am hoping to change that after my upcoming vacation to North Carolina. And before some of you get too excited … not ~that~ short!
As I sat in our guest room with my suitcase the other day, I realized I had a dilemma. I had already tossed a few pairs of long pants and some maxi skirts into the suitcase, gearing up for a long-deserved vacation, when I realized I quickly was running out of room. In that moment, it hit me how much has changed since the last time I packed for a long-term vacation in 2010.
After I was properly diagnosed with lymphedema in my left leg in 2011, I drastically changed my wardrobe. No more cute, little skirts (my sister inherited all of those). No more open toe shoes. No more shorts in public (I define “public” as in front of anyone who is not in my immediate family). Why did I decide to hide what my husband affectionately refers to as my “ham hock leg and sausage toes”? It was not primarily out of shame … it was more to spare others from the instinctive need to stare and ask, “did you know your (leg/foot) is swollen?!” But I will admit that it was partly out of fear of being seen as “different,” “deformed” or “damaged” in some way.
After living with lymphedema for nearly nine years — three years of which were spent undergoing countless tests and misdiagnoses until I was told what my disease actually is in 2011 — I still find it difficult to uncover a little bit. So as I stared at my suitcase, it dawned on me that I was packing 10 days’ worth of clothing for a five-day beach excursion. Anxiety was driving the need to toss more layers into my bag. My husband and I will be with his family at a beautiful beach house on the North Carolina coast, and with the beach being semi-private, I will not mind showing a little leg while enjoying the sand and sun. But all the other possible destinations have my mind racing. What will I wear when we are hanging on the porch or in the house? What will I wear if everyone decides to go out for a night on the town? What will I wear if we decide to just take a walk? I may be too concerned with making other people uncomfortable with my jeans and Army-style boots in 90-ish, high-humidity weather, but I also know that I should probably dress to be cool rather than dress to hide my leg.
I often wish I were one of those “screw what others think” kind of people. That would be so much easier. But I am me, and “me” is a worrier. I probably still will stick to mostly long skirts and pants when leaving the beach house, as I do in the work environment or at social functions. I actually have added to my wardrobe with some adorable palazzo pants, and I actually found some that do not look like pajamas. But when on the beach or at the house with my husband’s family — who probably should count as “immediate family” for this instance after three years of marriage — I’m going to challenge myself to don some shorts and teach others about lymphedema if/when they ask why the leg is so chunky. Of course, I will keep in mind that I can’t expose the affected limb to too much sun, that I have to wear my sunscreen, and that I must elevate the leg whenever possible. But the main goal is to relax, be comfortable, and have fun! All I want to worry about this vacation is sleeping in, soaking in a little sun, and sipping some adult beverages. If I end up spreading some awareness about this disease, even better.
I’m excited that the Peace Bridge Commission has found the cause of lymphedema worthy enough to light up the bridge in teal for World Lymphedema Day on March 6, 2018! I was equally pleased that the Lymphatic Education & Research Network found inspiration in my endeavor and has since been seeking to do the same with the Empire State Building. I’ve put a call out to others with lymphedema across New York state to see which structures in their areas are regularly all aglow and to request that they be awash in teal for World Lymphedema Day! 🙂 Next month, I’m going to work on Niagara Falls, Buffalo City Hall, Buffalo’s Electric Tower, and more in WNY. Maybe if we get enough teal coverage across the state, lymphedema will get more media coverage!
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The Walk for Lymphedema, sponsored by the Lymphatic Education & Research Network, is fast approaching! This year, instead of begging our family and friends for more money, we are holding a huge refundable bottle/can drive at our home and businesses, and any money we make from returning said bottles and cans will be donated to The Walk under team “What the Swell?!” 🙂 If you want to participate in The Walk, either in person or through a virtual walk, sign up at https://www.crowdrise.com/2017-ny-walk-to-fight-lymphedema-and-lymphatic-diseases1. You also can donate to other walkers there!
It’s been a while since I really posted anything new. After our last fundraiser and video, things got hectic with moving. We also lost my brother last year to a heroin overdose, so it was difficult concentrating for a while. But I’m feeling like I need and want to do more to bring more attention to lymphedema. With the encouragement of the Lymphatic Education & Research Network, of which I am NY Chapter secretary, I sent a letter to my village, town, and county lawmakers asking that they designate March 6, 2017, as World Lymphedema Day, and much to my delight, the Town of Tonawanda, N.Y., and Erie County, N.Y., have agreed! I’m very excited by this because this will spread awareness of lymphedema. I also wrote a letter to the editor and sent it to about 20 different WNY newspapers, and it’s wonderful to see that several publications have run it already! If one more person is helped by any of this, I’m so happy!
Some links to what I’ve been up to:
http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/bdn06/world-lymphedema-day-spotlights-diseases-20170216
http://www.allwnynews.com/2017/02/guest-view-world-lymphedema-day.html
http://lymphaticnetwork.org/news-events/tonawanda-new-york-world-lymphedema-day
UPDATE: Did you see our video announcing the winner??? If not, visit here!
https://www.facebook.com/LympheLisaWhatTheSwell/videos?lst=1556745415%3A100002827734886%3A1487790983
I’m baaaack, and I’m raising money again this year for Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo and the Lymphatic Education & Research Network! This year’s fundraiser is a 50/50 being run through GoFundMe. Check it out here!!
LympheLisa - What the SWELL?!?! 