The Inside Scoop: Meet our Lymphoedema Nurse, T

Hello. My name is Theresa, my friends call me T. I am the Lymphoedema team leader and I have worked at the Hospice for nearly eight years. When I’m not at work, I spend most of my time with my three kids and my crazy Doberman. We love outdoor and are often off for the day to explore, which usually involves food.
 
Some people don’t know what Lymphoedema is, so here is how I explain it to them. Lymphoedema can be genetic or a result of injury, trauma, infection and treatment of cancer. It causes swelling in the body tissues, usually in the arms and legs, but can affect any part of the body. People might see swelling in the limbs or other body parts, feel difficulty to fit into clothes, shoes; and jewellery can feel tight. The condition can get worse and must be treated. I recommend to see your GP with any of the symptons and they will refer you to a Lymphoedema clinic, such as ours.
 
We have a small Lymphoedema team, including Lyndsey and myself. We look after approximately 700 patients. Our main clinic is at The Prince of Wales Hospice but we also do an outreach clinic on a Tuesday at the Rosewood Centre in Dewsbury. We each usually see 4-8 patients daily.
 
Lymphoedema is not curable but the build up of fluid that causes the swelling can be treated and managed at the clinic and through suggested activities at home. We advise patients how to self-manage their condition, we help with compression, skincare, infection control, exercise, fluid drainage techniques and weight management.
 
I love my job and it is so lovely to see the good results and improvements that our patients get from attending our clinic.