Swelling in hot weather isn't just something experienced by people with lymphoedema. So why does it happen, and what is our body trying to tell us? Have you ever noticed that your shoes feel tighter at the end of a hot day? Perhaps your rings are harder to remove, your ankles look a little puffy, or your feet feel heavier than usual. You're certainly not alone. Many people experience some degree of swelling during warmer weather, even when they have no underlying lymphatic co

I have always believed strongly in mindset. But I think it is important to add another word to that. The right mindset. Because mindset isn't automatically positive. Our thoughts can help us face what is in front of us, but they can also take us into fear, imagined futures and outcomes that haven't happened — and may never happen. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I remember asking my oncologist about my chances of survival. His response has stayed with me ever since. “

One of the things I have learned through my own experience with cancer and lymphoedema is that nobody knows your body quite like you do. That doesn't mean we know more than our doctors, nurses or lymphoedema therapists. We need their knowledge and expertise. But they don't live in our bodies. They don't necessarily feel the heaviness that wasn't there yesterday. The subtle tightness. The pulling. The tenderness. The strange sensation that is difficult to describe. Or si

From Patient to Pioneer: What Happened After Cancer

For many people, breast cancer isn't a single event. It's a journey that can extend over months and years. There may be surgery – sometimes more than one operation. Depending on the individual cancer and treatment plan, there may also be chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy or other treatments. And when active treatment finishes, the cancer journey doesn't simply stop. Follow-up appointments, monitoring and, for some people, ongoing treatment can continue for years.

Spring has a way of encouraging us outdoors. On one of my regular walks up the hill into the bush recently, I noticed the wild freesias beginning to flower. It was one of those simple signs that winter was giving way to spring – warmer sunshine, new growth and a little more colour appearing along the track.

Rethinking How We Support Lymphatic Flow Following breast cancer surgery and radiotherapy, swelling can develop within the breast, chest wall or arm as normal lymphatic drainage pathways are altered. Compression has an established role in lymphoedema management.

The "Game Changer" in Lymphoedema Care: Veronica’s Story

When I travelled to the United Kingdom through the NSW Going Global Export Program, I expected to spend the week talking about one product.