THE stresses of travel for lymphoedema patients have been reduced with new screening equipment available in the Blue Lake city thanks to the Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group.
Raising funds throughout the year, the group has purchased the highly sought after machine that will help men and women struggling with the condition.
A swelling of a limb or part of the body due to excessive fluid in the tissues, lymphoedema can occur when various forms of cancer are treated with surgery and radiotherapy.
Painful and uncomfortable, it can affect quality of life and ability to work and is often misdiagnosed.
However, with a SOZO Thrive machine now in Mount Gambier, patients will no longer have to travel to Adelaide, Warrnambool or Naracoorte and will receive treatment for their condition in their own city.
Based at Therapy for Life, Ms Jevtic said the machine has already proven its worth with many patients using it during treatment.
“It can show lymphatic changes, so you can diagnose someone with lymphoedema with the machine and also monitor progress,” she said.
“By monitoring how much fluid you are taking in throughout the day, it shows how well hydrated you are, therefore can be used on more than just lymphoedema patients.”
Although already using it on the majority of patients at the practice, Ms Jevtic said a new update in the middle of the year would enable even more people in the community to seek its benefits.
“At this stage people with bi-lateral lymphoedema cannot use the machine, but with the update this will be made possible, which is fantastic,” she said.
“It is even more exciting because we will get the update before America.”
Excited to see the machine up and running, Breast Cancer Support Group member Jill Gilmore said it had been a long time coming for many former breast cancer patients in the region.
“People have been waiting for this machine to come so they do not have to travel to receive treatment,” she said.
“Part of our main aim as a group will get things locally to help people here so we are extremely happy to see the machine is already being used.”
Lymphoedema patients in the region can contact Therapy for Life on 8724 8114 or talk to their general practitioner for more information or to book an appointment.
