[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9519]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               COMMEMORATION OF LYMPHEDEMA AWARENESS DAY

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                           HON. DAVID P. ROE

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2011

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, today I hope to raise awareness of 
lymphedema, a debilitating disease for which no cure has yet been 
developed.
  Lymphedema is a blockage of lymph vessels that causes an accumulation 
of fluid, protein, and other cellular waste. This results in a swelling 
of the body in places where the blockage occurs. Though lymphedema can 
be passed down genetically, it most frequently occurs after surgical 
procedures to remove damaged lymph nodes or vessels. Often it is a 
tragic side-effect to cancer treatments, the highest risk occurring in 
breast and prostate cancer patients.
  Doctors can screen for lymphedema using a number of diagnostic tools, 
and early detection is important to minimize the effects of this 
disease. Lymphedema, sadly, is not curable, but it is treatable through 
compression, specially designed exercises, or, in some cases, surgery.
  One of my constituents, Jennifer Onks Hovatter of Johnson City, lost 
her husband Thomas to complications arising from lymphedema in 2007. 
Every year on June 18th--the day that Thomas passed away--Jennifer 
holds the Thomas Hovatter Lymphedema Awareness Day in memory of her 
husband.
  I hope others will join me in tying a turquoise ribbon around their 
tree the weekend of June 17-19, and help Jennifer bring awareness to 
this chronic, debilitating disease.

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