Seven years after her cancer was discovered, Ms Floyd woke with her left leg immobilised and in severe pain.

“It was like a red-hot poker and I couldn’t move it,” she said.

Three bouts of cellulitis and 20 urinary tract infections later, she was diagnosed with lymphoedema, which is chronic swelling due to an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the body’s tissues.

It usually affects the arms and legs but can occur in other parts of the body.

“I try not to let it affect me but I’ve got to be aware of it,” Ms Floyd said. “I have to clear it (light massage to drain the fluid away), moisturise and use compression garments.”

Similarly, Kay Timmins was a lymphoedema practitioner, helping other people cope with the illness, when she underwent knee, hip and shoulder replacements.

As a result, she lost a  range of movement in her limbs and swelling began to develop, leading her to also be diagnosed with the condition.

“There is so much ignorance in the community, including the medical fraternity, about lymphoedema, which can be debilitating if not treated correctly,” Ms Timmins said.

Ms Timmins is now the Lymphoedema Association of Victoria president and Ms Floyd is the vice-president/secretary.

On Saturday, the association is holding a public information morning with speakers including Flinders University lymphologist Professor Neil Piller, sufferer Nola Young and English specialist Doctor Vaughan Keeley.

It will be held at the Salvation Army Hall, 17 Nelson Road, Box Hill, from 9am until 1pm.

Tickets are $25 and include morning tea.

For more information, go to lav.org.au or call 1300 852 850.

fiona.henderson@fairfaxmedia.com.au