{"id":9734,"date":"2017-03-02T11:00:54","date_gmt":"2017-03-02T18:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=9734"},"modified":"2024-08-05T13:17:55","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T19:17:55","slug":"managing-lymphedema","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing lymphedema"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"This
Allyson Hannah has had lymphedema since birth, but now that she\u2019s decided to actively participate in the management of her condition, she realizes it doesn\u2019t have to hold her back. Photo courtesy of Allyson Hannah.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Allyson Hannah has spent nearly every day of her life managing lymphedema<\/a>, and now she wants to share more information about the condition that affects as many as 10 million Americans.<\/p>\n

Having lymphedema, she knows, has its challenges. As a toddler, Hannah\u2019s parents had to find creative ways to keep her still enough to apply treatment. As a middle-schooler, Hannah would occasionally remove her compression garments, not fully comprehending the consequences.<\/p>\n

As a teenager, Hannah excluded herself from teen activities so she wouldn\u2019t have to explain her condition or be embarrassed by it. She avoided sports because she couldn\u2019t wear most shoes. She often wore sweat pants to hide the treatment garments holding tightly around her left leg.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I had this obscure thing that no one else had,\u201d Hannah said. \u201cI was very self-conscious.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Hannah matured into adulthood, so did her attitude toward a disease that affects more people than are affected by Parkinson\u2019s disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, AIDS and Alzheimer\u2019s disease combined.<\/p>\n

She will speak at Lymphedema Awareness Day, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 4 at Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland. (Click here <\/a>for a detailed schedule.) The event is hosted by UCHealth.<\/p>\n

The lymphatic system is crucial in keeping the body healthy as it breaks down waste products and normalizes the balance of fluids and protein in tissue. But when the system is damaged \u2014 or if it didn\u2019t develop properly, as was the case with Hannah \u2014 high-protein waste fluid starts to accumulate, causing swelling in a limb or other parts of the body.<\/p>\n

Despite its seemingly obvious symptoms, lymphedema is underdiagnosed and undertreated in many people. Lymphedema Awareness Day is to help bring awareness to the community, educate people on treatment and products and raise awareness about proposed legislation that would require insurance to cover those costs.<\/p>\n

Hannah has primary lymphedema, meaning she\u2019s had it since birth. Secondary lymphedema is more common and happens when the lymph vessels or nodes are damaged due to a condition or procedure, such as cancer or from surgery or radiation for cancer.<\/p>\n

For those like Hannah, the condition can go undiagnosed and untreated for years, said Joanne Beasley<\/a>, a certified lymphedema therapist and supervisor of rehabilitation services at The Wellness Place<\/a> at the UCHealth Cancer Center<\/a> in Fort Collins.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no obvious cause, and their limb volume gets bigger, slowly over time. Quite honestly, many people think they are just fat when in fact they are not,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s important to bring awareness to the condition and to let people know that it can be managed.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Hannah started attending Colorado State University \u2014 she\u2019ll graduate next winter in sociology and Spanish \u2014 she decided she needed to take a more active role in managing her condition.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to get involved, but my leg was holding me back,\u201d Hannah said. \u201cSo, I took the initiative to better manage my lymphedema.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hannah\u2019s left leg is most affected by the condition. The best method to manage lymphedema is combined decongestive therapy (CDT), the cornerstone of which is compression and may include everything from bandages to compression pumps and specialty garments. CDT also involves skin care, exercise and diet, as well as a specialized massage called Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) to help shrink swollen limbs or the trunk, Beasley said.<\/p>\n

\"This
Allyson Hannah decided lymphedema wouldn\u2019t hold her back and signed up for a three-month study abroad program in Peru. Photo courtesy of Allyson Hannah.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By figuring out a management regimen that worked for her, Hannah found a freedom she hadn\u2019t felt before. Last spring she studied abroad in Peru, staying with a non-English speaking host family for three months. She was fitted for compression garments before the trip.<\/p>\n

Lymphedema responds well to compression and wrapping because the tightness encourages lymph fluid to flow back toward the trunk of the body. A lymphedema therapist is trained in proper wrapping techniques, as well as MLD massage. Off-the-shelf garments cost about $200 and custom-made garments cost $1,000 or more.<\/p>\n

At Lymphedema Awareness Day, participants will learn about the latest technologies and garments for treating lymphedema. They\u2019ll also learn about current legislation.<\/p>\n

The Lymphedema Treatment Act<\/a> is a federal bill that aims to improve insurance coverage for the medically necessary, doctor-prescribed compression supplies that are the cornerstone of lymphedema treatment. It was introduced into the House on Feb. 7, 2017.<\/p>\n

\"This\u201cOur purpose is to educate the community,\u201d Beasley said. \u201cWe have various educational talks targeting the public, not health care professionals. Although Lymphedema Awareness Day \u00a0happens every year in Colorado, this is the first time it\u2019s being held outside the metro-Denver area, so we are hoping that people in northern Colorado and Wyoming also find it accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Hannah, the event is an opportunity to share a different message with those living with lymphedema \u2014 whether they were born with it or developed it later in life.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can do what you want to do,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s still hard managing the disease \u2014 it always will be \u2014 but I\u2019ve been able to grow comfortable with who I am and accepting. That\u2019s what I want to share with others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Allyson Hannah has spent nearly every day of her life managing lymphedema, and now she wants to share more information about the condition that affects as many as 10 million Americans. Having lymphedema, she knows, has its challenges. As a toddler, Hannah\u2019s parents had to find creative ways to keep her still enough to apply […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":9735,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,7],"tags":[708,1024,28,749,82,638,276,202,351,745,9171,551],"class_list":["post-9734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-stories","tag-adults-65-plus","tag-blood-disorders-disease-care-hematology","tag-cancer-care-oncology","tag-dermatology","tag-heart-and-vascular-care-cardiology","tag-lymphedema","tag-nutrition-services","tag-pediatric-care","tag-primary-care","tag-rehabilitation-therapy","tag-senior-care","tag-weight-and-metabolism"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nManaging lymphedema: The story of this young women - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Allyson Hannah has spent nearly every day of her life managing lymphedema. Now she shares that information about the condition that affects millions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Managing lymphedema\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Allyson Hannah has spent nearly every day of her life managing lymphedema. Now she shares that information about the condition that affects millions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-03-02T18:00:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-05T19:17:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/03\/allyson_oval.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc\"},\"headline\":\"Managing lymphedema\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-03-02T18:00:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-05T19:17:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":924,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/allyson_oval.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Adults 65+\",\"Blood disorders & disease care\",\"Cancer care\",\"Dermatology\",\"Heart care\",\"lymphedema\",\"Nutrition services\",\"Pediatrics care\",\"Primary care\",\"Rehabilitation therapy\",\"Senior care\",\"Weight and metabolism\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/\",\"name\":\"Managing lymphedema: The story of this young women - UCHealth Today\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/allyson_oval.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-03-02T18:00:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-05T19:17:55+00:00\",\"description\":\"Allyson Hannah has spent nearly every day of her life managing lymphedema. Now she shares that information about the condition that affects millions.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/allyson_oval.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2017\\\/03\\\/allyson_oval.webp\",\"width\":640,\"height\":638,\"caption\":\"Allyson Hannah has had lymphedema since birth, but now that she\u2019s decided to actively participate in the management of her condition, she realizes it doesn\u2019t have to hold her back. Photo courtesy of Allyson Hannah.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/managing-lymphedema\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Managing lymphedema\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"name\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"description\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UCHealth\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"UCHealth\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/uchealth\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/uchealth\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/14839\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc\",\"name\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\"},\"description\":\"Kati Blocker has always been driven to learn and explore the world around her. And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world. As a journalism major at the University of Wyoming, Kati wrote for her college newspaper. She also studied abroad in Swansea, Wales, while simultaneously writing for a Colorado metaphysical newspaper. After college, Kati was a reporter for the Montrose Daily Press and the Telluride Watch, covering education and health care in rural Colorado, as well as city news and business. When she's not writing, Kati is creating her own stories with her husband Joel and their two children.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/author\\\/katieblocker\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Managing lymphedema: The story of this young women - UCHealth Today","description":"Allyson Hannah has spent nearly every day of her life managing lymphedema. Now she shares that information about the condition that affects millions.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Managing lymphedema","og_description":"Allyson Hannah has spent nearly every day of her life managing lymphedema. Now she shares that information about the condition that affects millions.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/","og_site_name":"UCHealth Today","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","article_published_time":"2017-03-02T18:00:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-08-05T19:17:55+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/03\/allyson_oval.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uchealth","twitter_site":"@uchealth","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/"},"author":{"name":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc"},"headline":"Managing lymphedema","datePublished":"2017-03-02T18:00:54+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-05T19:17:55+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/"},"wordCount":924,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/03\/allyson_oval.webp","keywords":["Adults 65+","Blood disorders & disease care","Cancer care","Dermatology","Heart care","lymphedema","Nutrition services","Pediatrics care","Primary care","Rehabilitation therapy","Senior care","Weight and metabolism"],"articleSection":["News","Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/","name":"Managing lymphedema: The story of this young women - UCHealth Today","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/03\/allyson_oval.webp","datePublished":"2017-03-02T18:00:54+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-05T19:17:55+00:00","description":"Allyson Hannah has spent nearly every day of her life managing lymphedema. Now she shares that information about the condition that affects millions.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/03\/allyson_oval.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/03\/allyson_oval.webp","width":640,"height":638,"caption":"Allyson Hannah has had lymphedema since birth, but now that she\u2019s decided to actively participate in the management of her condition, she realizes it doesn\u2019t have to hold her back. Photo courtesy of Allyson Hannah."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/managing-lymphedema\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Managing lymphedema"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","name":"UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth Today","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization","name":"UCHealth","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"UCHealth"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc","name":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth"},"description":"Kati Blocker has always been driven to learn and explore the world around her. And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world. As a journalism major at the University of Wyoming, Kati wrote for her college newspaper. She also studied abroad in Swansea, Wales, while simultaneously writing for a Colorado metaphysical newspaper. After college, Kati was a reporter for the Montrose Daily Press and the Telluride Watch, covering education and health care in rural Colorado, as well as city news and business. When she's not writing, Kati is creating her own stories with her husband Joel and their two children.","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/katieblocker\/"}]}},"coauthors":[{"id":2164,"name":"Kati Blocker","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/katieblocker\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2164"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9734"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68854,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9734\/revisions\/68854"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}