Thriving With Lymphedema

My favorite movies were about authors writing their books in cabins tucked away in the woods looking off towards a lake with a cup of tea. 🫖

I really don’t know why but I’ve always been drawn to that lifestyle. I thought how cool would it be to write a book. Give something to people to read as an escape.

I didn’t think I was talented enough nor did I have a story worth writing. Then I realized EVERYONE has a story. Experiences and life lessons creates stories.

Here’s a story for you about Drop The Skirt - How My Disability Became My Superpower. You see, the skirt on the cover of my book was the same skirt I was wearing when my whole life changed. I used long skirts and dresses to hide my lymphedema. I hid it so well that a coworker thought I was wearing skirts and dresses because I was Pentecostal.

How did this conversation even come up you may ask. We were talking about swimming and she said “fat girls don’t swim in public” - she was talking about herself. I felt heartbroken for her. The beauty of my disease is humility. I never saw her as “fat”. I saw her a beautiful woman.

I realized in that very moment we all struggle with something. Before I knew it, I made a joke and said “at least your fat is distributed evenly” and without hesitation I pulled my skirt up so she could see my leg. This was the first time I showed someone other than my family what I was hiding.

We laughed, cried, and both felt relieved.

That was the day I dropped my skirt. If I did so well hiding my lymphedema what could I do if I exposed it.

For the first time in my life I felt freedom.

Don’t be afraid to share your story…you never know who needs to hear it.

#lymphedema #story #advocate #thrive

Riveramethod.com

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2 days ago | [YT] | 2

Thriving With Lymphedema

I lived more than 40 years in a body I didn’t understand.

For most of my life, I didn’t even know the word lymphedema — I just knew something was wrong. I was swelling. I was in pain. And I was repeatedly told everything was “normal.”

Being undiagnosed for decades changes everything.
Your body. Your confidence. Your trust in the system.

When I was finally diagnosed with primary lymphedema, along with other rare lymphatic disorders, it gave me more than a label — it gave me clarity. And it exposed just how many people are suffering quietly, without answers or support.

What most people don’t realize is that my work today is built on both lived experience and professional training. I have a nursing background, have worked alongside and contributed to efforts connected with the NIH, and collaborate with leading institutions and organizations, including Washington University (WashU) and others in the lymphatic and medical space.

But the most important credential I carry is this:
I live this — every single day.

That’s why I created the Rivera Method.

It’s the only approach I know that is truly patient-front focused — not protocol-first, not symptom-only, and not one-size-fits-all. The method is built around helping people understand their body, their lymphatic system, and what actually supports them in real life.

This work exists because nobody should have to suffer in silence, feel dismissed, or be left to piece together their care alone.

If you’ve ever felt unheard, confused, or overwhelmed — please know this:
You are not broken.
And you are not alone.

I’m in your corner ❤️

Amy

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4 weeks ago | [YT] | 2

Thriving With Lymphedema

You don’t see it yet…
but every moment you pushed through when nobody was watching is turning into the strength you’re carrying today.

This season is shaping you in ways you’ll understand later.

Keep going — you’re closer than you think.

#advocate #healing #mindset

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

Thriving With Lymphedema

2025 was not the year I expected, but it was absolutely the year God protected me. I walked through some losses that didn't make sense at first, doors closed, people disappeared, deals fell apart, and opportunities dried up. But now I see each one was God's way of saying: "I'm clearing the path so you can walk straight."

1. Peace is Protection, Not Isolation - This year God removed certain people from my circle. Friendships faded. Family dynamics shifted. Some connections dissolved overnight.

Lesson: When God removes chaos, don’t chase it. ‼️

2. Closed Doors Are Divine Redirection - Deals collapsed. Collaborations fell apart. People I thought were solid walked away.

Lesson: If God shut it down, it was counterfeit. Real alignment never requires force. ‼️

3. When They Pull Back, Let Them - Ghosting, distancing, sudden silence — people everywhere are facing this right now.

Lesson: God will remove access from people who no longer deserve front-row seats in your life. ‼️

4. You Can’t Fight for Others While Carrying Dead Weight - Some partnerships ended. Some voices got quiet. Some platforms weren’t meant for this next level.

Lesson: God removes distractions so you can advocate with clarity, purpose, and power. ‼️


5. God Removes What You Won’t Release - Situations unraveled. Opportunities dried up. People were pulled from my path.

Lesson: Protection doesn’t always look like a blessing sometimes it looks like loss. ‼️

What lessons did 2025 teach you?

#lessons #thrivewithamy #goals #2026 #2025 #lymphatichealth #enterpruener #God #faith #journey #healing

3 months ago | [YT] | 1

Thriving With Lymphedema

When you advocate for yourself, you're also educating the people around you -providers, caregivers, family, even your community.

You help them see what patients with similar challenges may face, what they need, and how to better support them. Your voice becomes a model that improves understanding, awareness, and care for others who don't yet know how to speak up or who may be struggling silently.

#lymphatichealth #health #LymphaticSystem

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3 months ago | [YT] | 0

Thriving With Lymphedema

People often ask me, “How did you transform your health?" The truth? It wasn’t one thing.
It was everything working together.

✅️Mindset.
✅️Compression.
✅️Surgery.
✅️Nutrition.
✅️Movement.
✅️Faith.

These became my pillars of health. The foundation I built my healing on. Each one mattered. Each one required consistency, patience, and grace.

And that’s why I created The Lymphedema Blueprint...to teach others what I wish I’d known from the beginning.

Because managing lymphedema isn’t about chasing one fix. It’s about understanding how all the pillars connect to help you live, move, and thrive again. 💙

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3 months ago | [YT] | 0