Jean Coletti, PT

became interested in Lymphatic Treatment by chance. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1993 with an Entry-level Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy after attending West Virginia University for my undergraduate degree in Exercise Physiology One afternoon, at the University of Florida department picnic, the chief radiation oncologist lamented that Gainesville had just lost its only lymphedema Physical Therapist. Always looking for new opportunities, I asked her what exactly a lymphedema therapist does, and inspired by our conversation, I decided to take special training and became Gainesville’s next lymphedema therapist. Afterwards, I went on to receive certification from the Dr. Vodder School of North America, in Victoria, British Columbia, which teaches the original manual lymph drainage massage as developed by Dr. Emil Vodder. Together with rigorous training requirements, the school’s certification requires attendance at review classes every two years to keep the technique pristine, and to stay up to date on the latest research, compression garments, and medical devices. As my husband and I moved for his work in medical physics, I was blessed to be able to fill a need for lymphedema program development at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital and West Virginia University Cancer Center, both in Morgantown WV, and at CarePartners in Asheville, NC. I have a sincere interest in Fat Disorders, such as lipedema, Dercum’s Disease, Familial Madelung’s Disease, and Ehlers-Danlos. I hope to provide lymphatic treatment, advocacy support and education to people, mostly women, who are often ignored as “just being fat.” I have the health care background to help clients interpret new data that is coming out about these disorders and am working on building a community of supportive medical providers. I love what I do, and I find this area of Physical Therapy rewarding on every level. If I can be of any assistance, not only as a therapist, but to answer any of your questions and concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.