Patient grateful for the therapy that gave her a new life

From shut-in to curbside pickup: How compression therapy changed Brenda McDermott’s life

After Brenda McDermott retired in 2015 from a 36-year career with a supermarket in her hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas, she promptly started living the good life – traveling with her husband, dinners out, shopping excursions and more.

But then, lymphedema entered her life. The medical condition caused her legs to swell so dramatically that everyday activities, like getting out of a car, became nearly impossible.

“I had gotten to where I didn’t want to go anywhere,” she said.

For years, Brenda essentially lived as a shut-in. “My legs were so heavy, I couldn’t lift them to get into bed,” she said. “Another problem I had was getting in and out of vehicles. I hadn’t been driving. My husband would want me to go to a restaurant. I just didn’t want to go.”

Then, in April 2025, Brenda was referred to a WellMed wound care specialist. Fast forward two months and she is down 85 pounds, driving and once again going to restaurants with her husband.

The remedy? Compression therapy and a knowledgeable nurse practitioner.

Lymphedema is swelling of the tissues because of an accumulation of fluid in the body. Normally, this fluid exits via the lymph nodes. When the lymph nodes are damaged, fluid builds up in the body – commonly affecting an individual’s arms or, as in Brenda’s case, the legs.

Compression therapy is a technique that involves wrapping the affected area with compression wraps. The wraps apply gentle pressure that results in the fluid moving toward healthy lymph nodes and, ultimately, out of the body.

While the therapy was key to reducing the swelling in her legs, Brenda also gives much credit to the clinician who started her down the road to recovery, Beatriz Cazares, a family nurse practitioner at the WellMed Specialists for Health clinic at Shoreline in Corpus Christi.

“I wouldn’t be where I am right now if I hadn’t have met her,” Brenda said.

“Usually when you go to the doctor, you’re a little bit nervous,” Brenda said. “But Beatriz never made me feel that way. She makes sure you understand everything about your treatment. She comes across very positive.”

It was a bump on her leg that originally prompted Brenda to see her doctor, who referred her to the Shoreline clinic, where NP Cazares immediately started her on compression therapy.

“We deal with a lot of patients in the wound care clinic who have lymphedema,” said NP Cazares, who is a wound-care specialist and a certified lymphedema therapist. “The condition is not commonly addressed in family practices. So, it often goes untreated.”

“When I got the opportunity to learn how to treat lymphedema, I jumped on board,” she said. “I wanted to learn more to be able to provide more for my community.”

That community includes Brenda, whom NP Cazares described as one of her most memorable patients.

“Since 2018, she had not gone out in public because she was embarrassed,” NP Cazares said. “She did not have a good quality of life. Now, her quality of life, all the way around, has improved.”

Since April, Brenda has come in faithfully for her compression wraps. She has gone from daily compression therapy sessions, to visiting the clinic twice a week.

Next up for Brenda is doing the wraps at home and seeing Beatriz every three to six months.

“It was kind of overwhelming at first. I was thinking, ‘Man, I hope I can do this,’” Brenda said. “My husband John initially helped me put them on, but now I can put them all on by myself.”

Brenda is very thankful for the life she has now.

“I drive. I can pick up a curbside order at H-E-B or I can go to Sam’s Club,” she said. “It just feels good to be able to do that.”

Something else Brenda is looking forward to doing once again, traveling.

“My husband and I like to travel, but we hadn’t been on trips since 2017. Since my lymphedema has greatly improved, travel plans and reservations are in the near future,” said Brenda, who hopes that her story can help at least one person get the help they need. “This is the best I have felt in years.”

“When I hear people talk about how much we do for them, I feel like that’s my payment,” NP Casarez said. “There’s not a paycheck in the world that can give me that satisfaction.”