5/1/2023 0 Comments My LymphedemaMy Lymphedema started 20 years ago when I was pregnant with my son. It seemed to be normal pregnancy swelling. But once I gave birth to my son it never went away, in fact it got worse. Anything salty I ate made it worse, heat and humidity made it worse, and even exercise made it worse! For years, every doctor said "just lose weight".
Every few years I reached out to a new doctor to find some diagnosis - with no luck. Summer 2022 I again attempted some self care and looked into a vein doctor. When I called and explained my situation, the girl on the phone seemed to know exactly what I was talking about! This was a first. The doctor took one look at my legs and knew what it was. Lymphedema. It is still not known WHY I have it, but I do. I went through testing and about two months of Lymphedema massages. I bought the leg pump and leg wraps with compression stockings. I started of using it all religiously and I could feel a big difference. What I once thought was normal (legs that felt like cement blocks) I quickly learned was not normal at all. I had been dealing with it for so long that I just assumed it was what everyone felt like. Then I fell into depression and didn't use any of it. But that isn't healthy for me. I am trying to get back into using it all and making it part of my routine. It isn't easy. It's just like adding an exercise or a gym routine to your life, it takes effort. It was nice to have an answer after enduring years of people staring at my one swollen leg. I think what made me look into a vein doctor was my mom saying it looked like "Elephantiasis". What a terrible name!!! I also went to a foot doctor that summer to find out why my feet were so dry and what I like to call "witchy" looking. Again, the answer was "huh, I've never seen anything like this" It is something that started about 2-3 years prior. *insert eye roll* After some discussion in Facebook groups about Lymphedema, my feet issues might be due to circulation/Lymphedema. I've tried everything to get rid of the gross feet. At that point I was thinking maybe I'll try a pedicure.
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AuthorI am living with Lymphedema for the past 20 years, however I wasn't diagnosed correctly until summer 2022. There is no cure, just managing the swelling and uncomfortable heaviness. I am now trying to learn how to make managing it and incorporate it into my daily life. Archives
January 2024
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