1/19/2024 0 Comments harder than it looksIt's harder than it looks to make managing your Lymphie Life a habit.
Lounging for an hour, unable to move with the LE pump on is hard to get used to. I did so well over the holidays. I used the pump and wraps. I even bought compression socks holiday themed, to wear at Christmas. From Thanksgiving to Christmas I wore the sock on my left leg (has LE but not too bad), and wore my velcro wrap on the right leg. It was a great idea on my part! Since I sit when I go visiting on holidays, the wrap helped my leg not be bloated and swollen when I got home. It actually felt great! But then I got lazy again. I only did the pump and wrap randomly from New Years until last week. I only gained around 2 pounds per the scale, but I felt bad about not taking care of my LE. So this week I began again. I just really hate that my day feels so wasted. I get up late (because the dog keeps me up late), eat breakfast, drink coffee, wake up, do the pump (1 hour), get changed, put on the velcro wrap, and by then it's usually at LEAST 3pm if not 4! I know I should get up earlier. I was going to start trying to get up at 9, but last night the dog had a stomach ache and had me up until 4:30am! Do you all lay down when you use your pump? I recline and am practically laying down, not able to use my computer in that position. I guess getting up earlier and doing the pump earlier is the answer. Can someone tell my dog that plan? Anyway, after using the pump and wearing the velcro, my leg feels so good. I do think wearing it even when I go out is a good option. I am not sure if my leg is getting any smaller, but at least it isn't getting bigger. And I'm still not sure if the weight I am losing is fluid from my leg or body. But I'm thinking it's both. I also haven't drastically cut back on my salt intake and it isn't affecting my leg at all like it used to. Maybe using the pump helps that not be an issue? All these years of suffering everytime I looked at a cracker or pretzel, and all I needed was someone to dx me with LE and give me the LE pump to use! Can I use the velcro wraps during the day and the pump in the evening when I'm sitting watching tv? I don't know. I thought the pump "activated" the lymph fluid, then putting on the velcro wraps helped move the fluid. Doing it backwards, would it work the same?
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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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