So despite all of the progress in the past year, I fear it has stopped. It’s as though a few weeks ago my leg just decided to stop responding to bandaging and manual lymph drainage. No matter how much drainage I attempt, the darn thing wants to stay the same size. I know that I need new supplies but my knee cap is lost somewhere in a sea of rich protein fluid. It’s big. It aches. And it is seriously hindering clothing options. I actually pulled down my baggy jeans this morning. Those are the very same baggy jeans I wore during the 3 weeks of occupational therapy where I had to wrap my leg every day.
Yesterday, I was at the gym and got 1.5 miles into my workout when it seemed to just crap out on me. Well I wasn’t having it. I like exercising so I forced my leg to 3.5 miles with an elliptical/treadmill combo. Did that hurt? Yes. Did it probably make my leg more swollen? Yes, but I didn’t care.
I wrap it, result: swollen. I massage it, result: swollen. I do light exercise on the elliptical with no impact, result: swollen. I elevate it at night, result: swollen. I wear my compression stocking every day (new ones might I add), result: swollen. Seriously?! It’s not like I am going to stop managing it because I know that is just bottom of the barrel intelligence right there but come on, something has to get better.
I have just finished paying off the majority of my medical bills so I am dreading having to go back to my doctor and then probably back to more physical/occupational therapy and back to more bills, bills bills.
Some days I feel like my life consists of bills and a swollen leg and that’s about it. Argh. That’s all I have to say about that for now. Depressing isn’t it…
1 comment:
Hi Lindsay,
I just read your blog and would like to offer some information that may be helpful to you. My fiance, Dr. Jay Granzow, a board certified plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, has performed many successful surgeries to help patients who suffer from lymphedema. He is the only surgeron in the world who performs all major lymphedema procedures. He is very passionate about lymphedema treatment and spoke at a medical conference earlier this month about the surgeries. You can find more information about him and the lymphedema procedures at http://www.lymphedemasurgeon.com/index.html.
I just told him that I saw your blog and he is happy to talk to you about possible treatment for your lymphedema condition.
Best wishes,
Amy Deng, Esq.
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