I rather thought that I'd wake up this morning fresh as a daisy. Sure, I was bushed yesterday, but today would be a whole new day, right?! Ha!
Stage three lipedema is hard on a body. The extra weight alone is difficult to lug around on my small frame. Add in the swelling, the pain, the fatigue and the general emotional upheaval from all the ups-and-downs of everything ... and well, this woman had a rough day. But I went to bed early last night, and so this morning, I should have been fine, right?
The best-laid plans ... first, my phone rang long before my alarm went off. My husband wasn't feeling well and was on his way home. Okay. Might as well get up and get the kids' breakfasts ready. Then the kids started getting up, and sure enough, every last one of them is also sick. (with a cold -- nothing life-threatening). Sniffles here, there and everywhere.
Once I got the older two out the door, I settled down with the youngest, who is homeschooled, and we began his day while I finally -- with feelings of great trepidation -- strapped on the Flexitouch. Generally speaking, the Flexitouch, a lymph pump, actually relieves the pain in my big fat legs. But when I have gone some time without using it, the pain can worsen. My best theory is that it's because the fluid is compressing nerves and the pump pushes the fluid out, which causes the nerves to sort of "come alive" again -- the pain is the same kind of pins-and-needles pain you get when your foot "wakes up" after falling asleep.
I don't think I'm going to bounce back today. I actually don't know that I'll be bouncing back tomorrow, either. It might take until Wednesday or Thursday. And that scares me. It's scary to know that my big fat legs are in that much control of my life. But they're really not. I still am. I need to take care of them properly so that they don't take over me. So for the next several days, they're going to be gently massaged by the lymph pump, I'm going to ask my poor sick husband (nicely) if he can help me with my MLD treatments since his hands are bigger, I'm going to take magnesium baths nightly and I am going to wear compression 24/7 except when I'm on the pump or in the bath.
It'll take time, but I'll heal and get back where I was. Because I don't hate my legs anymore. It's not their fault they're like this, and it's not my fault either. It's a disease, and it's my job to keep that disease at bay so that my legs and I feel our best.
Stage three lipedema is hard on a body. The extra weight alone is difficult to lug around on my small frame. Add in the swelling, the pain, the fatigue and the general emotional upheaval from all the ups-and-downs of everything ... and well, this woman had a rough day. But I went to bed early last night, and so this morning, I should have been fine, right?
The best-laid plans ... first, my phone rang long before my alarm went off. My husband wasn't feeling well and was on his way home. Okay. Might as well get up and get the kids' breakfasts ready. Then the kids started getting up, and sure enough, every last one of them is also sick. (with a cold -- nothing life-threatening). Sniffles here, there and everywhere.
Once I got the older two out the door, I settled down with the youngest, who is homeschooled, and we began his day while I finally -- with feelings of great trepidation -- strapped on the Flexitouch. Generally speaking, the Flexitouch, a lymph pump, actually relieves the pain in my big fat legs. But when I have gone some time without using it, the pain can worsen. My best theory is that it's because the fluid is compressing nerves and the pump pushes the fluid out, which causes the nerves to sort of "come alive" again -- the pain is the same kind of pins-and-needles pain you get when your foot "wakes up" after falling asleep.
I don't think I'm going to bounce back today. I actually don't know that I'll be bouncing back tomorrow, either. It might take until Wednesday or Thursday. And that scares me. It's scary to know that my big fat legs are in that much control of my life. But they're really not. I still am. I need to take care of them properly so that they don't take over me. So for the next several days, they're going to be gently massaged by the lymph pump, I'm going to ask my poor sick husband (nicely) if he can help me with my MLD treatments since his hands are bigger, I'm going to take magnesium baths nightly and I am going to wear compression 24/7 except when I'm on the pump or in the bath.
It'll take time, but I'll heal and get back where I was. Because I don't hate my legs anymore. It's not their fault they're like this, and it's not my fault either. It's a disease, and it's my job to keep that disease at bay so that my legs and I feel our best.
Yeah, that's a bruise. Sexy, innit? Spontaneous bruising is a huge problem for lippy ladies.
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