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@karen00

@colleen young. Hi Colleen. ! First in your reply to my question you said click on my name, but where ? Secondly, I didn’t really talk about everything that’s been going on and I need to. I’ve had a swollen leg for about 9 months now. It’s so bad it’s hard to get into a car seat. Also I have cellulitis in it. Also it weeps lymphatic fluid - it’s called lymphedema. I have to sit with my feet on towels it’s so bad. I go through 3 or 4 bath towels a day. I’m getting ready to see a physical therapist who handles lymphedema. Plus there’s the problem of my knee that I injured when I passed out. I can barely walk and the pain keeps me awake. This is on top of the fact that both knees need to be replaced but I have to lose some weight first (which I’m doing). My left shoulder was replaced last year and my right shoulder needs to be replaced ASAP. My right arm is virtually useless. So I have 3 limbs that are giving me pain because they need to be replaced. Plus I have fibro which causes a lot of short term memory loss and confusion. Plus there is the heart failure and the clot in my lung. So please don’t take this as complaining as I have my brother- thank God - who helps me. And extremely supportive friends. I just felt it was time I quit hiding everything. If you’ve gotten to this point, thanks for taking the time to read this. Thanks Connector members!

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Replies to "@colleen young. Hi Colleen. ! First in your reply to my question you said click on..."

As a fellow lymphedema patient I think seeing the PT will help you. I have to wrap from my toes to my crotch, 23 hours of everyday. During that 24th hour I and my wife both work on a special form of massage to get the fluids where they need to go. I used to wrap in 5 layers of fleece, foam, and ace bandages with a big stockinette underneath it all. It was a pain but the alternative was worse. Blisters, ulcers and infections. I now use a toe glove and a full length legging that I can don myself every morning. At night I wear a one piece quilted compression garment that I can also handle by myself. It's a little pricey but effective and comfortable. We still need to massage everyday. If you should need to wrap I have found the best source out there price wise. Compression Guru is a great source and they have very knowledgeable staff. If you ever need more info on wrapping or lymphedema in general send me a direct message. Make sure that the PT you see has a lot of experience with lymphedema. Good luck

@karen00 - your post brought tears to my eyes - makes me ashamed for complaining! @lioness suggested trying Emotional Freedom Technique - sounds like something you might want/like to do also!?! It's Tapping.com.