Update on Leg Lymphadema

Just wanted to again thank all you lovely women (especially Binney and kira) for all your wonderful advice, and to give an update.

It's no surprise that MLD alone without wrapping did not provide lasting results with my leg lymphedema. So now I'm getting wrapped up past my knee. I'll be going 4 days a week, as the therapist doesn't want to wrap on chemo day - my leg swells that day quite a bit, and she doesn't want to make things worse by stimulating the fluid flow right after chemo.

The results from the wrapping have been great. My foot looks normal, and my ankle is considerably better and more flexible/less painful. I can get my foot back in my shoes again when not wrapped. My knee has also improved quite a bit, the thigh is taking a bit longer but is improved. Hopefully after a couple more weeks I'll be able to get a compression garment to wear and I won't have to do my imitation of the Michelin Man. I won't be able to wrap myself due to back issues. After seeing what you have to do to wrap a leg, it's nearly impossible for anyone to do it by themselves even if you're limber, as my therapist admitted. You need a helper, and hubby travels, so night wrapping is a no-go. So we'll look into a night garment if she feels I need it to keep things under control.

I'm also seeing a decrease in my hip pain when the swelling is down, so that's a big plus as well. Obviously the lymphedema has had an impact on the tumor in the muscle in my hip, so as the swelling decreases it's putting less pressure on that and really helping.

Once again, thank you for your help. It's great having a place like this to come to vent and whine when needed!