Ticking away ... Day 756 ~ stocking up ...

Forgive my self indulgence [if that's what it is] ... 

I just wanted to say that 'It Stays' [the "gentle roll on body adhesive"] really works. My compression stocking hasn't fallen down since I started using it. I won't be pulling it up every five minutes when I'm walking. [This sounds like an advert doesn't it.]

I never thought it would solve my little problem.

Oh happy day.

Ticking away ... Day 730 ~ "any gentle swelling Charles ?" ...

Earlier today I went back to the Lymphoedema Service to have a word about my Mk. II stocking. I wore it for the first time ... sorry, let me explain. My Mk. II stocking was supposed to be tighter so it compressed my leg more and it was supposed to have a different fitting at the top, around my thigh, so it would stay up better. I wore the Mk. II for the first time a week ago and within one hundred yards on my first walk with it on it had slipped down around my knee ... and I had long trousers on. Trying to pull it up whilst I was wearing long trousers was a challenge but I managed ... and then it was slipping down again. It was less than successful. 

So today I took it back, freshly washed, with one of the first ones I had, to compare them. In short I am now having a third stocking.  It seems that when they saw me last time, not so long, after I had come out of hospital my leg was probably still swollen from the cellulitis and so their measurements were never going to work for me as soon as the leg went down slightly.

New measurements were taken ! 

I am having another Mk. II with revised measurements.

We got to talking about the massage that will help the lymph flow upwards out of my leg and into my body ... and also the exercises. If I do none of these the lymph will just sit in my leg ~ it's the "sloth of the body" is how the nurse described it.

"We don't want your leg to swell any more Charles. We want you to be able to stay fit and get out." she added. She then asked me if I "... had any gentle swelling ...". This baffled me for a split second and then I realised she hadn't said that, I had sllghtly misheard her, ... and I answered "no ... no, at least I don't think so ... I've not looked. No, of course, I haven't got any swelling there, I would have noticed ..."

"Well, that's something you want to avoid Charles. Genital swelling is definitely not something you want ..."

Now I'm waiting for them to let me know when my third stocking has arrived.  Hopefully this stocking will work better for me ... and stay up.

Oh ... I will also be massaging my leg and exercising it to make sure there's no more swelling ...

Ticking away ... Day 712 ~ just an update ...

I visited the Lymphoedema people at Ashgate Hospice this morning ... as I mentioned once before they wanted me to say that hospices aren't all about, well, you know.

I'm having a new fitted stocking ! A Type 2 ! This is slightly 'tighter' than the one I have and will hopefully compress my leg even more than the one I have on right now. It is also fitted slightly differently at the top of my leg so that I won't have to spend my days pulling up my stocking ~ the problems we have.

I've noticed a few more people staring at my leg of late ~ perhaps I ought to stop wearing shorts. I would ... if I could get my right leg into my trousers and have a bit of room for manoeuvre.

Generally though I feel better today than I have since I came out of hospital. For the first time in ten days I don't have a bit of a bellyache so that's a relief.

I haven't really felt like walking yet either but perhaps over the weekend we'll get out and have a stroll. Walking and pumping those calf muscles is the best thing to compress the lymphoedema in my leg apparently. Best get pumping.

 

Ticking away ... Day 690 ~ Charlie ! Where's your troosers ?

One unforeseen development in my journey through life is the fact that, at the present time, I have no trousers that fit me.

I tend to wear shorts as much as I can especially when walking and when it's hot ... and of course I still have four or five hot flushes everyday. So, I've not had any trousers on for a few months ... 

Yesterday I was getting ready to go and have a coffee with Ruth, Hayley and Amber but all the Chinos I put on were too tight on my right thigh. I could get them on but they were so tight it was uncomfortable.

I don't suppose the lymphoedema is going to improve all that much [it's largely a holding operation] so I reckon I'm going to have to go and buy some larger trousers ... or start wearing a kilt when I want to go out somewhere a bit special.

Unless you can suggest anything else ...

Ticking away ... Day 656 ~ I'm wearing my stocking ! Seam's ok ...

A short update ...

Earlier this week I went to the podiatrict who looked at my big toe that I nearly ripped off three weeks ago. It seems to be hanging on to the nailbed and is a lot better than I thought it might be. She trimmed it and said there was no need to put a dressing on it.

Then yesterday my Beloved and I travelled the ten miles or so to the local hospice where Mandy showed me how to put on my stocking. She recommended using some gardening gloves with a bit of grip so I purchased a pair on my way home ... and they work a treat. I am now wearing my new stocking for a second day and although I'm aware of some compression [which is what it is all about] on my right leg, it isn't uncomfortable.

I'm not sure that it is a particularly sexy look but I did wear them with my shorts yesterday and I intend to do so until the weather changes ...

What do you think ?