Today is World Lymphedema Day.  Please follow the link below to sign the petition and spread awareness of this frequently undiagnosed (or misdiagnosed) disease.

World Lymphedema Day

The first time I heard about this disease was five years ago, when I was being prepped for surgery.  (Yes, I fall into the undiagnosed category.)

You can be born with this disease (which can also present at puberty -- which is what happened to me), or it can be a complication of injury or surgery, especially if your lymph nodes are damaged or removed. (That’s why one of the most common occurrences of lymphedema is after breast cancer surgery.)

In the very early stages, your swelling goes down when you elevate your limbs. However, as the disease progresses, the swelling does not go down on its own. At that point, you need Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD, a type of massage), you also have to wear special compression garments, and in some cases, you need to use a pneumatic pump.  (I do all of the above, but only recently got the pump.)

Two times a day, I put each leg into a compression sleeve that sequentially (and repeatedly) pumps my feet, calves and thighs (in that order), to get the lymphatic fluid to move through the system, as well as gradually soften any hardened tissue.  Each pumping session is an hour long.  When my legs are being pumped, I am stuck in the recliner with my legs elevated, which gives me time to watch TV, read, check e-mails, play games, surf the internet, or make phone calls.  However, if my doorbell rings, I have to let it go, since there isn't enough time to deflate and get out of the sleeves before the person at the door assumes I'm not home.  This makes life interesting when I get an unexpected delivery or unplanned visitor.  *sigh*  But I did finally buy a Ring Video Doorbell, which I just need to have installed.