Hello everyone, It's been a couple years since I've been on here, but I'm back and not happy that I feel the need to be back here. I just wish this dang Lymphedema in my leg would go away!! To be perfectly honest, I try and convince myself that I don't have lymphedema, since my swelling isn't severe like I've seen on TV with the massive legs! My right thigh is always larger than the left, but only noticeable if I wear shorts or a bathing suit, ( I no longer wear either ). I can feel the difference in the way my pant leggs fit compaired to the left. For the past year, maybe longer, I have had numbness, burning, tingling, and sometimes at night if I roll over in bed (when I sleep in bed, most nights the recliner is my bed) I get the sharp shooting pain down my right thigh. I am being treated also by a Rheumatologist for my fibromyalgia, and he does give me injections of cortisone in that thigh. It never takes away the numb and tingling feeling, but it does take away the shooting pain I get at night. A few months ago, my Rheumatologist sent me for an MRI to make sure I didn't have something wrong in my back and everything in my back was normal. He does not think my numbness is due to lymphedema, and wants me to go to a neurologist and have nerve testing done. Two weeks ago, I went back to work and I have noticed that my leg is swelling a lot more, and not just my thigh but also my foot and ankle. In fact when I take my shoe and sock off, you can see the indention from where my sock was and also where my shoe was. Now, my toes are feeling numb and burning and tingling. Never had that in my toes before. Could all this neuropathy be from the lymphedema? I hardly ever massage, except when I am very swollen. I don't wrap as I have no bandages, and haven't even a clue where to get them. I only went to a lymphedema clinic once, every day for a month and he did the Vodder method massage and then wrapped. After the month, I was measured for stockings. I recieved 2 pair of Jobst garments that just came to my knee, but I never wore them because after about 10 minutes they would be around my ankle. After all that was said and done, my insurance denied the charges and I had to pay for all those visits, and for the compression hose. I have not, been back for lymphedema treatments, since it is not covered by my insurance. I am still paying on them from 4 years ago. I beg my husband every summer to move, as it is always so much worse and the swollon leg is noticeable, even in pants, in the summer. I live in Fla, and I don't care what my Oncologist says, (he says the heat should not affect the lymphedema). My leg has been hurting, tingling, numb and now the toes...I really need to work, but I don't know how long I will be able to stand the pain. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! I am misserable and making everyone around me misserable too!! My poor husband...
Nancy
