I apologize for the lack of posting these past few months. I’ve been taking some time to find myself and it’s been an invaluable experience. I’m back, though, with lots of love and ideas for The Lymphie Life!

I will pick up posting within the next week or so, so please check back! I hope you’re all doing well and staying elevated :)

Much love,
Alexa

I will be going out of town for an indeterminate amount of time and therefore won’t be posting for a while. Thank you all for reading thus far, and looking forward to writing again soon!

Alexa

This life is light, its light burns bright,
so we’ll take it day by day, and let it be

And everyone will see how good it feels.
Oh, they’ll see the world for all that it could be..

Most people thought it was a tattoo and commented on it, but a lot of people didn’t say anything at all – just stared, averting their eyes once they caught me catching them looking at my arm as I handed them change. To the ones who did say something, I explained that no, it wasn’t a tattoo, that it was a cover for a medical garment. I then explained why one would need said garment and what lymphedema was, and handed them my business card. It was a positive experience: they left learning something new, and I felt good about spreading some knowledge!

The sleeve itself was super comfortable. I wore a full-length sleeve in the “Wildflower” pattern on my right arm. The fabric was light and breathable, and the elastic wasn’t too tight at all, the sleeve staying in place throughout the entire day. Despite not having lymphedema in my arm, I plan on wearing both of my SleekSleeves for a little added warmth and style with my shirts this winter!

The sleeves are great for more than just lymphedema wear: one can wear them to cover athletic braces, insulin pumps, tattoos, surgical scars, or PICC lines. They’re also nice for added warmth during a run or workout, and come in a variety of colors and patterns to complement any outfit or mood. They come in child’s sizes, too, as well as styles for legs.

Visit SleekSleeves.com to see their full product line, and use the promotional code “WDH” for a 10% discount on your order. Shipping is always free!

For more information, contact sales@sleeksleeves.com or call 603-483-3474.
Connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

I’ve tried to cut these corners
Try to take the easy way out
I kept on falling short of something

I coulda gave up then but
Then again I couldn’t have ’cause
I’ve traveled all this way for something

Now take it in but don’t look down

‘Cause I’m on top of the world, ‘ay
I’m on top of the world, ‘ay
Waiting on this for a while now
Paying my dues to the dirt
I’ve been waiting to smile, ‘ay
Been holding it in for a while, ‘ay
Take it with me if I can
Been dreaming of this since a child
I’m on top of the world.

It’s the colors you have,
No need to be sad.
It really ain’t that bad.

It’s the colors you have,
No need to be sad.
You’ve still got your health.

When you clean your garment, you are not only cleaning it for the sake of cleanliness but also to maintain its compression. It’s common for the elastic to stretch after about twelve hours of wear – common yet no good for your affected limb, as the lax compression can cause lymphatic fluid to pool. By washing regularly, you are strengthening the elastic and restoring your compression, and you’re able to get the most out of your garment. Remember that frequent washing won’t harm the garment, but improper care will.

So – what is the best way to clean your garment? (The following information is from the ever-informative LymphedemaBlog.com)

Hand Wash

Fill a bowl, bucket, sink, or small tub with water and dip your compression garment into it, to dampen. Add a small amount of cleaning solution and allow the garment to soak for a few minutes, then gently rub the fibers of the garment together (be careful not to stretch them excessively). Empty the tub and then refill with clean water; rinse the garment thoroughly, especially along the seams. When finished, gently squeeze the compression garment to remove excess water.

Machine Wash

It’s recommended to put your garment in a mesh laundry bag in order to protect the fabric during the washing cycle (use the gentle cycle!). Water temperature may range between cool and warm, but should not be colder than 86 degrees Fahrenheit, or warmer than 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Darker colored garments should be washed in cool water.

Cleaning Solutions

Mild soaps or detergents should be used, free of bleach, chlorine, fabric softeners, and other laundry additives; harsh cleaning agents, solvents, petroleum-based cleaners, etc. can destroy the thin fibers of compression garments. Some manufacturers offer washing solutions formulated specially for compression garments, and these are recommended to help extend the life of your garment.

Drying

If using a dryer, the dial should be set on a no-heat (maximum low-heat) air drying cycle because excessive heat exposure may weaken or even damage the elastic fibers of the garments. If your garment has a silicone band, the no-heat dryer setting will help to protect this material.

When garments are air-dried, it is important not to excessively pull, squeeze, or wring out the residual water from the garment. Rolling up the compression garment in a towel and gently squeezing the towel before laying them out to dry speeds up the drying process (note: garments should never be left rolled up in a towel).

Whether garments are line-dried or laid flat to dry, exposure to direct sunlight should be avoided and the garment should be turned inside out. It is recommended to place a towel on a drying rack and then laying the garment on top to dry. If hanging the garment directly on a rack or pole to drip dry, the weight of the water could stretch the stockings, causing them to fit improperly.

For more information about why compression garments require such special care, check out the Lymphedema Blog.

I guess my story starts the day I after I turned 17.  I drove home from an activity and noticed that my left foot was super swollen, and painful.  My mom took me the next day to our regular doctor and he looked at my foot and legs and said I was experiencing swelling in both legs but he didn’t know what was causing it or what it could be from, but that it might have happened because I was not fat but on the heavy side.  He was perplexed by the sudden onset though and decided to send me to a vascular surgeon.  A couple weeks later the vascular surgeon set up a battery of annoying testing.  All the tests came back fine.  So he said treat the left foot like a diabetic would and take care of it, and not to worry about it.

So for 6 years I didn’t worry about it.  I graduated high school, started college, and worked full-time.  During those four years of college I gained quite a bit of weight, and often my feet and legs would ache, but I just figured it came from being heavy 180 lbs on a petite frame.

Then the love of my life asked me to marry him.  Well, I decided then I didn’t want to be a heavy bride, and needed to take my health into my own hands.  I joined Weight Watchers, and soon after started working out.  A good friend of mine who was older really liked running and we started running together.  Then another friend of mine all in the same time completed her first half marathon, and I thought if she could do it, so can I.  So I lost 50 lbs through following Weight Watchers and training for a 1/2 marathon.

But still my foot was fat, and I referred to it as my “fat foot”, and often it was uncomfortable.

Then I bought a pair of work boots two winters ago.  I wore them two days to work and had to stop because my calves began to swell over the top of them, the right worse than the left.  I went to a new doctor and showed her what was wrong, and she tried again to send me to the vascular surgeon.  He instead decided to send me to a physical therapist to get “wrapped” for the first time.  That first wrapping session removed 2 cm of fluid off both of my legs.

I was then sent into a physical therapy program for lymphedema, and did the CDT.  I lost another  2 lbs as the fluid came off my legs.  After two weeks with the therapist, I could see bones in my foot again. I had ankle bones that I had never seen before, and I found calf muscles that had been developing as I was working out and losing weight.

It took a total of 8 years, two doctors, and two physical therapists, but finally today I have the tools to keep my primary lymphedema under control.  The biggest thing has been finally finding out what it was, and that I wasn’t a freak, and how to take care of the problem.

This weekend I run my fifth 1/2 marathon and think I will come in faster than ever! To those who know something is wrong, don’t give up;  Keep trying to get answers for yourself.  You are your biggest advocate.  And to those who have this condition no matter how you came by it, don’t give up, don’t let it keep from doing what you want, and take care of yourself because being healthy in other aspects of your life make the lymphedema that must easier to handle.

Submit your story to the Lymphie Life! Use the contact form here to share your personal story of living with lymphedema, and, with your permission, it’ll be posted on the website.

This blog will continue to be a mix of lymphedema management tips and my own personal stories, but I want you as the readers to become more involved: let me know what sort of topics you’d like to see discussed; become a part of the discussion by leaving comments; send in your stories to be featured on the site. We’re all in this together and the more we learn about one another, the less alone we feel!

Let me know what you think.

Stay elevated,
Alexa