[keebler]

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has had this happen to them.

Last Saturday (May 10) I thought my right foot and leg looked puffy. When I walked it felt like water moving on top of my foot. By Sunday morning, you could see that I was retaining fluid. By noon my foot looked like a stuffed sausage. I called our hospital and talked to the PA in charged of the ER for the weekend.

She recommend that I wrap my foot or use Ted hose if had some. I was to sit in a recliner and put my foot up and have my family wait on me. (beings it was Mother's Day)

It did go dowm some but Monday when you poked my foot the dent wouldn't come out. I went to my doctor and he thought I had a bad vein. My veins are good going down to my leg and I have a bad one that won't let the blood back up. To be on the safe side we checked for a uti, that turned out ok.

Having heart failure that was a concern so he did labs for my heart and kidneys and other things. I got a call today and all my labs came back ok.:bigsmile:

He wants me to continue wearing the ted hose for awhile. If I want him to he will refer me to a vein specialist. I get to take them off when I go to bed.:excited: BTW you need to keep your legs shaved while wearing them.:lol:

I have also talked to my rhumey's nurse. I told her what was happening and I think I will have her make an appointment to get this all checked out. We decided to wait on my labs and go from there. I am also still having that rib pain.:sad:

After wearing these lovely hose my foot is back to normal.:yahoo:I still am taking it easy and putting my foot up several times a day.
I am in a better mood and not so stressed out since my labs turned out ok.

Take care everyone
Love,
Lyn

 

[sunflowergirl2]

:hugbetter:Lyn, hope everything turns out OK! Those TED hose are a pain, but they do help. Be sure to take it easy and stay off your feet! Cathy

 

[Sage Hen]

Hi Lyn!

I am so relieved, to hear your bloodwork, turned out normal. I know, you are also.

I was concerned to hear, your still having that rib pain, though. Did you talk to your Dr. about that?

I hope the tet hose help you, and am glad to hear your putting your feet up above your heart several times a day.

They will help prevent any possible clots from forming. My husband, wore them, after his heart surgery..

I hope you feel better soon, dear friend.

Love,
Sandy

 

[macfamily53]

Dear Lyn

I am so glad to hear things are somewhat better with your swelling(((hugs))).i am so glad to hear you are putting your feet up and sure know you need to do that every day.I definately glad to hear your labs came back okay also(((hugs))).

I sure wish i had an answer of why your feet are swelling up but i just pray that things get better and stay that way to.take care my friend and try not to overdue it if you can.

Tammy

 

[Maia]

I hope the improvement lasts with (and eventually without) those stockings! I remember trying to put those things on while pregnant and that was a real accomplishment once they were on! *lol*

 

[keebler]

Thank you Cathy, Sandy, Tammy & Maia for your replies. You are all so very kind and supportive.

Maia, your post made me laugh. I had a picture in my mind of you trying to get those ted hose on while being pregant.:hehe:

I have learned a few things about getting them on.:rotfl:
Do Not put lotion on your feet and legs and then try to get those lovely hose on. It turns out to be a bigger battle to get them on.:hehe:
Using powder doesn't work, that drys out your skin.
Last but not least keep legs shaved.:wink2:

Take care,
Lyn

 

[Lily]

Hi Lyn :hugbetter:

You sure are having a tough time lately (((((((Lyn))))))))) I'm relieved as you must be that your bloods were ok, I just hope that this is one of those here today gone tomorrow weird things we get. Alarming none-the-less!!

PS it's a gargantuan feat to get those stocking on or off!!

Take care and hugs,

love
Lily

 

[tbunny1]

So glad to hear that the edema is clearing up, and nothing dramatic is showing up in your labs.

There are alot of drugs that can cause edema, including prednisone. I am guessing your doctor went over all that with you, but sometimes a pred burst will really get me going.

I also tend to get vasculits in my lower legs, and when that flares up, the pitting edema is terrible! I found having a massage therapist work on my legs works wonders for getting the fluid moved out of the tissues and into my system to be moved on. Besides, it's a really great excuse to go get a massage!

Here's what my legs look like with a good flare of vasculitis going - just a walking pair of sausages!

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/...4984229457/a=131211662_131211662/t_=131211662

 

[pennylp]

Hi Lyn,

Happy to hear that your tests came back ok.... I delt with a lot of swelling a few years ago... they put me on lasix and it helped a lot...
I am no longer on it and I have had no problems... I hope things are better now... Take care...

Love Penny

 

[keebler]

Thank you Lily, tbunny and Penny. All of you are so kind to give me support.:grouphug2:

((((Tbunny)))), I asked my doctor if it was vasculitis. He said he didn't see anything that it was. Then he said it could be the start of it.
Do you get vasculitis flares often?

The back of my leg (calf) has been hurting all week. I was thinking that it was from favoring that leg?

Take care and I hope you all are feeling good.

Love,
Lyn

 

[peonyprincess]

Lyn,

I sometimes think that I am the Queen of retaining fluid. I take enough diuretics to choke a horse. I take 240mg of Lasix a day plus 100mg of Aldactone a day. I also keep my legs up periodically thru the day and also wear ted hose periodically thru out the day.

Even though I do all of this, I still horrible edema. I weigh myself every morning to get a starting weight and then every evening to see how I did. I can always make indentations on my legs and when things are really bad, I can make them on my arms and my fingers. Every now and then, I have to go into the hospital and be put on IV Lasix to full the fluid off of me. When at home it is nothing to lose 5-10 pounds a day from fluid and when in the hospital it is nothing to lose 20-30 pounds.

Regardless, it is always best to have it checked out by either your primary your rhuemy or even a nephrologist. It is always best to make sure that any kind of a change in your health to be checked out. While the water retention could lead to a variety of reasons, you don't know until you ask. Also, if you are retaining water, the first thing any doctor will tell you to cut out in your diet is salt. Yeah, that can be a tough one at first, but then you eventually will not miss it. I do nt use salt and I don't eat chips. Every now and then I might cheat and have a couple but thawt is truly it. I also cut back on anything that contains sodium and that includes my soda. I used to drink 4-5 a day and know I only drink one a week at best. Good luck Lynn, I hope you get this all figured out.

Nancy

 

[keebler]

Hi Nancy,

You sure go threw a lot with retaining fluid.:hug:

I am not on any lasix what so ever. This was the first time I have ever dealt with retaining fluid. I know that sounds weird with me having heart failure. I don't use much salt since I was diagnosed with heart failure. I only drink ice tea, water and soymilk. Occassionally diet pop but that is rare.

You have reminded me I need to go call my rhumey's nurse.

Thank you for your support.
Love,
Lyn

 

[Stacielee1967]

Hello Lyn,

I have also been suffering with edema, I have gained 20 pounds in the past month. I finally went to my doctor, bloods were OK just the normal abnormals I have. My doctor says it is gross edema, all over my body with +++pitting edema in both legs feet and gave me lasix , 40mg daily and I am slowly getting ride of all the fluid.

Anyway, there is a good trick I use with trying to get ted stockings/socks on patients when I use to work. I put a plastic bag on the foot and ankle and then put the stocking over it. It helps it to slide on very easily. Once I got it on, I took the foot part of the stocking (here the hole is) and rolled it back up over the foot and ankle and pulled the bag out and then slid the foot part back over the foot and toes. It sounds silly but all the patients loved when I did it that way because some were afraid they would be scratched when trying to fight to put it on. As vascular patients know, cuts and scratches on their legs can lead to ulcers that take ages to heal and some wind up with compression bandaging.

If you use this trick, you can put lotions and creams on right before putting on your teds. It has worked well for me over the past 20 years of nursing.

Stacie

 

[keebler]

Thank you Stacilee,

I am sorry you are having trouble with edema too.:hug:

I lost 7 pounds over night when my foot started to go down.

Thank you for that tip. I will be sure to try it tomorrow morning when I put my ted hose back on.

:goodvibes:
Lyn

 

[tbunny1]

hiya lyn :wavey:

You know, the vasculitis was the first symptom I was showing for years before I received a diagnosis, so I guess I have had these bouts for 10 yrs or so.

The pitting edema starts it first, then a hot ache will begin in my lower legs, and I will develop small red spots. Eventually all those "spots" merge into one big red raised patch that is very hot to the touch.

Here's hoping it's not vasculitis, but if it is, my experience with it was it took a long time to get a diagnosis for it.

Let us know how you get on, and any new information that comes up! In the meantime, keep those tootsies elevated!

 

[keebler]

Hi Tbunny,

:hug: You go threw so much.

The swelling went done by Tuesday. I have been wearing my ted hose faithfully. I have been thinking about taking them off and giving it a try to see if it comes back.:innocent: They do get really hot in this warm weather.

My rhumey is aware of this problem and I see him next month. I can call his nurse if I need anything. His office is wonderful. When I call them, the nurse always calls me back in the same day and will talk to the doctor. It is so wonderful to have a doctor and his nurse do this.

Take care and thank you for your replies and support.
:flowery:
Lyn