I've just been diagnosed with lymphedema on my left foot. What I thought was just a mild to moderate swelling of my foot from pcos or a possible ingrown toenail infection I had 10 years ago. I'm devastated and been having serious anxiety. They say there's no cure for it, but is there? Or one coming soon? This diagnosis has me beyond scared. I've been getting hit left and right with bizarre medical stuff and I'm having a hard time coping with all this. I already have enough on my plate to deal with, now they keep piling up more and more onto the plate till its spilling over.
Ratbum, I am so sorry you are going through this difficult time. I was just reading about lymphedema and it seems that there are ongoing treatments that focus on compression garments and massage. I am sure you & your doctors will come up with a program that works for you. Try to breathe through these challenges and listen to your body. Wishing you healing ❤️
OMG @Ratburn, I am so very sorry. It seems there are treatment to help with this. I hope you will find treatmentsvery quickly that will work for you. Of course what I saw was from th enet and I am no doctor. I pray to Gof for him to send you healing light strength and wisfon for you to get the right treatememnt for you.
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Both are so lucky to have you and receive your love.❤️
@ratbum
I have had lymphedema jn my left leg for 25 years because the doctors removed my lymph glands. What is it about this that gives you so much grief? Yes my leg and foot are swollen and I wear a compression stocking 24/7 (except when showering). My left foot is one size larger than my right foot. I have occasional pain, but, it's not overwhelming. I guess I have adjusted to it well enough. Did someone tell you something that scared you? What ever it is, there is most likely a solution that will make you comfortable.
Laurie
If anyone is looking for a post I deleted that begins with the words, "how to make a balloon blow up on an IPhone," that was my accidental post. I was trying to congratulate a friend via text by sending one of those cool emojis with sound effects in which a balloon is blown up with a squeak then releases into the air with a pop.  But I accidentally typed it into a post rather than into google. I still don't know how to do it. ? ? But it is off topic, so sorry!
Yes. They told me it could develop on any part of my body and showed me pictures of elephantine lymphedema and that my limbs could look like that. I'm an artist I'm terrified of anything happening to my hands or arms. But what I have is mild on my foot its ben there for 10+ years, just now finding out what it is. Thought it was a cyst this whole time. It cant appear on a body part randomly/suddenly over night right? The whole things got me crazy is all. Plus other things I'm dealing with arent helping either.
@ratbum
I am thankful  that it is something you have and and not new.  For 10 years  time you have not had to worry and it seems you haven't had anymore pop up which is great.  May this be all you have to deal with and may your artistic skills be free to create all you wish.
@ratbum
Lymphedema is not life threatening as far as I know. Some things to look into that will really help:
- there are Physical Therapists who specialize in Lymphedema treatment, and you can get that covered by insurance if your primary doc refers you.
- Massage therapy is also good - find a massage therapist who knows about lymphedema.
- Acupuncture
- Chiropractic
- Small amount of very pure alcohol (vodka or tequila) each day
- Cucumber, watermelon and citrus - including in water
*Not a doctor, although I have played one on TV... Clear any concerns with you primary doc, and know that this may be chronic and annoying, but is easily managed if you pay attention to it.
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@GraysonÂ
Oh, i am so truly sorry you are feeling this way! I see your heart and your mind opening since you joined us here in these threads.Â
You support others with likes and comments and are beginning to separate yourself as an individual and not just part of a herd or group mentality. You have a good and caring heart but are carrying old pains that aren't releasing. Perhaps this will catalyze that process and ease your anxiety a bit.
We have the biggest, most incredible number of members now and while the majority never or only post once, i feel you searching for your heart's path more and more as well as posting in the forum more frequently. Â
Please take a look at other combined reasons why you might be feeling this way as a symbol and sign of a pattern of some kind.
Have you faced hurt and/or abandonment in any way? Do you often feel rejected or ignored in large groups while yearning to be a leader that deep inside you want to be?
It encourages comments when we get to know one another better and more personally. Like everyone we need a sense of connection, of belonging to a group but still having minds and personalities of our own that usually come through and connect to others in ways that help us see and feel those connections.
You have some great personal qualities and abilities but many are still needing caring expression and bringing forth into the light of your being and ours. And this is a caring place to share parts of your self and your connections to us in all ways.
We often disagree here, we often trigger others pains and shadows here but we all try to agree more than disagree, accept rather than reject, and keep our hearts and minds open even when we might feel very, very different from others.
We are all--every single one of us here--such complex and complicated people and personalities. ¹111..oops my cell phone just typed a sacred 111 on its own. Haha.
Got to mean something good, great or meaningful is coming to light!
(((Grayson)))
A big energetic hug from a little old grandma/me!Â
Usually when I'm at work, most of my thoughts center on how I'm not good enough, whether it's my weight or my clothes or even my extreme sensitivity. But I've been noticing something lately. When I am walking about work, like in the hallways, for a microscopic second, I am light walking through space. I don't feel like light, I am light. It doesn't last long. In fact, as soon as I recognize it, it disappears. And I am feeling it elsewhere. And I think people recognize it on some level, probably not a conscious level.Â
It seems to happen when I lift my head and walk with purpose. Like when I enter the restroom. I know I belong there, and no one can say anything to me. They may try, but I am light. When I walk with intention, with confidence that I am on this planet for a reason, it comes through a bit. I don't even look at others. They may say hello or good morning, and to be honest, as much as I love that people are nice, I simply don't have the energy to respond. And I don't necessarily mean physical fatigue. I just don't have the energy to find the words to respond. So I will sometimes respond with a generic, "Fine. How are you?"
When I keep that thought in my head, that I am light, I feel my shoulders pull back and my head lift. No one can touch me because you can't touch light, you can only feel it.Â
It would be nice if I didn't have the ego's defenses constantly try to protect me by self-defeating thoughts. I know those thoughts are trying to put me down before someone else does. It would also be nice if I didn't have to be in a human body, but I guess I made peace with that for now.Â
I don't understand me. Last weekend I posted about having to euthanized my budgie and getting a new one and looking for a name. I was having an anxiety attack, and trying to get through it. I ended up deleting the post. The new bird's name is Too-ti Luv, by the way. I thought @Unp-k had a great idea calling him Taxi, but it was the wrong shade of yellow ?Â
But here I am talking about the bird when somethings so much more important to me are happening. I don't know if I should talk about my 8-year old god-daughter telling me life isn't fair to her and wanting it to be over, my mother's lung cancer wanting to make a come back or my aunt being in the process of loosing her fight with the same cancer my mother is batling.
My god-daughter's mother is a malignant narcissist. She would give T a run for his money. She and my brother are now divorced and my brother has sole guardianship of the girls. She can only see them under supervision from children services and only 3 hours/week. When the divorce was finalized in December, my brother had to give her half of the estate cumulated during their marriage. He remorgaged the house, and paid her off. So from January to August, she stopped seeing the girls. She even stopped calling them. all contacts were inintiated by the girls but she would not see them. The girls thrived, grew and blossomed. Then she came back. I supposed the money ran out or it's because the guardianship courtcase is coming due next month and she wants custody of the girls to get more money from my brother and the government. The girls' behaviour has changed, my god-daughter's eczema has come back, my niece who is about to turn 5 has started having behaviour issues and is so accident prone, it's scary. And my god-daughter told me life is very unfair to her, she hopes she'll die young.
This morning my mother told me they have found a nodule and spots on her left lung. Less than 2 years ago, she lost two lobes from her right lung, had chimotherapy and was so sick from it. So we hope the doctors will be able to take out the nodule and spots in a simple surgery, but they can't take anymore out since she only has 1/3 of her right lung left. So we wait to find out more.
This fall, we have moved my aunt into a semi-autonomuous residence. She is suffering from the same lung cancer my mother has but it has spread to the brain. She has stopped chimotherapy because she no longer had any quality of life.
On October 9th, I had a feeling about something happening on October 20th or around there. That is the date I killed my bird and it seems to be going down hill from there. The only thing is, these things are not happening to me, they are happening to those I love the most. Please send love, light and prayers to these lovely ladies. They are all too young to die!
You and those you love are dealing with an obscene amount of pain. I can't even imagine. Narcissists are so evil; I know they themselves are mentally ill, but most mentally ill people don't cause pain to others like narcissists do.
But don't discount the pain you are feeling about losing your birdie. That's just as painful as losing a human. In fact, I think it's more painful, as animals and pets are pure love; it's like losing an angel.Â
Please don't be afraid to talk about anything here. Personally, I don't get to see everyone's post, but I will support you in whatever you talk about.Â
I'm so sorry about this. Just so sorry. You are the one of the big lights on this site. You give of yourself generously and without hesitation. Is there any way that such a dramatic change in a child's stress, i.e., if she's expessing suicidal ideation, that could lead to fewer visits? Â
With everything she's told me this week? God I sure hope so. I'm tring to get through to my brother. He is meeting with Children Services on Monday. Maybe they could help with having a psychologist for both girls...
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