Amazing results

Hi! I haven't posted in a while, I was really too busy enjoying being able to move without a cane, ordering my new roller skates...YES, me, roller skates!!! No more cane, increased mobility = An overjoyed Danielle!!! Nothing short of a miracle can describe the reduction of pain in my legs, I still get the odd pain shooting down the legs, but that can be attributed to my back more so than the Lymphedema. I have gotten my permanent wraps. They are not the support stockings they initially thought. Since my feet are 'normal sized' they decided to order me some Ready Wraps by Solaris (About lymphedema: http://www.solarismed.com/lymphedema.php about Ready Wraps: http://solarismed.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=84). They work well, I recommend them highly for convenience sake, comfort and less bulk. I still wrap my legs when I plan on exercising more as the ready wraps do have a tendency to slide down my legs and then I need to sit, un-velcro them and reposition then and re-attach them. Doesn't take long, but can stop the momentum of the exercise.

In the first two weeks of compression therapy I lost 4 inches off of each mid calf. YIPES...that is good. Within a few days, I was more mobile. I have not measured my legs since, but I do know they have gotten softer...as in not tight, no more pitting edema, and get this...you will all be grossed out and I don't care...for the first time almost ever...I have leg hair. Due to the poor circulation, I have not had leg hair...I used to get very little...and I bragged about it (I bragged about NOT having it)...not knowing that this was not the best thing for me, after all, be careful what you wish for and all that jazz LOL. Anyway...so now I have leg hair...perhaps too much...I am thinking the PCOS is the result of giving me excess body hair. I can grow a better mustache than my husband...but I digress. I am happy to see the leg hair, this means a return of circulation, not only are my legs smaller but now I look like an ape...and I couldn't be happier. Go figure...it is amazing what you can appreciate once you have a chance to see things again with open eyes.

So about the roller skating. I have not been roller skating since I was 15... I can move now. I tell everyone about my miracle. Some people have said to me you can't really believe that is a miracle. Those were the same people who mocked me and refused to believe or understand my almost constant suffering. Yes...it is a miracle. I believe this came to me at the time in my life I needed something the most. Much like the timing of my children, it too was a Godsend. I am not overly religious, but let me tell you, as I stated in previous posts, I thought I was not going to live much longer at the rate my body was feeling. Not to dwell on that, but I need to remember how I felt then, to appreciate how I feel now. I needed intervention, and I believe I had to go through this in order to be able to really appreciate my life and good health. So here I went again...on another tangent. I decided I wanted to recapture time lost. I wanted to experience what was lost so many years ago. I look at the world with a whole new light and understanding now. I am free from my bondage. What an AMAZING FEELING!! To me freedom is synonymous with skating; free, wind in my hair, being able to appreciate the ability to move. Well, it sounds good on paper...or blog, but when I got my beautiful skates something happened, I could stand on them, but it was like being in the most slippery ice. I fell on my ass...and bit my lip!!! My balance sucks...but I am no quitter...NO NO...I called the company and told them I needed training wheels and was there anything I could do to slow these things down...there was...tightening the wheels little by little until I could find a speed where I can get my skate legs back. Marshall got right to work tightening up the wheels for me. Just wearing the skates for 5 minutes, I can feel and appreciate muscles that have long since been forgotten. I break into a full sweat in this same 5 minutes...and my heart is pumping...what an exhilarating feeling. Slow and steady wins the race. I have time now to perfect my skating skills...I have my life back. I have the rest of my long life to re-learn to skate... I WILL FEEL THAT WIND BLOWING THROUGH MY HAIR, I WILL!!!

Life is good. Too much time was wasted on things I could not control, I missed walking, I missed being pain free as much as a person with Fibromyalgia, herniated discs, and a chronic migraine sufferer can claim to be. That sentence was not grammatically correct and usually I am so anal about these things...screw it...too much time wasted on nonsense...ON TO LIVING!!!