Lymphedema and WLS
VSG by Nick Nicholson in 2013. Revised to DS 2/23/2023 by Chad Carlton.
Hi! I have primary lymphedema as well. I am one month post op and am very frustrated with my lymphedema right now. The first two weeks post op my swelling had gone down considerably, so much so that I could see lots of fine wrinkles in my legs where they were deflating. Pants that I have not been able to wear were fitting over my calves and looked normal on me. Then I hit a stall and the swelling went back up. I read an old post on here from a lady who talked about her swelling decreasing with weight loss and then increasing each time her weight stabilized. I PRAY that is not happening to me. I just want the swelling to go down and never come back!!! I think water and exercise will play an even more critical role in WLS patients with lymphedema. Congrats on your upcoming surgery! I was sleeved on 11/18, the month flew by. The bad days don't last long and every day after day 5 got better and better. I hope your swelling becomes more manageable. Lymphedema sucks so so bad.
It is OK to ask me anything. I'm an open book. Right now I'm in my fifth week since surgery. My swelling is just as bad right now as it was at its highest. pre sleeve. Now, I have some theories as to why and I'm trying different things. My legs went down a whole lot in the first two weeks. Possibly from laying around a lot?? Now I'm up and back to my normal life, so gravity is going to make fluids head south. I am propping my legs high while I sleep and I see more reduction in the mornings than I ever did before the sleeve. BUT, by 10 , it is all back. My weight can definitely change based on fluids. For example, yesterday morning I weighed 296, this morning after propping my legs, I weighed 291. And that is just with a little fluids lost overnight. I'd estimate I'm carrying about 10+ pounds of fluids in my lower legs. I'm also thinking my eating plan could be factoring into the swelling. I eat about 600 calories per day, very high protein, very low carb. I know this is the best eating plan for weight loss and reducing carb cravings, but, I'm wondering if it is the actual best plan for my body and whatever is going on in my lymphatic system. High protein low carb is leading to a major lack of fiber which means no poop for me. Everything is backed up and that could be causing a lot of fluid retention as well. It is really just trial and error right now. I am a little depressed that they are still so big, especially considering that I have lost about thirty pounds since surgery. My highest weight ever was 344. Currently I am 291. My surgeon would like to see me around 170. There is a guy named Andrew Weil, he coined the phrase Anti-Inflammatory Diet, published some cookbooks, etc. Two years ago I followed that style of eating to a T, I lost about 20 pounds the first month, and my legs went down so much that they looked more normal-ish. Of course I didn't stick to it and started eating crap again! A lot of people in the lymph community swear by that and it really made sense to me and I felt better than I ever had. Just something to look into. It focuses on balanced, clean eating. Once I heal up a little more I'm going to talk to my nutritionist about reverting back to that. Oh, and I do not wrap or wear the garments. I did 2 years back and found that it was causing a major increase in blood pressure. If I discover anything along the way I'll let you know. Feel free to ask anything else. Take Care!