Edema - Tired of the Barrell Calves

I'm so tired of it.  My fat lower legs - calves and ankles.  They just will not go down!  I'm struggling with that.  The weight is coming off, but I can't get into the large jeans cuz of the huge lower limbs.  Drat!  What if they never go down and I always have huge legs???

Mary, I know how you feel because I have a posttraumatic edema on my right leg from an old injury that does not want to go away.  Although thankfully it does seem a little "skinnier" these days for it.  Sometimes it is downright huge and hurts and throws my balance off!  (usually more in the winter months).  Have you tried sleeping with legs elevated at night.  When my leg gets bad, I use a wedge pillow for my legs.  Also, my doc had me on HCTZ (a diuretic) for many years, although I just got 2 of my 4 blood pressure meds stopped and unfortunately he picked the HCTZ and lisinopril.  I am not sure about that because the HCTZ helps my leg.  But I have a half a script left and will use occasionally if and when my leg puffs up.  I also always sit in a recliner in the living room so I can have the legs up.  Working at computer all day by the end of the day the right is usually more puffier at the end of the day.  Also, whenever legs are up do ankle pumps.  Helps to force water up and out of where its stuck.  And the obvious, watch the salt intake.  Also with jeans, I always get "wide leg" jeans.  No boot cut or straight leg for me!  I have lost 84 so far now and I do believe my leg is a little better overall so I think probably it will just take time.  And no, I am not totally convinced just weight loss with get rid of it entirely but I think it will be improving some more and I am really used to it having lived with it since 1994.   And oh yeah, have I mentioned : ), I am a little preoccupied with the soccer ball hernia I got on my stomach these days!  Talk about not being able to get down to the correct jean size because I cannot get pants to zip over the hernia.  UGH! 

Just some of my rambling thoughts.  You probably have tried some of these things. 

I hear you. I have issues with my left leg. But, the more I lose, I'm more and more getting days where it goes down. Then I eat something salty or the planets go out out alignment or something and it comes back worse.

Let's hope we can both lose our barrels!

Lol @ "planets alignment"!  Good one.  I had  the Edema from some medications I was on.  It went away after I got off them, and got the 1st 60 lbs off.  It was hell, I feel for you guys.  I couldn't stand up without screaming some days, and size 12 Wm's shoes were tight (I wear a 9 1/2 wide usually)  I had to wear aqua shoes over wool socks in the winter.  Ugh.  Boots were out of the question.

MY BF has a bruise on his leg from varicose veins and an old injury and only that ankle swells up. It's so painful looking but he say's his doesn't hurt.  I always wonder if the injury he had didn't cause the varicose veins.  He didn't have it before that.  He weighs about 400lbs.

I just want to be able to wear cute shoes again!

Sniff, sniff.

You guys, it will happen! It may not completely resolve, but I used to have edema issues in my right foot which are now almost gone since the weight loss. Plus, the exercise I am doing is definitely doing its part to improve circulation, so that's a gratifying development!

It's true that old ligament or tendon injuries, as well as impaired lymph drainage, can hang around for ages, but the less weight that's on the area, the more the body can adapt to repair the damage.

And Patti--you WILL wear cute shoes again, dammit! I believe it in my soul! I was up to a size 8 WW at my heaviest. Now I wear a 7.5 M. At one point, I was walking along in my favorite pair of Hush Puppy ballet flats, and I literally WALKED out of my own shoes!! So your feet will shrink as you use up that stored fat. Hang in there!

My legs have  bad varicose veins, and my right leg has bad edema from the veins (they are worse in that leg)  The HCTZ does not help much at all anymore.  I also have a history of superficial clots in that leg.  I feel the same way, are they ever going to shrink after I have WLS????

I have a pair of sz 11 dress shoes I wore last Christmas that fall off me too! That's Ok they were from the Goodwill. Lol. Here are the shoes I wore last week for a party, I could barely walk after 30 min but I felt so girly! (I was wearing mens garden clogs 18 months ago)

CUTE!! Sex-AY strappy sandals ya got there, Stella-Blue!

Mary, I'm so glad you posted this because my poor ankles aren't straight, the bulge OUT at the end of most events.

Thanks Stella for the VERY nice photos of the sexy shoes and feet that all of us are coveting.

I love my Lasix. I don't know if I will need to continue it post op, but a diuretic is a girl's best friend if you ask me.

I also have Jobst knee high socks that I should be wearing. They are $68 a pair, but covered by most insurance. They are very strong and tight around the ankles, but then get less strong as you go up your leg. The days I wear them, my legs feel MUCH better. I have a very skinny friend who is on her feet all day long and she swears by support hose. They are the dickens to get on and I'm too fat to wear them now, but I think they help a lot.

I used to be a shoe junkie, but lately I wear 4 prs of Propet shoes that are very wide, but very comfortable. I don't see heels in my future, but maybe cuter flats.

Let me know when you get sexy shoes, Mary!!!