My PS stated that I have lymphedmia

I had a thigh lift in April 2009, today is 06/02/2010.  I never heard of lymphedema, but after the surgery I had swelling and tightness in the my right calf and ankle, it was very painful, my PS ordered compression stockings and told me to wear them. I kept waiting for it to go away, so here I am a year later still with problems going on.  You get the sugery to improve your legs and although they looked good, I was in a lot of pain and couldn't walk normal because of the swelling, so then came back pain.  I was an active woman, thin, weighing 110, and just wanted a little lift in my thighs.  I was shocked at what I ended up with.  My thighs were so tight, I couldnt bend them  for a very long time, and the swelling, I just didn't know what was wrong.  One day at physical therapy for my back the therapist said " I just don't understand the swelling in your one leg"  Another older therapist said, it is her lymphatic system, it has been injured by removing the tissue from her inner thigh, and until that heals it will keep swelling.  Well a year later, it is still swelling, only in the other leg now and up higher near the scar, it feels like my leg is being torn apart sometimes.  My PS looked at my legs and ordered me another pair of compression stockings only panty hose this time, and said "see you in six months".  I was mortified.  Through researching and reading, I found a lady who studied the technique taught originally by Dr. Vodder, the manual lymph drainage massage.  It really works along with the compressiion stockings and bandaging at night.  Sometimes I am almost pain free, I hope someday I can have no swelling and go w/o the stockings.  To anyone considering a thigh lift, you should think again, is it worth it?  If it wasn't for the stockings and the massage that moves the fluid that starts to harden due to damage of your lymphatic system, I would not be able to do anything. I hope there are better days ahead.  I plan on starting a rigerous treatment program at a physical therapy facility where they do manual lymph drainage massage, this has been a very expensive ordeal to say the least.  I can't show my legs anyway now due to the thick stockings, it is very disheartening.  Doctors should tell you about this but frankly they don't know that much about it.