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How did your surgery go? How are you feeling? I am still on the fence but with my size, ailments(HPB, Diabetes, Lymphedemena, etc), it should be a easy decision. I guess I just can't figure out which one to have. I need to be back on my feet in no time so I can keep my job. Anyhoo, I know I am new here, but I am just wondering how you're doing. I pray that all is well. Take care of yourself and congratulations!
Wraps did not work on my swollen thigh either. But the abdomen wraps did better. However, I found that after walking a little bit, even those folded and slid. It was so uncomfortable that I stopped trying to wrap my personal "watermelon." Do you have any suggestions that may help me? I thought I was the only one with this problem. BTW, I don't help with wrapping so please consider that with your reply. Many thanks!
By now... you should have had your surgery. I hope all went well. I look forward to hearing how you made out. I am VSG and not really ever on the RNY forum, so I hope maybe you can write how you are doing here.
Danielle
My area on the back of my leg is completely healed! Every hating is dry and looking good! I'm not even wearing a dressing anymore.
I'm 3 days away from having my gastric bypass. I'm very excited and very anxious.
Going to run about today to do some last minute errands. Must get lip balm... It was a very popular suggestion by many other gastric bypass patience.
I'm scheduled for Tuesday, December 11 @6am. First one of the day. Everyone including my insurance nurse practioner agrees that's a great thing!
All my ducks *are* in a row and I feel good about my decision. I feel like its my time and its the right time. I've got a great support system and am blessed by having so many people rooting for me!
I'll post again and let everyone know how I made out. My husband can't believe it when I tell him I'll probably lose 200lbs in the first 2-3 months. LOl!
Hi, I have bilateral lymphedema as well... I had a large sore on the top of my calf. I used Fucidin Cream, A sterile Telfa patch and then tagaderm patches. Costly, but it was what worked for me. You can see by my ticker what I have lost my calves are still large, but no cellulitis so far... I, like you, would get the cellulitis. Elevate the legs with pillows allowing your sore to not be on any pressure at all. I found when I kept it from being irritated (and just a wee bit of irritation, could be bad) made things so much better.
I know about getting tired of the compression... I wear my wraps about three to five times a week... I am supposed to wear them more... but I have no stockings... just the manual wraps... so it gets pretty old. You are doing great, I know how hard this is for you, I was there. 384 at my heaviest and now I am 279, Every day, it gets better and better!!!
Good luck and let me know how everything goes for you!!!
Danielle
Hi
I wonder if those wraps would work on my lower legs... when they wrap around... can they wrap for calves do you think? I use It Stays when I wrap my legs manually with compression wraps and stockinettes. Helps a lot.I get the It Stays anywhere they sell compression garments. Good luck.
Danielle
hello everyone! I have been taking care of my husband for many years now with lymphodema in his thighs.at first we had no idea about this medical condition, and through many doctors and rehab specialists I thought through our experience perhaps I would be able to help some one with our idea for upper thigh negative pressure.My husbands thighs were so large that when the specialist tied to wrap them they always fell down.. no matter what she did it never worked. I now use abdomen wraps that are made from Golds Gym. They are soft neoprene ribber and polyester wraps that are normally wrapped around someones abdomen, They have soft rubber on the inside , which helps very much to keep them up onto my husbands thighs. they are easy to put on just wrap and they velcro in place.. Where I live they are around $5.00 for 2. In Walmart. in the excercise department.. Some one may need extra support so our other idea which worked was a liquid adhesive that rolls on the skin its called Jobst "it stays' . you can order this over the net or sometimes a medical store carries this.. my experience shows that walgreen , cvs and other drug stores do not carry It Stays. this glue is not overly expensive either.. well good luck and I hope this info has helped you !!
Please do. You have my prayers. I don't know much about VSG but I know that there is some research saying that certain procedures are better for us than others. It comes down to your determination. Remember going in, especially with support groups, that many of the people will be starting at a weight that you would love to be. You are going to take longer to get to a goal so please make your goals in steps and make them reasonable. Also, please make sure that you have your head on straight. Not trying to be smart but you have to make sure that you are in a good frame of mind. Again, I tell you this as I made many mistakes and do overs are a pain in the ass.
If you have a good PCP then you are golden. The fact that your doc trusts that you know your body is terrific. You seem to have all your ducks in a row, now get that infection healed and we will make room for you on the loser's bench.
Please feel free to contact me.
Jeanne
Thanks for responding. I did make a call into my PCP. I'm having her put me on an oral antibiotic. Normally when I get cellulitis due to the Lymphedema I have to be treated with Vancomycin IV. I know I'm not to that point and my left leg has lost a lot of its swelling due to my pre-surgery required Weightloss. So I put a call into my doctors office. I have a great relationship with my doctor and she trusts me to know my body. I explained my situation to the office manager and asked for a broad spectrum antibiotic. I think it'll work now that my leg is so squishy! lol
I will notify the surgeons office tomorrow. I actually want to see if its too late to change my surgery to a VSG.
I'll keep you in the loop!
Lymphedema sucks but cellulitis sucks even more. I would make an appointment with both your PCP and the surgeon doing the Gastric Bypass. If you have an open wound and there is any chance for infection they won't operate on you. For morbidly obese (I hate that term) people they usually put the compression stockings on you after the surgery.
I know how excited you must be to only have a month until you start a new life. But you want to start this new life with both of your legs and not getting any serious infections. The only person who can help you are the professionals. Trust me they have your best interest in mind.
I was around 470 lbs when I had my RNY. Everyone was afraid that I was going to get serious breakout and blood clots in my legs as I also have Lymp and frequently had celulitus which I was causing. Fast forward , had the surgery lost 200 lbs in 3 months started to see an ortho doc for the arthritis in my knees and was started on a Syvesk (sp?) regime. After the second injection I had the worse case of cell. My temperature went to 103 in a matter of minutes. I was being threatened to be hospitalized. I begged them to try oral antibiotics and thank you God that worked. Upon seeing my gastric surgeon he told me that the shots are what caused the breakout. So here I was sailing along beating a lot of the odds and a stupid injection in my knee put me down. since that time I have only had one breakout and that also was my doing. I have lost another 70 lbs but put that back on. I have had plastic surgery or a panni and I have had one of my knees replaced.
I am only telling you my story because I want you to have hope. But also you need to do things in right order. You sound to be an intelligent woman get the wound healed and then your surgery. Hospitals are famous for spreading infections and with an open wound in the back of your leg you are leaving your self vunerable to a serious infection.
Please let me know how you make out. I am very far out from RNY but I know how little of support there is for the super morbidly obese. You can do this but please do what is best first.
Best of luck and love to you.
Jeanne
