Okay, I will not panic.

I WILL not panic.  I MUST not panic!  

Got up this morning and noticed that my feet and ankles, and even my calves, were REALLY swollen. Stepped on the scale as I always do, right before I drag my carcass into the shower, and almost fainted (not literally).  The scale said 162!!!  That is at least four, if not six, pounds more than I actually am! And even though I ate a little chocolate yesterday, it sure wasn't four to six pounds worth.

So here is the poop (also not literally ):  As you know, because I've mentioned it a gazillion times, heh heh, I'm coming up on spinal surgery IN TWO WEEKS NOW!!  The nerve pain in my hips and legs gets increasingly worse day by day, and this close to surgery I had to get off an nsaid pain reliever I have taken close to 20 years for my fibromyalgia.  So there goes my anti-inflammatory.  Pain level shoots up even worse. 

I've been sleeping in my recliner for over four months now, because I can't lie down in the bed.  Even in the recliner, I've been waking up with searing nerve pain in my thighs, just from being semi-flat in the recliner.  It was so bad night before last that last night I tried sleeping sitting up.  The nerve pain was considerably less when I waked up this morning,  I did recall, as I waked up, though, that I had only had to go to the bathroom once in the night, and I usually have to go at least three times.

Sooo, where did all that extra fluid go? one might ask.  It settled in my lower legs and feet!!!!  ACK! Honest to pete!  I used to have swollen feet and ankles when I weighed close to 300 pounds but haven't had it in years!  

Okey dokey, sleeping sitting up is not a good idea.  I guess tonight I'll try something else!  

--Dorothy 

No words of wisdom. Can you check in with the doc?

Hugs. Hope you can find a way to rest comfortably but with feet and legs up.

 I'm so sorry. It sounds so uncomfortable.  

so sorry you are having a tough time. please see your doctor asap. don't wait. diane

Boy, the surgery cannot happen fast enough. Hopefully it will put an end to all the woes you are having pre-surgery. You know, no matter what kind of surgery we have, the symptoms always intensify right before the surgery. Then, because of the stress, our Cortisol levels increase too and make our water retention worse and our fatty acid metabolism worse too. Just gets worse. You ARE going to get better--keep your eye on the far prize, it will come to you soon. In the meantime, it is just a matter of managing the worsening symptoms and keeping your negative brain in control. Stay positive. 2 more weeks.

Hugs !!!!!  You will go back down !!!

Yikes, so sorry you're going thru this.  Does the stress from the extra pain you're experiencing cause water retention, I wonder?  Or lack of anti-inflammatories causes fluids to flow to areas of inflammation?  Also, you might try sleeping with your feet higher than your head to keep the fluids out of your lower extremities.

Good luck with your upcoming surgery!

Thanks, Kathy.  I don't know about the pain / water retention connection.  I'm not much into excuses for weight gain beyond how much and what I eat and how much exercise I get (even if they excuses are real and true!).

And the sleeping suggestion is good ... except I can't get in that position.  As I said, I have to sleep in my recliner, and with the pain in my back, that is as flat as I can lie.  No way can I get my feet higher than that.

Thanks for the good wishes!

--Dorothy 

Would compression socks help, along with feet elevation? How abou****er pills?  Are you allowed to take them for your edema?

Gosh, Trish x 2, I never thought about the socks!!!  I used to wear super-support knee-highs all the time when I was fat, because my ankles swelled up to the size of cantaloupes if I didn't.  I'm sure I've still got some somewhere, so I'll dig 'em out!  My feet and ankles aren't quite as bad today, because I slept with my feet up in the recliner, but they are still poofy.  What a great idea!  Thanks :-)

And I'm afraid to experiment with water pills at this point.  I'm less than two weeks from my spinal surgery, HALLELUJAH!!!!! , and I'm to be off all supplements and OTC stuff.  I'll just keep doing what I did yesterday, which is drink water and tea until I slosh, and stay away from salt and simple carbs. That and keep my feet up as much as possible.

Thanks so much T2 :-)

--Dorothy