Lymphedema - what else can I do??

*Saw symptoms in my lower legs (right leg, primarily) when I was 17 (11 years ago).
*Wear knee-high compression stockings
*Drink a lot of water
*Try to not sit/stand too long
*can't afford spa massages, though I'd love to. Still have a prescription for lymphatic massage

Put your feet up on another chair or an ottoman when sitting and you can put a pillow under your feet at night to keep you legs higher than your torso (so swelling can be going down at night thru gravity).

Hi there! This might seem like a bit of a no-brainer but I've found the best way to manage my condition is to keep my weight down and to do moderate exercise like walking (brisk or otherwise). Since losing about 2kgs I've noticed my right lower leg (which is most affected) hardly swells too much over the course of the day. If you're in the kind of job that involves a lot of sitting you can still exercise your legs whilst sitting. Any kind of gentle flexing and stretching of the limb will pump the lymph away from the tissue. It would be best to contact a Lymphoedema specialist and get further information about what exercises you can do. It is very possible to give yourself your own lymph massage when necessary once you are taught how.

Also diet can also be an important factor in lymphoedema management. There are certain foods that can help stimulate lymph drainage. One fruit I know that can help is the grapefuit but it has to be freshly eaten no longer than 15-20 minutes after cutting to reap the benefits as the active agent deteriorates after this time. I'm unfortunately not too well educated on the food factor of lymph management but your specialist should be able to help.

Hope this helps somewhat! All the bes. :-)