A Day in the Life of a Lymphedema Left Leg Patient – Janine Leitch

 I have been living with lymphedema in my left leg since 1998. A tumour was removed along with lymph nodes, an abductor muscle and a couple of veins from my upper inner thigh.

 I was never told I was at risk of getting lymphedema and little did I know that it would affect me for the rest of my life. After learning that my lymphedema wasn’t going away, I made a decision to manage it the best I could. I was determined not to let my leg get worse, swell more, or develop cellulitis.

I try to stay positive and practice self-care:

Each morning, I wake up and remove my thigh high leg compression garment before getting out of bed and hopping into the shower. Before fully dressing, I take time for self-MLD (manual lymphatic drainage), diaphragmatic breathing, and stretching exercises. Then I apply Patrick Curelle lotion to my legs and put on my clean 30–40 mmHg compression flat knit stocking before finishing getting dressed.

This has been my daily routine since my SAPL (Suction Assisted Protein Liposuction) procedure with Dr. Granzow in June 2022. I wear my compression stocking 22 hours a day—even through the night—unless I’m having MLD therapy with my therapist. I have MLD weekly unless one of us is on vacation or ill.

My ankle does need extra care as it tends to swell the most. If needed, over my compression stocking, I wrap a bandage with swell spots on either side of my ankle during the day to help with this. I also sometimes use calf and knee Ready Wrap. When I travel, I always wear 16-20 mmHg compression socks on both legs and over my compression stocking for added compression. If warranted, I will use my compression pump.

I do exercise and move at least 5 times a week:  walking, hiking, yoga, attending my weekly Pilates class and my twice a week resistance training workout at my gym.
What’s kept me going all these years is simple: I don’t want my leg to get worse or infected. That’s always been my motivation. I do everything I can to control the swelling. It’s not always easy, but I try my best. I have never had cellulitis.

I have learned you have to be your own advocate, be motivated to help yourself, to never give up and to try to be positive even though some days are hard and tedious. You need to find out what works for you. It does take diligent effort and trial and error, but well worth it in successfully managing lymphedema.