KL...OUCH!! Heal soon please!!!

Take care, KittyLady.

Hope your doing better soon

Heal well and quickly - glad they figured out the chest pain was your gallbladder

As for compression hose- they can be ugly, hot and crazy expensive. Hope these tips help-

I purchase mine from footsmart (catalog, phone and online). They have athletic type socks, pantyhose type, trouser socks and traditional compression styles, in assorted lengths & widths.

They wash well, and are very durable (I wash them in a net lingerie bag and hang mine to dry). I use the trouser socks style in knee length. I really like that they have plain, silky look and patterned versions. They have different colors, (navy, grey, black, tan etc) I can look like every other woman in slacks.


*not a salesman for them, just have spent loads of money elsewhere needlessly. They have very good cust svc and I have used them for years

wiggle your feet and toes, pumping feet and sitting with legs up helps (make a habit of that). Any exercise helps - even if you are sitting just pump your arms or bend forward/back. Swimming or pool exercise is wonderful - especially for those of us with limited mobility.

Check your sodium intake, especially in hidden places like packaged & fast food and condiments.

If you are prescribed a water pill/diuretic I suggest staying home the first few days to see how quickly & often you need to 'go' - especially if you have limited mobility. Try to get on a fairly regular schedule of voiding to help train your bladder. Trust me, you don't want to find yourself in the back of walmart when you have to 'go'...

hope this helps - sorry so long

FYI- Nordstroms also sells socks and tights for support/compression that look good. For example the diamond patterned trouser support socks are 3 for $36.00
I order online as no store is close to me.

*FYI-the Jobst stockings/compression hose now are now often referred to as 'support socks' or 'support tights' - call it the baby boomer influence

KittyLady, it's great that you're back here posting only days after your surgery! Keep up the good work!

Is it possible that the gallstone problem might have contributed to the leg swelling? Maybe the swelling will calm down now that you've had the surgery--?

I've had swelling for many years but it's been all over the body. I've kept it under control with a very unusual dosage of a thiazide diuretic, which may be what is called a water pill also.

In the last 10 years though my legs have been swelling anyway, and a PT recommended elevating the legs for 15 minutes twice a day. I've been managing with once a day on that but they're still swollen slightly at night.

I'm particularly glad that heel raises have been recommended (Erin's post in this thread), and it was a great link, explaining just how to do them right.

I've been doing heel raises regularly but now realize I should be doing more of them and holding them longer.

Feel better soon, KittyLady.