Legs Look Like Stove Pipes...
 

Here I am comlaining again....I really swear...I meant to be the one encouraging others....sorry....but maybe someone knows the answer...:(

My legs from knees down are so swollen and also my feet...I haven't looked like this since I was 9 months pregnant. They have been this way for a few days. The right is worse than the left.

I have been having numbness in my legs and burning like I do sometimes with the ms. But also, I had that gallbladder surgery on the 14th. Any ideas in it could be related to the surgery. OR has anyone every had anything like this related to ms???????

Thank you so much for reading this. Any advice will be appreciated. I go to a follow up appt with the surgeon, so I will be asking him about it. But wonder if you know anything?????:hug: Thanks!

I have heard of that with wheelchair bound or very, very sedentary PwMS, but not when we are getting around ok.

That is something to be checked out ASAP, IMHO.

Cherie

I have been having to sit a lot at work at my computer and haven't felt like doing much walking..I hope it's the surgery...I think?!:rolleyes:
THanks Cherie...

MS can cause swelling or as someone once phrased it to me -feeling like overstuffed sausages.

Three of my exacerbations caused my feet to swell and be quite painful.

It's always best to contact your doctor. Swelling can have other causes.

edema:

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdo...icles/840.html

:hug:

it sucks. it happens to me. i have to be sure to drink plenty of water. prop up my legs. mine isn't from ms. i don't have much feeling in my legs any ways.

Hey Friend =) You are very encouraging. Trust me!!! Sometimes, I am finding out, we need to have our own off days as well.

As for the swelling, and the one leg being worse than the other. Are you getting around? Walking? Are they red, painful?

My first concern would be blood clots due to the surgery. PLEASE make sure this is not the case, cause it can be very serious if it is. DO not rub or massage your legs until you know for sure that it is not blood clots!

Otherwise, do you swell a lot? Are you taking in a lot of salt? More so than normal? I am not sure about the MS relationship... but keep them elevated, get some TED hose, drink lots of water.

Hi BT, I don't typically have swelling. I have been watching my salt. The rest of my body doesn't seem swelled, just the legs and feet. I will be careful not to massage the. I didn't think about blood clots. They are not red. They only hurt in the sense that the skin feels so tight from the swelling, but no pain worse than that. Thanks for all the good advice. I am glad that tomorrow is when I have my follow up with the surgeon. Hopefully he can do something to figure it out.

Thanks! :hug:

Curious,
 

Thank you for the webpage and the advise. I will make sure to drink lots of water.

BTW, you daughter has a beautiful voice and smile... you have reason to be proud!!! How did her solo go at the program????:winky:

Thank you... I will be seeing the surgeon tomorrow...if he doesn't think it's related to the surgeon and follow up with myPCP or Neuro...:)

<---monkey sneaking in off topic...

her audition was today. her cd was messed up and had the wrong song. :eek: she sang it accupela and was told to be sure she had her cd corrected by tomorrow. so we took that as a good sign.

the program is next week. :hug:

Tell Lil Monkey good Luck! :)

Definitely wise to get it checked out. My mom has bad swelling due to lack of mobility. You really need to get your feet up.

Prior to the permanent swelling, she also swelled up when she had a blood clot in her leg - please go check it out before attributing it to MS!

I went to doctor today.
 

I had a follow-up with my surgeon today from the gallbladder. He had me tested for blood clots....and there are none. I'm so glad he checked though. So if I'm still swollen Monday, I will call my PCP.

I am going to take it easy this weekend. I need to figure out some good exercises I can do that might help. Any ideas anyone??? Thanks everybody! Your the best! Group Hug!!! :grouphug:

Friend, just for safety, check your legs for any cuts or scrapes. Jim had cellulitis twice in his foot and leg from a simple cut. He had redness and swelling.

After 20 years with ms Jim still has swelling whenever he is up in his chair. Humidity makes it worse. Is the humidity high where you live?

Sandy,
 

My office has been pretty stuffy since the weather has warmed up. I have no windows and the air doesn't get to my corner of the world very well. Yes we do have pretty high humidity. I checked, after I read this...I don't see any cuts and not really any redness.

I'll tell you, if it's not one thing, it's another these days. I'm glad I have so many people here who can give me things to look at and consider. As I have learned, it may not be just the ms. But even if it is the ms, if there is something I can do to make it better, I would like to try. It can't be that healthy for them to be so swollen.

Thanks for caring! :hug:

I am SOOO!!! glad that he checked for clots and you didn't have any. That is a huge relief.

Now we have to figure out what is going on. Did he check your blood pressure today? Was it normal? Are you having any exacerbation of MS? Have you ever had swelling like this other than when you were preggo? Have you been sitting more and not getting around as much? Did it come on suddenly?

Now, what you can do. You can get a good pair of support/ted hose. You can rub your pressur points to get your lymph system in gear and to try and get the clood moving better. Sit/lay with your legs propped up as far as you can. Try and drink only water. Flavored stuff, even cal free, have sodium in it. Any exercises you do, try and do them with your legs up... like lay on your back and do leg lifts, or act like you are riding a bike and such. You want to keep your legs up as much as possible =)

Hope you are feeling better soon. Keep us posted =)

:hug:
Connie

Sometimes Jim's can get so swollen they actually shine. We refer to them as meatloafs. :D It does hurt pretty good too according to Jim. I guess the best thing is to keep them up as much as possible. Try to eat things with less salt too. Let us know what your primary doctor says. Oh, and if you rub them, a massage therapist told us to massage down towards the toes, not the upper legs. You want the fluid to go downward not upwards.

Connie,
 

Blood pressure is normal. I am having the beginning OR, IF I'M LUCKY, a mild version of an exacerbation. Lots of burning. I "feel" like my blood pressure is high, but when I take it, it is normal. Having lots of creepy crawlies in my legs, which happened before a pretty bad exacerbation prior to dx. Muscles in legs and hips are going crazy. My hips feel like I want to stretch the muscles for relief, which I try to do. Never had swelling like this. AND it is JUST my legs and feet, not my hands.

Where are the pressure points? All of these ideas sound doable. I appreciate the tips. Good idea for exercising with the legs up. I hadn't thought of that!!! :winky: Keeping my legs up...humm....guess that could go along with resting more!!!! I finish school the 23rd. Should be easier after that...but I know your will say I need to start the resting, elevating feet part before then.. right?!?! :D I'll give it a go!!!

If I am starting an exacerbation, I know I need to learn better how to cope with, and treat ,the variety of symtoms that come along. So I may be asking more questions. :eek:

I know I have lots of smart folks here... so together maybe I'll get this figured out yet!.

Thanks :hug:
~Friend

The worst day I had with this, this week, they looked somewhat shiney. That is the day I finally thought I'd better try to figure this out! I appreciate all the advice. I didn't realize the massaging thing...is that good for them? I had been avoiding that till I found out if it were clots. But now that it isn't, would rubbing them be good for them? I know so little about all this, that is probably a dumb question, sorry.

You have certainly been been going through this for many years with Jim. I just realized how long it has been for him. Bless your hearts...:) You are SO upbeat! Jim is lucky to have you for his support system!!!

Have a good day! I'm off later to a family reunion...should be fun!

Thank you for the kind words. It's been 20 years of living with ms for Jim and I. After that long you learn to just roll with the punches. haha

Now, you can massage them now that you know there are no clots. As a matter of fact massaging them should feel good to you and make you less likely to develop a clot. Don't worry about indentations, you'll see them as you massage. The goal is to get the fluid down so the swelling goes down. I massage Jim's feet all the time from the calves down.

Ummm, do this after the reunion...haha

Friend, when I am in a spinal lesion attack, it FEELS like my torso and hands are swollen (tkirk, is it the same for you?), but I have always thought that was just a sensation. I can't get in my pants, and nor do I have any sense of tummy muscles, but I really can't say for sure if there is actual swelling.

If you have been checked over thoroughly (I just don't have a good feeling about this, given that you are not immobile), then the elastic that people use for sprains can help the sensation. When my feet are completely numb, for instance, I use those wraps and it confuses the numb communication channels to the point of being able to walk on them again. I wrap fairly loosely thought too.

I just don't feel right about this if they are in fact "swollen". :cool:

Cherie

My legs are not nearly as swollen today... but there is still a pretty deep indentation were my sock top is. Still indents when I push in with finger. I don't get why it's just the legs and feet. From knees (not so bad) but gets worse going down. I've had my feet up a lot today. Hasn't completely gone away. Drinking lots of water...not salt. They don't really hurt today though.

odd question, but with drinking more to try and flush the extra water out out of your legs...are you pee'ing a lot?

you should be. you may also find you need to get up at night or more often.

:hug:

Your legs sound just like Jim's. He doesn't have clots or anything either. The doctors just say keep the feet up as much as we can. They said it's from poor circulation with Jim being in a sitting position more than standing. Makes sense to us.

Good to hear yours don't hurt as much today.

Yes, I'm running to the bathroom a lot. I hadn't been drinking enough probably, because my bladder works without warning:eek:. So I'm not getting too far from the bathroom right now. Yes, making extra trips to bathroom during night.

But I started increasing my water intake over a week ago, when my neuro told me to.

thanks!:hug:

I really think I need to be proactive with getting more exercise, someone suggested ways to do this with feet up. I want to stay on top of this. though I am still very mobile, I don't (or can't easily) walk long distance. But I can move around well enought to try to exercise my legs more and maybe take more breaks to get my feet elevated will help.

I am encouraged today, since it was not a work day... I've done better. I just need to make changes to take breaks to get my feet up.

So, you think it probably is due to not enough mobility???? And maybe I can reverse it???? I hope, I hope!!!!!!:o
Thanks.

Well, Jim's has never went away but then again, he's in a wheelchair. One thing you may want to look into is stretch bands. They are easy to use. You just wrap it around your foot and life up your leg. It stretches the muscles really good. Jim used to use them all the time and it helped keep his legs more flexable.

Good idea. I think my husband has a stretch band from some PT he did! Thanks, I'll try anything!:hug: