It's The Little Things That Count!!!

Here are the before and after photos of my feet.  I didn't elevate as long or as high as I normally do, but will start back soon.  You can see a slight difference in sizes. I like the fact that the right side goes down with elevation.  That probably means that the left side is almost completely closed and the extra fluid doesn't have anywhere to go or that my right side is suffering from what the left side is doing/not doing.  I know a stent will help make this alright and I thank God that I haven't had any clots. I am definitely trying to monitor my pulse and blood pressure.  I think my blood pressure is being affected because at work I often get this funny feeling in my chest and stomach. It kind of feels like butterflies, but not so obvious. When I get this feeling, I take a few deep breaths and try to walk around to promote circulation.  I think with my right side swelling now, my heart isn't getting enough blood flow, which would explain my 55-60 bpm pulse that I am starting to get every now and then.  I still think that my active schedule and God have gotten me this far. I'm going to continue with both until I know otherwise.  God won't change, but my circumstance will!  If you know of anyone that has any symptoms of MTS (May-Thurner Syndrome), then please tell them to get checked out no matter how ridiculous they feel.  It may seem like it's not a big deal, but prolonging treatment can be traumatizing.

 Before

 Before

 After

After

Elevation

Things have been going well lately even with the hot weather.  My right foot is still showing signs of distress. I've been elevating every night now since it began to swell.  I guess my body is getting used to it because it is not bothering me as much to sleep on my back as it used to. I need some new shoes, but might as well wait until I return to the States.  Finding a good pair that are actually my size will be a challenge here. I will do a before and after shot of my foot tonight and in the morning.  I will show the difference and what I'm working with. 

Clear!!!

No, I didn't pass out and have to get shocked.  I am referring to the skin on my left foot. I had a big purple rough patch on the side of my foot. I was told that it was the result of blood/iron seeping out of the veins and pooling underneath the skin. Well, the other night I was inspecting my foot and adding creams to keep them from being too dry.  I accidentally scratched the rough part and a piece of it disappeared like a scab.  It didn't hurt, but was kind of weird and uncomfortable. After I scratched and scrapped as much as I could stand, I applied Neosporin to the area in case of any unknown scarring. So far the purple color hasn't returned.  I am flip flop ready!  Of course, I won't wear them for long periods of time due to the lack of support. I'm counting down the days until I return to the States to find a doctor to perform the stenting.

I'm Doing Something Right

Aside from the swelling that has started in my right foot and ankle, I have noticed a positive change in my skin color and texture. I'm not sure why it is changing, but whatever I'm doing must be right.  I bought a skin cream last month.  I started out using it religiously, but then that changed when I found out that it was bad to use it for an extended period of time. Now, I use it ever other week. Last night before volleyball, I put some on along with some baby oil, but the skin was dull, dry, and scaly feeling. It felt like I need to buff it down or something. Lol! Of course, it was hot and humid in the gym. And I left looking like I jumped in a swimming pool with all of my clothes on. When I got home, I began to rub and scratch on my legs. Now, this will sound nasty so be warned. I'm not sure what I was scratching off, but it looked like a layer of skin.  It didn't hurt so I continued to do so until nothing else would come off. I took a shower and did not apply anything to it afterwards.  This morning I looked at my legs and they were smoother, softer, had some color to them, and my skin had returned to normal. Very weird!!! Hopefully, I won't have to do that again, but I will definitely pay close attention from now on.