Relief Chamber

August 9, 2023

I have this thing that I don’t talk about much.

It’s called lymphedema.

I have the primary kind and it’s kinda rare.

Some people get the secondary kind after surgery where the lymph nodes have been impacted and sometimes it can be severe.

But mine was passed on through my family.

It is more common in women. It does not show up until teens or later. Mine showed up after each pregnancy. It went away after 6 months with my first two and then was here to stay since my third.

A family member has it pretty badly and it shows up in her face, arms, hands, legs and feet. For a long, long time she went undiagnosed because the primary form of it was so rare.

Mine has been tolerable but is getting increasingly worse. It is mostly in my legs, ankles, feet.

In the grand scheme of life, it is a littler deal. But it is regularly uncomfortable and sometimes painful and hard to move.

I’ve been going after it aggressively for about 8 years. Chiropractic, stretching, supplements, compression boots, elevation, massage, accupuncture. I am now wearing compression socks and leggings daily year round to keep them from ballooning. Which is fine during the winter and a drag in the heat of the summer.

So when a friend shared her experience trying hyperbaric oxygen therapy and reduced swelling was included in the list of benefits, I figured I would give it a try!

So here I am. Trying something new.

I’ve gone one time so far. When I was released from the chamber, I just kept saying, “I did it! I did it!” I do feel a little different since the first visit and I go again tomorrow.