Tip for arm lymphers

To my page about Shopping for Lymphedema wear there is a comment from a reader with arm Lymphedema, asking for advice about clothing. I thought about a loosefitting, baggy top under a stylish corsage in order to provide room for her arm and maintaining shape on her upper body not to mention looking stylish. I really think a long sleeved baggy top takes the non-decency right out if the corsage and makes it look rather elegant. One could have a number of tops to combine with the same corsage. What do you guys think? Please throw a comment!

Something like this. This one has a lace-up back. I found it here.

With a top a little like this under, perhaps without the thing in the middle.
I found it on eBay but lost the link (I searched for chiffon top).

 

Or this one, that I got for myself a little while ago.

It would probably look a little like this, only more
baggy over the bust, which I think would look nice.

I also found some funky bustiers/corsages here.

I wonder if one could use a strappy top over a baggy top instead of a corsage, or if it would look too bulky. I might give it a try and see how it goes, will let you know. 

Summerwear

Can you believe it, summer has been quite mixed overhere with lots of rain, wind and grey clouds but this week is really hot and sunny and I was looking forward to wearing some of my summer outits, then what happens – I get a sun rash, arghh! It is on my neck and upper chest and my skin is really irritated. Have to cover up. I put on some cream I had in the drawer, Traumeel. It is an all natural ointment that can be used for rashes, minor cuts and other skinthings. After applying it last night I googled it a little and discovered it can be used on swelling too. That's what it says, anyway. I also found a place where it said it could be used for muscular discomfort due to Lymphedema. Others states it is good for sportsinjuries, inflammation and pain. Many people rave about this product. It hasn't performed miracles for me yet, but I haven't given up on it completely. It does soothe my rash a little. Anyone out there tried this for anything related to Lymphedema?

Anyway, so what I could have worn is the dress below, I wore it a couple of weeks ago on a nice day. I recently dug out some old, long dresses that I can wear now that I've got my Chucks, including this one. It must be at least 15 years old but it is still fine, I haven't worn it all that much. I do think I need to give it a stich or two below the last button as it exposes my leg a little more than I care for when walking and cycling.
It felt so good wearing a summers dress again.

Xxxxx and Xxxxx, you have both won the book "The emotional challenges of Living with Lymphedema" in my Give-away, please send me your adress on thelymphedemagirl@gmail.com before August 1. After that I will pick two others.

Clothes from the personlig shopper

Here comes some of the clothes I got from the personal shopper a couple of weeks ago. I loooove this beautyful dark blue dress. Obviously it is too long and have to be shortened which will probably make it look less Greek goddess but I think it will be nice in a more userfriendly length too. It has an elastic band right where I put the belt. This gives it a baggy look which I find handy, especially in case of overdosing on desert, hmm.
The dress can be dressed up or down according to the occasion. I think that with the right accessories it could be worn for a wedding, but also for much less formal things – the new sneakers, a casual long necklace, a big shoulderbag and loose hair would dress it right down in a cool and stylish way. It is by Mango and it is 100% cotton.

I also got this top and the green skirt. I have returned both though but I thought I'd show it here anyway for inspiration. I really do like the look but wondered how much I would be using the skirt afterall. I like the way it sits high up, just under the boobs. The belt is the dot over the i, as we say overhere. I felt a little like the mum from The Little House on the Prairie. I still love watching that.

I was looking at asos.com the other day – their sale too is on – and I found a couple of maxiskirts and -dresses. Didn't buy anything though but they really have a big variety. The skirt below could easily be worn high up like my green one, and it is reduced too. It comes in four colours.

The Give-away is still on, you can still comment and have the chance of winning the book "Overcoming the emotional challenges of Lymphedema" that I am giving away together with LymphedemaProducts.com. Read more about the Give-away here.

Me and Chuck

At last! I am now the happy owner of two pairs of Converse All Star hi-top sneakers, one size for each foot! I am so excited! I got the one pair about a month ago from an on-line auction a little like eBay and the other pair yesterday with 20% off at a shoppingcenter near me. Yay! Now I can wear my long dresses and skirts. Because I've got the pads sewn into my stockings my ankle looks quite big and so I want to hide it – that I can do with these hi-top sneakers. It does still look a little bit big but I will be wearing long outfits anyway and perhaps I can sometimes wear an old stocking from which I have removed the pads. I am thinking of taking out the pads in one of the two stockings I have and wear at the moment.

If anyone is interested I'd be more than happy to sell the two sneakers I will not be using. Probably not worth it for readers in the US but perhaps for those in Europe. Make me an offer, I am very negotiable.

Sizes: Left: 6.5/39.5. Right: 5/37.5

Todays outfit:

The knee-high

I have finally worn my knee-high compression stocking to put over the thigh-high. It wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be, in fact I barely felt it. I may start using it more when sitting down a lot. I notice that my good foot (not all that great anymore) doesn't like when I sit still and so I find it logic that the bad leg doesn't either.

It must be around this time three years ago my Lymphedema started. I have made a change in the "about me" section overhere to the right, as it felt a little depressing everytime I updated it to yet another six months with Lymphedema. This way I don't have to worry about it and people can still figure out how long I have had it.

Yesterdays outfit: The new trousers I got on sale recently, haven't worn them until yesterday. They are so comfy, the material is so light and great for summer and the ends fold just the way I like it. Stylists may advice against it but I like it and until I get those darn high-top sneakers this will have to do. I don't think my legs look enormous like in that other post recently with the widelegged jeans.
The sneakers I'm wearing are some really cheap ones I got in two different sizes, 38 for the good foot, 39 for the bad. No one can tell.

Halleluja

Me in my fancy dress.

It is Sunday, the day after the wedding. It went well, but I'm so relieved it is over. Sadly I've been seeing it as an ordeal, partly due to all the fuss with the outfit and partly because I more and more am a homeperson. I am not good at crowds and staying up late, as boring as that sounds. I think it is natural to go through different stages in life. In first youth we love going out, partying, meeting people. As we get older I think we (maybe it is just me) instinctively feels like building a nest, settling down, finding peace. I've been in this stage for years, but I wish I had someone to be here with.

The happy couple was so beautyful, especially the bride. It is so wonderful and fantastic that these two have found each other, even after more than five years they are so into each other and so enjoy their life together, not to mention their beautyful little girl. They are so good and so right together. I wish I had what they have.
My outfit looked OK and I even had a couple of compliments. My leg behaved, it really had no reason not to, exept that the one shoe got a little uncomfy, but nothing major.
The dinner was an endless stream of speeches and songs with courses of food in between. There must have been 15 or more guests wanting to pay tribute to the couple. Overhere it is normal for close relatives or friends to make a song for the couple. One chooses a melody that everyone knows and writes a little song about the couple, their life, hobbies, how they met, funny annecdotes etc, photocopies it and hands it out to all the guest, and everybody sings. Yesterday I think there were three songs, and a lot of speeches. A set of friends performed a little, homemade fairytale about the couple.

Today I feel a little sad. I always get (more) emotional the day after events like weddings. Thinking about what was said in some of the speeches. Thinking about my life.

Today is also 9/11. Unreal that it's been ten years. My newspaper brought a lot about it today, ie a number of interviews with survivors, how they experienced it and their thoughts about it. The big national TV-channels are broadcasting from memorial events all day and I've seen some footage that I don't think has been transmitted before, at least not here.
I was at home that day, ten years ago. We're about eight hours ahead, so it was afternoon here. I had just sat down with a coffee, having a little break from domestic chores and turned on the TV, and there it was, on all the newschannels. It had just happened, but the towers were still standing. As soon as I realized what was going on I called Mum and Dad to let them know, in case they hadn't heard already. The following hours I sat in disbelief, glued to the TV, switching between CNN and the Danish news channels, trying to take it all in, which I couldn't. Who could? In the evening I had a dinner appointment with an old friend I don't see very often and hadn't seen for a very long time. It had been arranged months ahead and I couldn't bring myself to cancel even though I just wanted to stay home and watch the news, and it felt wrong going out having fun, catching up with my friend while all this was going on. On my way to the restaurant there were people from the big news agencies handing out flyers on the street about the horrible news. Later that night people would spontaneously head for the churches, looking for some sort of consolation, I guess. In the weeks that followed the area outside the American embassy was a sea of flowers, and people would stop by to pay their respect.