I've got sandals, yay!

I recently bought these leather sandals that I am hoping I will be wearing a lot this summer. I was inspired by Hutch’s picture in this post and when I saw these I thought I had to check them out and see if it would work. I think they look very femine and simple, perhaps a little girlish. My Lymphedema foot does look big but I will only wear them with long trousers anyway so perhaps it will be allright. I wear a toecap so I can't wear opentoe sandals/shoes but these ones hides it enough while it still provides some air for my feet.

I got them in two different sizes, one size for each foot and I am selling their lonely partners on eBay. If you want you can check them out here.
They are US 7 (right) and 8 (left). UK sizes are 5 and 6 and European is 38 and 39.

Selling my compression pump

I have decided to sell my old compression pump, the PulsePress Multi12 on eBay. I also have a Lympha Press so the PulsePress is just sitting in its box not being used. It is in good condition and have not been used much. It will probably make most sense for Europeans to buy it as the shipping costs outside Europe for a 7 kg beast are horrendous.
You can view the pump here. I am also still selling the lonely partners of my odd-sized shoes, check them out here. I have a couple more than listed at this time as they are more for winter but do ask if you are interested. I have just listed some leather sandals with closed toes, check them out.

Since I heard about CNN's Freedom Project many months ago I have been wanting to support organisations that helps women and children that are victims of slavery or for other reasons need help. Last month I donated some money to an organisation that helps victims of acid violence. One can donate as little or as much as desired and with PayPal. If you want you can check it out here:
http://www.acidviolence.org/

I have been thinking about giving the cabbage poultice another try, perhaps doing it every night for a month or so. I really think this is a powerful remedy and who knows if it could help us. More about this soon.

Thank you for your comments, they really mean a lot to me and to other readers. I am sorry I am being so slow to reply.

Update: Sold.

Odd size shoes

Yay, I have sold two Converse sneakers and one Sorel boot on eBay, to buyers in France, Russia and England!

I have put my other odd-size shoes up for sale too, but as these are not universal like Converse and Sorel I am selling these in pairs. Check them out here. In the individual ads I have put in the US sizes as well as European and UK. They are the partners of the shoes that I use for myself so these are unused.

Last week I started on a yoga course for people with cardiac or lymphatic disfunctions and it was allright. I think it will be even better in the weeks to come. There were six of us and three of us have Lymphedema. I have seen one of the others in the patient association. The instructor is a Lymphedema therapist so she knows about the lymphatic system, Lymphedema and the troubles we as Lymphedema patients can have so I think it is going to be good.

These are the shoes I am selling on eBay - click on the pictures to check them out on eBay:

New shoes

The sale is on and I just recieved as much as six pairs of shoes! However, I send two back and ended up with two usable pairs in two different sizes, one size for each foot. They were very reduced and I think they are nice and light for Summer so I got a pair in white and one in blue.

I have been asked by the leader of the lymphedema therapists overhere to be a sort of crash test dummy when new therapists-to-be are doing a training course next week and I said yes. I think the leader, who I know briefly, is going to do a wrapping demo on me and perhaps show the students (who are trained physio therapists) how to do MLD. I will let you know how it goes.

I forgot about this fine song but the other day it popped up in my head. Do have a listen, it is beautyful.

Overhere everything is so green and lush and the most delicious produce is in season. I have made some beautyful rhubarb compote to use in trifles, it is heavenly! Also thinking of making some elderflower vinegar. The smell of elderflower is the smell of Summer...

They are 39 and 40. I think the difference shows less IRL.
No one but myself will notice.

My Chucks, now on eBay!

I still have the lonely partners of the Converse sneakers I got last year and I have finally managed to put them on eBay, what an ordeal! You can find them here. I send worldwide (except the usual navy bases etc.). They are brand new and the sizes are 6.5 (left) and 5 (right). You can buy one or both.
Mine have been hiding all winter but are about to come out of the closet as Summer is approaching. I find that they can go with many outfits catering for us, fx. a long dress or some wide leg pants/trousers with the ends tucked into as I talked about in the previous post.

This year I am going to wear them with - among other things - the items below.

 

I haven't bought these yet but I think I will.

 I have added a couple more suggestions for wide leg pants in this post here.

Wide winter boots

Oh dear... eBay is going to be the end of me. I have a long list of things I'd like to buy. Tops, coat, necklace, wallstickers, yoga-mat – what have you... I am going to order a couple of things next week when I get paid but I will have to control myself. Not sure I can be trusted with a credit card. Lucky for me I like porridge...

I stumbled upon some winter boots that I wanted to show you guys as I indeed know how hard it is to find something warm, comfy and wide when having Lymphedema.

I imagine these could be good for even real big Lymphedema feet and legs (or when wrapped) as the laces makes them adjustable. I am not sure if the laces go through the front bit but if needed one could just not do that, if you know what I mean. These cost $13.99 and have free shipping worldwide. They might be available even cheaper from other sellers. Don't worry about them coming from China, I have purchased lots of stuff from over that way, it takes about three weeks and I haven't had any trouble. Be aware of customs though, it applies to some countries. Find the boots here.

I also found these ones below. They too look warm and comfy. They are only $10.16 and ships worldwide for free. Get them here.

So I write about my life with Lymphedema on a blog in my own language too (same stuff as here) and I have arranged a little get-together tomorrow for readers of the blog. We are having sushi in a restaurant on the top floor of a hotel that has great views over the city. Sophisticated Tina is coming plus four others so there is going to be six of us. I am looking forward to meet the others. And the sushi, of course!

Shoes that work – a readers picture

In relation to some of the comments on this page reader Hutch here on the blog send me this picture of shoes that works for her. Thanks, Hutch! I like all of them, they are very feminine. Number four is my favourite. I haven't worn heels since Lymphedema started but now I feel adventurous and might look into it. I wear a super ugly toecap that makes my toes a great deal wider so I am not sure what I can get my foot into, even with a bigger size on the Lymphedema foot, but I am going to investigate. Shoe number one is a great Summer option with a long skirt. Thank you so much Hutch, for sharing!

I recently got these low cut boots and I love them. I got them in two different sizes and it works very well. They are from a "cheap-and-cheerful" shop but who cares, I think they look stylish, and they work for me. They have an elastic insert on both sides of the foot which makes it possible for me to wear. I can even use them with the compression stockings that has the pads. I have worn them with dressy, black trousers and also with a long dress (see the dress here, first picture). I am thinking about getting another set to have when these ones are too worn to use. I'd like to do that more now, buy two when I find something that works and that I like.

Today I've been busy in the kichen, baking a great no-knead bread in my clay cooker and then this very delicous (and very, very naughty) prune cake. Oh dear, it's good! Check it out!

I sold my boots

Yay!
I can't seem to find any posts about my walkingboots so perhaps I never wrote about them? Anyway, earlier this year I got some really good walkingboots for my big walk I was supposed to go on in May (now going later this year, more about this soon). I bought two pairs, two different sizes. One size for the good foot, one for the bad. Monday this week I sold the two boots I won't be using. A young girl with Primary Lymphedema in her left leg matches me in size and she bought them from me, I met up with her at a trainstation where I handed them over. She had tried the boots on in a shop so she knew the sizes where right.
I am so pleased they won't go to waste and that I managed to get some money for them. I am thinking of setting up a shoe board here on the blog where people can sell their odd-size pairs. What do you think?

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.

Sophisticated Tina

This post is about a stylish woman I met at the patient weekend recently. She was a huge inspiration and I want to share with you guys. She had had Lymphedema for much longer than me, I forget if it was eight or 15 years, I met so many people there and I have some of their info mixed up.
Anyway, this lady really knew how to look stylish and make the most of her options with Lymphedema.
She made a point of wearing a nice makeup, jewellery, stylish hair and glasses – she had at least two pairs of glasses to shift between. Her upper body was having a party with colours, feathers etc. Lots going on there, shifting the focus from her problem area to another place. It really worked!
For example, she would wear a bright green tunic with a sleeveless jacket in another colour over. A little bit like this:

While I was searching for these pictures I also found these two below, doesn't it look stylish? Great way to spice up a plain top and bring attention to the upper body (leg lymphers). You can find lots of scarf tutorials on Youtube.

Reg. trousers/pants, she was good at sewing and she would alter her own trousers/pants. She sort of said – as did the stylist who spoke on the first night, and the stylist I went to before Christmas – to forget about boxpants. It makes our legs look bigger. It is true. When I look at pictures from a trip last year where I wore some really widelegged jeans both of my legs look enormous. See:

It's me in the middle.

It's me to the left.

Sophisticated Tina showed me her foot once and I saw her whole leg when we were swimming together, her leg is at least the size of mine, if not more, but she worked around it so well that no one would ever guess anything was wrong. I think it really makes a difference to be able to see that difference between leg and foot, even if covered in boots and baggy pants. Like this outfit I got at the personal shopper last year:

I have a waist now, yay!

She would buy shoes and boots in different sizes, one for each leg. Perhaps I should do that more, get on with it and focus on what I can do instead of what I can't do. Accepting that this is what I have to do and then stop worrying about it. What do I get from pretending I can still wear the same size as before when I can't? Nothing. No wait, grief. Perhaps if I buy different sizes I can actually wear more styles than I think I can. Maybe not stilettos but perhaps a little heel. She would also have shoes and boots made wider at a shoemaker, if nessesary. I've been aware of this option too but haven't used it yet. On the first day she wore Converse sneakers, I am not sure if they were high or low but I would go for high, I think. Later I saw her in some stylish boots a little like the ones below, she had the one made wider. She wore them with jeans (that she had altered) over, folded up so the boot showed.

She had a pair of shoes, the one two sizes bigger than the other, for when wrapped. She would be wrapped four days every two weeks at her therapist. I might look for some cheap, comfy shoes for wrapping instead of my trekking sandals.

UK widefit shoe shop

I have added a link to the Lymphedema Shoeguide. It is a UK shop with widefit shoes. It only ships within the UK and they are a bit pricey, but they have a large selection. www.widefitshoes.co.uk

I'd like to share this beautyful song with you. It's old now and they seldom play it on the radio anymore but I still like it. Have a listen.

Style Consultation #2

First, sorry about the really lousy picutures of myself. I took them with selftimer and they are indeed not very good, even having photoshopped them. Anyway, I hope you can still see something.
I got two pairs of trousers. One grey, one black, both by Principle (Debenhams). They are both very widelegged, especially the blacks. I loooove the thin leather belt on the grey ones. They are very well priced, only 43USD/28GBP and 63USD/41GBP, which I think is pretty good, especially the grey ones, they are quite stylish, good material and well made. I also got three tops, two cardigans and a belt. And the boots of course. The tops, trousers and cardis can all mix and match, very practical.

The stylist wanted me to tuck the trousers into the boots, just loosely. Something in me finds it strange to do that with dressy trousers and streetwear boots, but the more I think about it and look at the pictures, the more I m getting used to the idea. If the boots are tied loosely there is no difference to see from the good leg to the bad.

She made a point of emphasising my waist with short cardigans and sleeves pulled up to create a horizontal line where my figure is slimmest. That makes sense when having to wear baggy trousers.

Short and tight green cardi from Mango.

Black trousers from Debenhams. Zip in the side
and waistband acting as a belt.

My favourite: Dark grey trousers from Debenhams.
Comes with thin leather belt.

My other favourite: The super cool dark-orange belt (Pieces),
I think it goes really well with the creme top and jeans.

To come: My notes on the tips I got from the stylist.

Finally, I want to share this beautyful Christmas song with you, how can one not get in the spirit with this classic, performed by the legend? Here in Copenhagen we had snow today, yay!

Style consultation #1

Yesterday was my big day with the Style Consult. It went well and I've got lots to show you come weekend when I can take pictures in daylight. Till then, these are the boots I got. Don't know how I feel about them yet, but I bet you can imagine my joy when I learnt I could get my big foot in them. They are from Clarks and their name is Active Air Jyro Hi.

More shoelinks

I was going through some old links and I found some more shops that I've just added to my Lymphedema Shoeguide. I've marked them, can't miss them. The second of them has EEEEEE width, I would think that is very wide! I will add info soon about shipping.

OMG

Update (Jan 2012): The company mentioned below is no longer operating. Bummer. 

My Goodness, I was having a little break here at work (ahem...) sniffing around on the net and I found this US shop where they sell pairs of shoes in different sizes – one shoe in one size, the other in another!!! This is a dream come true for lymphedema patients, isn't it? As if that wasn't enough, one can choose between a medium and wide within each size! I am about to fall off my chair!
Anyway, just had to share this ASAP. See what you think. Better get on with work, boss is back!

www.oneshoetwoshoe.net

Update: Unfortunately they don't ship to outside continental America, but perhaps they are willing to consider this, who knows. Apparently there are 140-250 million people suffering from Lymphedema worldwide. Anyway, at least it is good news for American readers.

Elevating my bed

As I was changing the linnen on my bed yesterday I though I might as well show a picture of how I elevate my leg at night. As you can see I've put some old phonebooks under the bed itself, and under the topmatress I've put some towels in the right side. Quite a few, actually. Once all the covers are back on none of all this really shows.
I've got a post about a cushion designed to elevate the legs, check it out here.

These are the shoes I wore for the wedding, I got them two days before! Cheap-and-cheerful. The colour isn't very fancy at all, but they did the job and the dress would cover them most of the time anyway. I had to get them quite big, size 41 – I used to wear 38 or 39. I got an inlay to put in the one for the good foot and also folded up one of those little socks and put in the back of the shoe to fill it out. The pearls etc. around the ankle is not really my thing, but that and the zipper made the shoe sit pretty good and they were fine to walk in.

Today I have finished my annual batch of rosehipjam. I cooked it yesterday, let it sit overnight and transferred it to jars today. It tastes absolutely heavenly. Nothing more, nothing less. It is a big job to prepare the rosehips but the result is so worth it. Happiness in a jar.