Week 17: Review with Professor

I caught up with Professor Schmeller during the Lipoedema UK conference and he had a good look over my thighs and the flat flanks I've been obsessing about!

I was very happy that he came to me to invite me to have a review and I felt he was very kind in making time for me.  

Professor Schmeller spent ages turning me round and round to have a good look at my legs and he advised me that he felt I was still healing and should see/feel further changes by around six months and so he suggested we have another photo session and review then.  He stressed that he would make time for me if I wanted to come to Lübeck, but otherwise he recommended photos and phone calls/emails at the six month point.  

Professor Schmeller advised that I should use some lotion to massage my legs twice a day, massaging  in the lotion with a flat hand in a circular motion around on the top of my thighs.  He used his hands to show me what he meant and it felt a firmer pressure than MLD.  It did feel a little intimate having him massaging my leg!  He recommended I did this twice a day on my thighs and knees.  He felt that I still had healing taking place down around my knees too, which surprised me but I do feel some sensations there when I do vigorous exercise so I guess it makes sense.

I asked if I should increase my MLD and he said as the MLD is quite pricey, he thought twice daily self massage would be as good as having more frequent MLD as I would not be having it anywhere near as often!

He was very happy with how I looked and how I am healing.  I was very happy that around weeks 14-15 I felt I had stopped experiencing the pain I had been feeling in my left back thigh and I was now only feeling it occasionally on the car seat and not other times.  I feel like maybe it was impatience with healing or maybe it was the consequence of some bruising (as I am still bruising if I bump into things)?  

I gave my legs a really good workout during the conference as I was running around helping out so I was upright and physically running from place to place with things for people for over 8 hours a day, rarely sitting down.  My legs did ache and by day 3 my ankles were a bit swollen in my class 2 Wonder Model tights, but it was all bearable and I didn't get any pain :)