After Vacation Blues + Leg Pain

Photo by the amazing @derangedvisions

Floating in the water, being one with the earth...ahhh...yes! That is where my soul needs to be! Hard to believe this was just a week ago. My heart aches to go back!

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The night we got home, I was pretty swollen from the flights, which isn't abnormal...but for me it was. I went to bed, and then slept and slept and slept. Not much moving happened for the next few days...which probably didn't help much. My body was used to rigorous massages and walking miles a day...every day. Ahhhh, massages.......

I started to get some leg pain Monday night, like severe aching, throbbing pain in my legs and hips. Ohhh man it was painful!! I took some medicine and went to bed. Tuesday went by and the pain was still there, but I tried to shrug it off. My legs were heavy, and throbbing.

Selfie

Wednesday morning I was having sharp pains behind my knee and after Wes's battle with blood clots early in the year, I was not playing that game. I headed to the hospital...puffy, aching and really hoping I didn't have a blood clot in my leg.

Taken by me

While waiting for my Ultrasound results, I was hungry...so I asked for something to eat. Here is my very fancy (and expensive I am sure) lunch of 3 packs of Graham Crackers and Apple Juice. It gave me some energy to continue to wait.

Taken By Me

This was my awesome view, I didn't feel like watching TV, so I listened to the other people getting treated in the ER, and prayed to the spirits that I didn't have clots. The Dr came in and told me I have Peripheral Edema

"Peripheral edema is edema (accumulation of fluid causing swelling) in tissues perfused by the peripheral vascular system, usually in the lower limbs. In the most dependent parts of the body (those hanging distally), it may be called dependent edema.

The condition is commonly associated with aging, but can be caused by many other conditions, including congestive heart failure, renal failure, liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension, trauma, alcoholism, altitude sickness, pregnancy, hypertension, sickle cell anemia, compromised lymphatic system, or merely long periods of time sitting or standing without moving.[1] Some medicines (e.g. amlodipine, pregabalin) may also cause or worsen the condition.[2]" source

According to this, it is due to living in Utah...my body is telling me that ocean living is where I SHOULD be.

Really, I got it from not moving enough on the plane, and then not moving much at home once we got here.....annnnd not drinking enough water.

So, note from this post? MOVE on airplanes and don't sleep for 27 hours after a long flight...ha ha ha!!

I am VERY grateful I don't have a blood clot in my leg, but have learned a valuable lesson for our future trips!

I am not hurting as much today, and hope I continue to get better! I had a bit of a post vacation dip in emotion, especially going from beautiful sunny to cold and snowy forcast...seasonal depression came quick and aggressively. I started therapy and have hopes that these high highs, and low lows will start to be more controlled.

Happy Friday Eve and Friday to you all!! Thank you for reading!!