swollen legs and knees

Connie - good news, when a cardio says your heart is good with an echocardiogram you are in the clear regards any structural issues, and it also shows up the action of the valves in your heart as well, fascinating to watch the blood flowing through the heart.

My husband has heart failure so he has 6 monthly echo's to watch how he is going, last time wasn;t good news, but a three lead pacemaker has sorted out the two sides of his heart beating seperatly, and his health improved immediatly, and he has been better in the last six months than he has been in the last five years.

Regards swelling, you have to move, it is essential, only reason my husband is still alive is because I insisted he start walking first from the easy chair to the front door, about 15 steps for a week, 3 or 4 times a day, then to the letter box about 25-30 steps, chair at the letter box, same again 3 - 4 times a day, for a week, from that adding a neigbours letter box about weekly by 18 months walking in excess of 5 km, Dr's amazed at just how well he was doing.

He also with Dr's permission comes swimming, non weight bearing in the local heated pool, treading water rather than swimming, for about an hour, had to build up to that hour over a few weeks, 3 times a week, the movement of the water over your legs also seems to help with swelling.

Reason I go swimming is beacuse I have really nasty RA, have had it for years, double hip replacement already done, as by the time they decided I was suitable for a hip replacement, I was incapble of going shopping for our groceries, just couldn;t manage the supermarket, the pain even through painkillers was a nightmare, Dr's referral to the hospital had no urgency to it just mentioned I had osteo arthiritis, when specialist finally saw me he was shocked at how bad my hip joints, what hip joints and arranged surgery for me on his most urgent list, said I should have seen you five years ago, thats now history and knees are also gone in the last 18 months, alot of swelling and pain, not looking foward to possible knee replacement but if necessary I will bite the bullet.

You need to take pain meds, prescribed by Dr, for arthiritis patients, even the painkillers do have a mild anti-immflatory effect, becasue you need to move.

Watching salt, there is almost nothing you can buy at the supermarket that is not loaded with huge amount of salt, usually listed as sodium, even bread, we have gone back to shopping only from the fresh food section, milk, and some bread, with reagrds to taste, once you can get through say the first month of no salt diet you do get used to it. example of food, - mashed potatoe with lots of chopped white onion, and or chives, and or parsley, onions can also be added as a side dish for flavour lots of other dishes as well.  I make my own chutney/relish, bread and butter pickles, cucucmbers prepared in salt but then washed off throughly to get rid of it or most of it, without salt, all the receipes give a heap of salt, but it keeps well in the fridge and adds flavour to many dishes again.

It is best to elevate your knee above your heart while placing a frozen gel ice pack beneath the knee as well as on top of the knee for an hour while you read, telly, chat, knit or whatever.

Then extend your leg straight up and hold it up for 30 seconds. Now slip the sleeve on. In about another hour you shoukd have much less discomfort and pain. You may sleep in the sleeve. You will be amazed how much easier the exercises will be because the swelling will come way down.

Kind regards

Judith

I recently had a bad reaction to an increase of Lyrica. Super swollen feet, ankles and up to my calves. They gave me water pills to reduce the swelling.

Maybe ask for a different water pill