Swollen and Puffy...

I am retaining water. My face is puffy. My fingers are swollen to the point that my rings are cutting into my hand. My prosthetic is so tight that my limb feels like meat being jammed into a sausage casing.

I could deal with my swollen face. To be honest, most of my vanity has dissipated with motherhood. I can remove my rings and eventually the little indentations will fade. Unfortunately, the swelling in my stump will not be so easy to resolve.

I have learned to monitor my diet to try to avoid water retention by not eating a lot of high salt foods. When I am aware of increased sodium, I try to counter the effects by drinking a lot of water. I theorize that the water will flush the salt out of my body, minimizing fluid retention.

Until this morning I never realized how much my amputation has impacted my diet. I am now careful without being cognizant of what I am doing. I am naturally choosing options to minimize possible swelling. Strange... I never really thought about how deliberate my choices have become until I started to think about it.

Quickly after my amputation I learned the ramifications on my residual limb of eating high salt foods. Having a tight socket makes every activity more difficult. I am more fatigued, uncomfortable and downright irritable when my prosthetic is fitting incorrectly. As a Mom, I don't have the luxury of having a bad day.

I have tried to pinpoint the source of my swelling. I suspect that the Chinese take-out I had for dinner may be the culprit. I am also certain that I didn't drink enough yesterday. Lesson learned!

Regardless of the reasons, I am left with a swollen stump. I know that my leg is going to be uncomfortable, and I am destined for cramps and sharp nerve pain. In a few hours the excess fluid will be gone, and my leg will return to normal. In the meantime, I am thankful for Robby's train table which has captured his attention this morning. I also know that I'll be donning the shrinker sock after I tackle the leftovers in the fridge.