Here in Vermont, we’ve been having extremely fickle weather: last week was full of beautiful sunny days in the 40s and 50s, but last night we got a nice snowfall. I’m glad that it snowed, because I love the cold weather. The town looks so beautiful covered in snow, too – like a little snow globe.
This fluctuating weather has been making me antsy because it’s reminding me that spring is just around the corner, which is alright except for the fact that summer comes shortly after, and that means shorts and bathing suits and open toed shoes, not to mention the heat and humidity! I’m dreading it, bad. The warm weather is the most important time to wear compression garments, but it’s also the most inconvenient and conspicuous.
Today I cleaned out my closet and dressers, putting aside clothes to donate. I saw my pairs of shorts and I got nervous about wearing them this summer. I have some linen pants and long skirts but not enough to rotate through a whole summer. I’m trying not to feel so limited, but as you all know, it can be difficult. I started poking around online and found some cute palazzo pants and maxi skirts, so maybe I can boost my wardrobe and my confidence with some new clothes.
Lymphedema Girl has a super helpful post on her blog about shopping for lymphie-friendly clothing, and I think it’s a resource worth sharing. Check out her post here, where she gives a list of things to look for as well as some links to online stores of interest.
How do you feel about the warm weather approaching? What do you do in the summertime in terms of confidence and comfortable clothing?
This will be my first lymphedema summer, and like you, I’m dreading it. I’m having hot flashes, too, and worry about my ability to commute by bicycle with lymphedema and hot flashes and summer heat.
Ugh, I’m so sorry; what a miserable combination! And it’s not like wearing compression garments make it any less uncomfortable.. :/
Gosh, you really can read my mind Alexa! And this is not the first time! ;) I couldn’t agree more…over in London spring has started earlier than usual, which for the majority of people is a great thing and so it used to be for me. But now I dread the days when winter is over and summer is on its way. How I wish my lymphedema had never kicked in 3 years ago and I could still wear skirts in the summer and run around in my bikini on the beach… :(
By the way my Foeldi-trained MLD therapist in London recently told me that a research team in Finland had discovered a cure for lymphedema. It successfully tested in mice so now they’re starting to test it on humans. How about doing your next blog post on that?! :)
The weather is doing a similar thing over here, except one day it’s snowing and the next it’s warm and sunny! Such a tease. I really, really don’t want summer to come.
A cure!? Ahh, I’ll definitely research that and write a post. That sounds like super good news :) Thanks for the tip!
I dread the humidity and heat. My arm is so unhappy. I go for MLD once a week in the summer. I saw some cool pallazzo pants at Target, by the way.
I live in Vermont, where there’s no Target :( it’s awful! But I’ve been finding a lot online, and there are some stores around here that sell ethnic clothing, so I’m hoping to find some nice wide-legged pants or skirts. I hope you’re able to stay cool this summer!
Both the pants and the skirt are really cute! Where did you find the leopard palazzo pants? I’m a leopard freak and have a pair of leopard rain boots. One of my compression masks is in leopard print!
I love leopard as well! I found them at Forever21. If you click the picture, it should link through to the online store. If you get the pants, your transformation into a leopard will be almost complete! ;)
I have no idea how people with lymphedema survive in the more humid climates. Here in Colorado I enjoy our relatively dry climate. When visiting family on the South Carolina shore sometimes the humidity simply prevents me from putting on a garment anytime other than the very first thing in the day when it is a bit cooler.
And I sure do understand how sensitive we can get about showing off our wonderful leg fashions. I’ve worn shorts all summer with one leg in a lymphedema garment for 22 years. But this year with my formerly “good” right leg now involved with lymphedema I have to wear a garment on both legs. And I’m surprised to find myself very sensitive to going out in public. It took me a couple of months to get the courage to go work out at the gym with both legs in garments. So, ladies, I really understand how you feel. But those pants you’re considering? Well, I don’t think I’m quite ready for those. LOL.
Aw, Jim! Are you saying you wouldn’t love to wear some flowy leopard print pants?! Hahaha.
Colorado sounds lovely. I usually go home for the summer (Maryland), where it can get up into the 100s. It’s hellish! This summer, I’ll be staying in Vermont, which has fairly mild summers in comparison, but.. I’ll be the judge of that!
It’s good that you’ve gotten the courage to wear them to the gym. I mean, I think finding that courage is something you can’t force until you’re ready, and can take some time to build up. But the fact of the matter is that we have this condition no matter what, and we gotta learn to live with it.
I don’t know what’s worse about summer: the self-consciousness we have about our compression garments, or the discomfort of wearing them in the unbearable heat.
Wide leg pants are supposed to be “in.” I have a pair of wide leg LL Bean jeans that I like a lot, and a couple of seersucker wide leg pants which are so light – they’re perfect for summer.
In the Spring and Summer, I like wearing dresses, skirts, and light pants as opposed to shorts.
I find it difficult to find clothes that I love, but, it helps to look online to get an idea of what I like. Some additional brands that I like are Fair Indigo, Maggies Organics, and Fashion and Earth.
Those are excellent suggestions – I’m going to check out those brands now! I’ve been looking at different pants and skirts online and it’s getting me mentally geared up for summer. My mother visited me in Vermont this weekend and bought me a couple long dresses that are really pretty and light, which I’m actually excited about wearing. So, who knows – maybe summer won’t be so bad after all, as long as we’ve got the proper fashion arsenal :)
I always get apprehensive about summer. Thank God for Maxi dresses! :-) I also opt for the wide leg pants look. Im hoping to incorporate some ankle boots at some point to sex up my trousers.
High boots are also good as they cover up the stockings and you can wear short skirts for those summer bbqs.
Yes! Shoes are a whole other ball game.. please let me know if you find any that work! I want to get some wedges (I figure if I’m going to be wearing long pants in summer, some added height might elongate my legs even more) but strappy shoes are always tight and uncomfortable for me.
A future post idea – the ups and downs of shoe shopping!
Just found this site, thanks for having a lot of information to consider.
In the past (before lymphedema), I’ve worn pull up stretch knit pants from Vikki Vi which I would think are highly suitable for those of you looking for something that looks “business-like”. You can get online from Dimensions out of El Cajon, CA. They are rather expensive (in the $100 range), but seem to last FOREVER (I quit wearing them because it got boring that they didn’t wear out). They tend to come in boring colors (black mostly) but are so very stretchy and comfortable I would call them my “pajamas” (you feel almost nude in them!…. ) For some reason the fabric feels coolish.
They come in plus sizes also. They are so stretchy that a “2x” could stretch out to maybe 2 ft wide, yet they snap back and look just as good as new. Elastic waist. You can roll them up in a ball when traveling and put on the next morning and they look as good as freshly cleaned and pressed good business pants. So now that I have this dx I am going to try them again. You can wash & dry in machine and they dry very quickly.
In the meantime, I do like the ideas you are all sharing here, and I am going to come up with some of my own.
I hope you don’t feel too bad about summer in VT… I currently live in south eastern VA, where summer usually runs May-Sept and is extremely hot and humid (in 100% range often). Just getting used to the fact I have this now in my thighs, and I cannot tolerate “thigh high” garments and have to find an alternative. The knee high and capri combo I just tried today makes me feel like I cannot walk even, the last thing I need to do it get more sedentary. ~Miss Jean
Would love to know your thoughts about having to move to Arizona which is so hot in the summer. I have lymphadema in my left leg and worry about extra swelling which hurts and makes me feel like I’m dragging a stump. I live in Southern California now which isn’t as hot as Arizona. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you