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Ryn1001 Ryn1001
wrote...
13 years ago
Well for some time now my mom has had a swollen leg. It is suffereing from DVT. She has been to the doctor a lot but they are just doing checkups and keeping her provided with medication now, which doesn't really do much...

My mom is overweight, and the swollen leg makes it even harder for her to get around. It stays swollen about 25% larger than the other leg.

I really wish there was something I could do for her, or find out something that could benefit her. Is there anything at all that could reduce the swelling in her leg? She sits at the computer almost all day playing an MMO. It's pretty much the only fun she has. She would really like to be able to go outside and do gardening and other things she use to love to do, but every time she does any hard work her leg swells even more. If it swells too much then it starts to leak and gets infected. It currently has a large scabby area over the front and back of it, and it has been that way for a long time.

So.. any help? Any advice at all? There are 2 key things I would like to know:
1. Some way for her to lose weight (as I explained it's not exactly possible for her to get any exercise).
2. Some way for the swelling to go down in her leg.

We're both puzzled as to why her doctor won't have her go to a hospital and have the excess fluid drained from her leg.. or maybe have the vein surgically fixed. Mom says the doctors probably just look at her and think, "There's nothing wrong with her. She's just fat!" xP

Oh and her eating habits:

Morning: She insists on having a package of raymen noodles every morning. She mostly just drinks the broth.

Rest of the day: We usually eat about 2 to 3 small meals throughout the day. Like a sandwich, usually a dinner sometime in the evening.

Snacks: She also insists on snacking on tootsie roll pops. She has no upper teeth (she's 62 and recently had them removed, but the false teeth make her gag so she's learned to live without them), so she doesn't more than maybe.. 5 a day? I've never really paid enough attention to notice how many.

She has diabetes so she can't eat much fruits because noodles and fruits are about the only 2 things that make her sugar go way up. It's funny how she can eat a chocolate snack cake and it not really bother her, but if she eats some watermelon (which she can't resist) then her sugar goes way way up. xP

If needed I can ask her what all the different medicines she is taking. I know she is taking something for her thyroid, blood pressure, diabetes (pills), and.. I can't remember the other stuff. She starts getting a choking feeling and eventually starts to have multiple little belches throughout the day if she doesn't get to take her thyroid (which happens, due to the doctor being stupid and not calling in her prescriptions on time, pharmacies claiming they didn't get the call, and/or medicine delivery services claiming they didn't get the call...).
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wrote...
Valued Member
Educator
13 years ago
Hey Ryan, you've presented us with several different issues.

Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in the veins that are deep in your body, often in your legs. Blood clots can be caused by many different things, namely anything that causes your blood not to circulate normally or clot properly (i.e. smoking, eating food with high saturated content or trans-fat). Essentially, the main problem here is the fact that she is over-weight. If she is willing to discontinue eating her favourite meals and snacks, she should be fine. I can't emphasize this enough Ryan, don't purchase any meals that contain trans-fat or hydrogenated fat - even cut out the cheese portion of your diet because it too contains trans-fat and contributes to this problem - plaque in the veins leading to thrombus formation (blood clots).

You cannot have the excess fluid drained out of her leg. Veins are very narrow and fragile. Basically what is happening is that where these blood clots are formed, very little oxygen is getting to those muscles and they in turn, are slowly wasting away - a sad reality. You can't thin the blood either because that too is dangerous. Exercising the legs, although helpful, can be strenuous since oxygen flow is very little.

Ramen noodles contain trans-fat; in fact, quite a few of the popular brands of instant ramen noodles contain trans fat. Please discontinue that and throw them in the garbage. Have her start her morning with a cup of tea (not coffee) and something light - nothing creamy like cheese. If she insists on drinking milk, it must be 1% or skim. Don't go any richer!

No more tootsie rolls. There are more oils in tootsie rolls than in milk or chocolate, not to mention whey. Throw them away Ryan.

Having type-II diabetes doesn't mean you cannot eat fruit - that is a misconception. The sugar in fruit is typically in its purest form (glucose). Eating pomegranates will significantly help her situation because they contain antioxidants that essentially prevent clots from forming (they won't take away clots, just prevent them). The juice form of this fruit is also good.

I think I already know what medications she is taking so that is irrelevant, but if she follows these natural steps, she likely won't need them for the future.

If she is feeling some pain in her legs due to DVT, elevation of the affected leg and compression can help reduce swelling. So simply press on the affected areas to increase blood flow. Moreover, your doctor can prescribe graduated compression stockings (like specialized socks) to reduce swelling in your leg after a blood clot has developed. These stockings are worn from the arch of your foot to just above or below your knee. They cause a gentle compression (pressure) of your leg.

Reply back if you need further information.
Ryn1001 Author
wrote...
13 years ago Edited: 13 years ago, Ryn1001
I'm not sure if pomegranates are even available here. Maybe I can have a look the next time we go out.. Fruit isn't a readily available item here. We only occasionally go out (once a month) and in-between Dad is the one doing the shopping, which is mostly just for frozen dinners. Even if we made a grocery list for him he probably wouldn't get half of it...

Can you recommend any kind of snack that she could eat which has a shelf life of at least 1 month? That would help immensely. She really needs something to snick-snack on all the time because.. well she stays bored.

She does like to drink decaf coffee and tea, with about 2 spoons of sugar added. And 2 spoons of creamer for the coffee.

Oh, and she can eat oatmeal and certain cereals like rice crispies and honey smacks, but I'm guessing all 3 of those are probably bad for her as well.

It's all very frustrating, between the availability of healthy snack foods and her need to snack on something.. It's all rather depressing and I really wish there were some solution.

Oh and as for the stocking thing.. Mom had a prescription for one but Dad wouldn't find out how/where to go get one. And me and Mom are at a loss for this sort of thing.

Edit: Would plain vanilla yogurt be good for her?
wrote...
Valued Member
Educator
13 years ago
Would plain vanilla yogurt be good for her?

Well plain vanilla yogurts typically contain artificial sugars such as aspartame. It's best to stay away from these sugars because they are not beneficial. You're technically drinking you brain into thinking you are full with all the right nutrients when in actuality you're starving your body from essential sugars.

Where about do you live? Kashi bars (I like the honey-almond-flax) are quite good, and have quite a bit of protein and fiber in them as well, minus the saturated fats. Has she tried eating carrot sticks or celery sticks without the dip? Or plain roasted almonds? They are very healthy and contain all the right ingredients to increase her potential for recovery. Why is your family so dependent on frozen meals? Try to make the meals yourself with healthy olive oil or Canola oil (nothing else). Don't eat butter or margarine either.

Broccoli heads are also an important snack that is easy to prepare - just wash and eat. You get over half a full day's supply of vitamin C - 41 milligrams, or 68 percent of the Daily Value - in 1/2 cup of chopped, raw broccoli. This nutrient - rich veggie offers some folate and good amount of vitamin A, too. Broccoli also has as much calcium as milk, and is therefore an important source of nutrition for those with osteoporosis or calcium deficiencies.

Lastly, pure yogurt (without flavour) with honey is also very tasty and super healthy.
Ryn1001 Author
wrote...
13 years ago
It's Dannon brand yogurt and says all natural. I checked the ingredients and it does not mention aspartame, just regular sugar.  Plain yogurt with honey does sound good. We'll try that sometime.

I live in the US, in Virginia.

Hmm.. I don't think Kashi bars, carrot sticks, or celery sticks are an option, considering her missing upper teeth. I don't suppose V8 would be good for her?

Oh and me and Mom do try not to eat any of the frozen meals. Sometimes we will give in and heat up a plain cheese pizza, which is probably full of bad stuff, right? xP

Mom does like broccoli.. but only boiled and with cheese on it.
wrote...
Valued Member
Educator
13 years ago
Ryn1001, take this next piece of advice very seriously. You are the man in the house and you ought to tell your mother that eating this stuff is no longer an option if she wants to be a healthy individual for the next ten years. No more pizza, no more cheese-coated snacks. The carrots are an excellent choice, but I forgot about the dental issues. Pizza is only healthy if it contains minimal cheese, dough that is prepared with trans-fat free oil, and healthy toppings (i.e. chicken instead of pepperoni). You must be an example for her and educate her constantly - be an advocate for healthy eating and you will see and considerable difference in life quality.
Ryn1001 Author
wrote...
13 years ago
We did recently switch from frying with vegetable oil to olive oil. I have heard contradictions about canola oil and coconut oil, but always good things about olive oil.

Would dried fruits be a good snack choice?

Also, would the following be good meals on a day-to-day basis?
Hamburger (using ground turkey or chicken instead of beef)
Tuna-fish salad (canned tuna, lettuce, mayonaise, diced pickles, and diced up boiled eggs)
Fried chicken (using the olive oil and fresh chicken)

As for side dishes (to go with the fried chicken).. how does mashed potatoes sound? Or maybe a fresh baked potato?
Are those bad?

Or would it be best to substitute a sweet potato? Or just skip on a side dish and make a chicken fillet sandwich? I've heard that just about all bread is bad, so I guess I'll bite the bullet on that and just go with regular Bunny brand hamburger buns.

Also, I can't really think of anything for breakfast, unless it would be fried eggs and turkey sausage. Or would it be better to leave out the sausage? What about jelly?

Sorry, I know I have a TON of questions here, but if I'm suppose to take charge then I need a good plan. It won't do any good if I tell her, "Don't eat those raymen noodles. They're bad for you!" only for her to retort with "Well what else am I suppose to eat?" to which I wouldn't have an answer at the moment.. Unless I'm suppose to say "Healthy crunchy stuff that you can't eat." xP
wrote...
Valued Member
Educator
13 years ago
Canola is hands-down the best. Not because I am Canadian Wink Face but because scientifically it is excellent. Dried fruits are good but once again, the dental issues don't seem to help that cause Undecided. If she is able to chew on a dried apple, she should be able to chew on a carrot.

Rice is a universal food that contains fiber, protein, and calcium. Purchase basmati rice or jasmine rice in those large bags and use it. It will last you a month. Hamburgers contain a lot of saturated fat, so stay away from that - too much saturated fat results into a lot of cholesterol production. Tuna in cans is an excellent food-source, just don't mix mayonnaise with it. In fact, you can put tuna on your rice! Don't even come close to fried chicken unless the batter contains 0 butter, is home made, and is cooked with either canola or safflower oil. Mashed potatoes is really good, but it depends on how it is prepared because I know that it is best prepared with butter Undecided. A good side dish is salad with no creamy dressings. Bread is not bad for you; since she is diabetic, good with brown bread - it is slow to digest. For break, eat a bowl of high fibre cereal and some plain yogurt (non-flavoured) - that should be sufficient. Eat fried eggs once a week only with no sausage! You're mother may not be able to handle all these changes at once but if your doctor isn't telling her, you have to be well-informed.
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