I had an appointment at my lymphoedema clinic today, to discuss replacing my compression stockings. For some reason the last two lots I've had don't seem to have lasted as well as previous stockings, so my specialist suggested it was time for a change. As my stockings are made by the only manufacturer to make white ones, which I have always had, she suggested that it may well be a time to change - a time to change to BEIGE. I chose to wear a white stocking, the reasoning being that it looks like a bandage and hence I can dismiss it as something that's dealing with a medical problem. This is opposed to wearing a beige stocking that is indeed treating the same medical problem, but is something that in reality I wouldn't be seen dead in. Beige stockings are a whole different ball game. Whilst I know that most lymphies wear a beige, supposedly flesh coloured garment, I have never been able to face it. Beige compression stockings are mainly the colour of cheap tights that your Nan would buy in the market,the colour of the tights that would ladder when you wore them once. So I think beige compression stockings are yuck basically.
I did decide to be brave and look at the types of beige stocking available, but yuck, yuck, yuck! I just can't even think of wearing them, even underneath my clothes! After much discussion with my specialist, we decided that I would have some white stockings from the service as normal and I would splash out and order some others to compensate for my usuals not lasting the distance. I pay into a health care insurance scheme for opticians and dental treatment, which also covers - wait for it - surgical appliances. This means I can claim for buying compression stockings. In an exciting development I'm going to order a pair of stockings in PURPLE! Horray! Medi do a range of what they call "trend colours" and the purple is one of this seasons special shades. I will be ordering them soon and, somewhat sadly, am very excited about it.
