‘The itching was driving me mad’
Janet Palmer, Prima’s contributing pattern consultant, was desperate for treatment for her painful condition and explains what she discovered…
‘ Ihave always had problems with varicose veins. They run in my family. Unfortunately, I had my veins “stripped” about 40 years ago when that was the only option. Sadly, as part of the healing process, these veins regrew but without valves, causing more problems. For me, that has meant suffering from venous eczema (the rough and itchy skin that develops on the legs). I know that if left untreated, the eczema can cause further skin damage or even leg ulcers. My symptoms were swollen ankles and itchy legs but it was the itching that was driving me mad.
It got particularly bad last summer and I went to my GP, where a nurse prescribed a special moisturiser and knee-high compression hosiery – just what I needed in the heat! The underlying cause was not discussed so I assumed that because of my age – I’m 78 – this was something I would just have to live with. That was until I looked at The Whiteley Clinic website and discovered venous eczema is totally curable if treated correctly. So, I booked myself in for a scan and initial appointment with Professor Whiteley, hoping to have his revolutionary Sonovein treatment, which is 100% non-invasive. Ultrasound is beamed across the skin and focused on to the vein to be treated. However, once my legs were scanned, it seemed that the TRLOP procedure was more suitable, followed by ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy about eight weeks later. My treatment took about an hour in theatre under local anaesthetic using an endovenous laser device to close each faulty valve. After a brief rest at the clinic with my legs elevated, I could walk away and carry on as normal. The next day, I removed the dressings and bandages as instructed and on day three the steri-strips and compression stockings came off. I still need the foam sclerotherapy to complete my treatment but the itching has stopped! A lot of women simply put up with their problems, thinking they may be too old to worry about getting their legs sorted, but it’s never too late. After all, shouldn’t every woman, whatever their age, have the right to healthy legs?’
‘Every woman should have the right to healthy legs’