Wendy Williams Shared a Photo Showing What Lymphedema Treatment Is Really Like

From Country Living

• Wendy Williams recently revealed that she has been diagnosed with lymphedema, a condition that causes swelling in her legs and feet.

• Yesterday, Williams posted a photo on Instagram while she was using a compression machine, the FlexiTouch Plus, to treat her symptoms.

• Williams says she has her lymphedema “under control” and that she uses the device every day for 45 minutes.

Last week, Wendy Williams revealed that she’s been diagnosed with lymphedema, a condition that causes swelling in her legs and feet, on The Wendy Williams Show—and now she’s giving her fans a candid look at what her treatment really entails.

Williams, 54, spoke out about her diagnosis after paparazzi photos of her swollen ankles surfaced. “It’s not going to kill me, but I do have a machine—and how dare you talk about the swelling of it all,” she said on her show last Monday.

Yesterday, Williams posted a photo to Instagram of her using that exact machine, the FlexiTouch Plus. “Just Wendy with lymphedema machine. 45 min every day,” she captioned the photo. Williams is spread out on a couch, wrapped in a comfy-looking robe, with compression garments wrapped around both legs entirely.

Lymphedema occurs when lymph—a fluid in your body that contains white blood cells to fight germs—builds up in your soft tissues because your system is damaged or blocked, according the U.S. National Library of Medicine. When this happens, most commonly in your arms or legs, symptoms like swelling, limited range of motion, thickening of the skin, and a heavy or tight feeling in the legs or arms can occur.

Machines like the one Williams uses aim to help patients manage their diagnosis by minimizing symptoms through compression technology. The garments inflate and deflate to create a “wave-like motion” to stimulate circulation of lymph fluid.

Lymphedema can be caused by a variety of factors, such as infections, scar tissue, or inherited conditions. But in addition to compression machines, there are tons of treatments out there to help make it easier to deal with, including exercise, skin care, and massage therapy.

“I’ve got it under control. If [the swelling] in my feet never goes all the way down, at least I have this machine,” Williams said when revealing her diagnosis. “I sit for 45 minutes a day. It’s the best party entertainer ever. Everybody [that] comes over wants to do it.”

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