Oasis of the Seas Live - We’ve been Saved by the Bell 🐾🐾 March 12-19, 2023. ​​​​​​​

[SummerBeee]

Glad to hear everyone made it safely home, or still on ships

Followed along this thread from home, it’s helped bridge the 6-weeks on land between sailings. (13 more sleeps till Brilliance Panama Canal, anyone going?Please say hi)

 

I too deal with edema in my ankles and calves. I never had an issue till pregnancy and birth and it’s been a nagging problem ever since. Mine triggers whenever I get hot or with long periods of standing/slow walking. When I’m at home with my feet up in the recliner I have beautiful ankles, lol.

 

A few years ago I brought these pneumatic compression wraps on Kickstarter 

https://spryngme.com

Now I bring them on every cruise 

They help tremendously 

I shared with a friend and she purchased a version from Amazon.

They look weird but help me tremendously. 

 

[MJSailors]

Greg- I had cankles on a cruise once.

It nade me realize that , while the food was tempting, it did have a good amount of salt in it and it did not make me feel very good.

So, on cruises after that, I tried to eat fresh  selections-sałads, fruit, etc and did not go for gravy, sauces and overly rich food.

I certainly  never reached a 15 drink package limit, usually my limit was two or three drinks a day. I am a cheap datę!

My DH gave up alcohol many years ago due to health issues. I respect that and very often do not indulge in cocktails when we go out for dinner.

By the way, alcohol has a dehydrating affect. Having water between drinks can help with hydration.

The supplement drink you were using to help with a possible hangover had a high serving of salt in it. I noticed that when a fellow Bella cruiser posted the ingredients.

That could have added to your cankle situation..

Getting some walking in while on a cruise and sitting with your feet up should help with relieving  swollen ankles also.

Hoping the swelling goes down soon. 

MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

 

[BonTexasNY]

5 hours ago, Lionesss said:

I usually do not post again once I am home and get yelled at by “ The Cat”. 

But:

This cruise was not just about Cruise Critic friends getting together. 
But moreover the sharing of our lives, stories, hardships, injuries but moreover perseverance. 
 

I have never been so honored to be included and accepted for not being from the original group bookings. For this I thank you. 
 

The bar was set high for future sailings. 
 

I have never met so many new friends, that I will always consider my family. 
 

Everyone accepted me and I enjoyed the company of all;  So much that if I paid recognition to a few it would be an injustice. 
 

However. I must. 
 

The one person who I will always remember is Phoebe.  Her smile. Her love of life, was shared in her own special way. You left a mark on my heart. I wish you continued happiness as you share your joy of life. 
 

Now. 
This cruise was never about who can do or give more than someone else but the many tokens of appreciation were ongoing. 
 

John.  @John&LaLa You did good. From beginning to end of the cruise your creativity and sharing was top notch. I thank you. 
 

Greg @seadog WOW factor. I am so glad I met such a talented man. But moreover a new friend. Your gift of videography speaks for itself. 
 

Andrew @A&L_Ont with Lisa. Thanks for sharing your time and traveling experiences with us. Our conversations had so much experiences in common. Thank you for starting this thread. 
 

In closing:

 

”. . . In life there is always something olde to be sought and enjoyed, always something new to be found and shared. . . Thank you Bella Cruisers for sharing your life with me . . . “

Everyone will be always in my prayers. 

 

I am honored that I was given the opportunity to share in the thread. 
 

 

Lionesss

 

 

Sue, you have a beautiful way with words, especially when talking about Phoebe. I was so touched by her beautiful smile lighting up her face with sheer joy.

[jmh2006]

16 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

                                Burial at Sea

 

 

Many of the Bella cruisers would meet at the Schooner Bar. One of our gang is Marty @nasa1974.

 

(Marty is on the left)

 

One night I noticed Marty was at the bar drinking a bottle of Heineken beer. Standing next to his bottle was a Manhattan cocktail. I asked Marty if he drinks Manhattans and he said no. He told me he got the cocktail in memory of his late wife.  Marty shared that Sue would have a Manhattan at least once a cruise to honor Marty’s grandfather who she would share the drink with when they visited. Some nights he would have a glass of wine sitting next to his beer to honor his wife.  Marty did this every night.

 

 

I asked Marty to tell me about his wife. He went on to tell me that his wife had died of cancer in November of 2021 after a long battle.  I asked Marty about meeting her. He told me that they had met on a ski trip and fell instantly in love. They started cruising and they met Cruise Critic friends and fellow Bella Cruisers Joe and Amelia @Cruisingpeople.  The couples met on a cruise of the Panama Canal and became close friends.  They ended up going on 4 cruises together.

 

 

Marty told me he was going to bury Suzanne’s ashes at sea. He went through all the protocols with Royal and got a biodegradable urn for Sue’s ashes. We had set up a time to meet with the officers and do a ceremony on our last sea day.

 

 

I asked who was going to attend. He said Joe and Amelia of course since they were good friends. I asked if Linda and I could be there for him and he said yes.

 

On Day 7 at sea we met the Royal officers who took us to a special spot on ship away from people so Marty could have his personal moment. What happened next was a joyful, emotional moment.

 

I asked him if it was alright to document the burial at sea for him and his family to have for a memory. Marty also gave his blessing to have this video published so people can see what a burial at sea is like to honor their loved ones. The staff of Royal was so caring and nice. In the end we all cried and embraced. We then went to the schooner bar for a toast to Sue and to order another glass of wine for her. I think Marty will always cherish this moment. I know I did.

 

 

Cheers to you Suzanne may you rest in peace.

 

 

This was the most beautiful tribute ever!  So nice to have met you Marty and thank you for sharing your love for Suzanne with us.  Greg, as ever, you truly have a gift! ❤️

[jmh2006]

Yesterday was a good travel day, no delays and the weather in Michigan was actually pleasant for a March day!  On round 2 of 4 of laundry so far.  😆

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

 

Tearfully beautiful.

 

I almost stopped reading this thread since the cruise is over. So glad I continued to follow the along for the final thoughts and wrap-ups stories.

 

 

 

Stay tuned more videos to come.

 

 

35 minutes ago, MJSailors said:

Greg- I had cankles on a cruise once.

It nade me realize that , while the food was tempting, it did have a good amount of salt in it and it did not make me feel very good.

So, on cruises after that, I tried to eat fresh  selections-sałads, fruit, etc and did not go for gravy, sauces and overly rich food.

I certainly  never reached a 15 drink package limit, usually my limit was two or three drinks a day. I am a cheap datę!

My DH gave up alcohol many years ago due to health issues. I respect that and very often do not indulge in cocktails when we go out for dinner.

By the way, alcohol has a dehydrating affect. Having water between drinks can help with hydration.

The supplement drink you were using to help with a possible hangover had a high serving of salt in it. I noticed that when a fellow Bella cruiser posted the ingredients.

That could have added to your cankle situation..

Getting some walking in while on a cruise and sitting with your feet up should help with relieving  swollen ankles also.

Hoping the swelling goes down soon. 

MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

 

 

Thank you for your advice.

[Sea Dog]

38 minutes ago, SummerBeee said:

Glad to hear everyone made it safely home, or still on ships

Followed along this thread from home, it’s helped bridge the 6-weeks on land between sailings. (13 more sleeps till Brilliance Panama Canal, anyone going?Please say hi)

 

I too deal with edema in my ankles and calves. I never had an issue till pregnancy and birth and it’s been a nagging problem ever since. Mine triggers whenever I get hot or with long periods of standing/slow walking. When I’m at home with my feet up in the recliner I have beautiful ankles, lol.

 

A few years ago I brought these pneumatic compression wraps on Kickstarter 

https://spryngme.com

Now I bring them on every cruise 

They help tremendously 

I shared with a friend and she purchased a version from Amazon.

They look weird but help me tremendously. 

 

Thanks for the link. I may try that.

[PompeySailor]

I remember being an member of the Sadist club @A&L_Ont 🤣😂🤣

 

I lost 2lbs, the key is 10k per day and 2 square meals a day

 

And of course a lot of non salted liquid

 

Follow me for more cruise diet hacks 😇

[A&L_Ont]

2 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

Oh, for those asking about how I made the Bella signs, name tags, etc...

 

Here is my laser. 

 

Not sure it will survive Part Deux 🤔🤣🤣

How about outsourcing, or better yet crowd funding?😁

[barbeyg]

2 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Stay tuned more videos to come.

 

Your videography has been stellar, as always, Greg.  But nothing has topped the tribute to Marty's lovely wife, Sue.  That was truly beautiful. 🙂

[3 Kitty Mommy]

4 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

So I met my goal of gaining no more than 10 pounds on this cruise. I think a lot of it is liquid weight because I have already lost 1.5 pounds in a day.

 

I still have huge cankles. I’ve been sleeping at night with my feet elevated and it has helped. I figure a few more days and I should be ok. Going to need to figure out on future cruises what do to prevent this. Either by taking water pills or sitting in a sauna because I’m not willing to give up the good food and drinks. Any ideas on what you guys do or other tips out there?

 

I may be new here but to add my 2 cents ... I find that drinking coconut water helps me. I think it's the potassium and magnesium in it, but make sure it is the unsweetened type. I like the Costco brand myself.

[Ozark_Kid]

4 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

So I met my goal of gaining no more than 10 pounds on this cruise. I think a lot of it is liquid weight because I have already lost 1.5 pounds in a day.

 

 

I still have huge cankles. I’ve been sleeping at night with my feet elevated and it has helped. I figure a few more days and I should be ok. Going to need to figure out on future cruises what do to prevent this. Either by taking water pills or sitting in a sauna because I’m not willing to give up the good food and drinks. Any ideas on what you guys do or other tips out there?

When mine swelled up at Disney my favorite nurse, and snorkeler, texted me to sleep with my feet elevated and to wear tight socks.  The swelling was down the next day.

[NHProud]

4 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

So I met my goal of gaining no more than 10 pounds on this cruise. I think a lot of it is liquid weight because I have already lost 1.5 pounds in a day.

 

 

I still have huge cankles. I’ve been sleeping at night with my feet elevated and it has helped. I figure a few more days and I should be ok. Going to need to figure out on future cruises what do to prevent this. Either by taking water pills or sitting in a sauna because I’m not willing to give up the good food and drinks. Any ideas on what you guys do or other tips out there?

Of course , I’m not a medical person but it seems that there is not only edema but a purplish skin color on your leg and foot . I would schedule a doc appointment immediately to have it evaluated.  
 

Thank you for the terrific pics , videos and the heartfelt tribute to Marty’s wife ,Sue. 

Edited March 21, 2023 by NHProud

[The sea calls my name]

3 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

Oh, for those asking about how I made the Bella signs, name tags, etc...

 

Here is my laser. 

 

Not sure it will survive Part Deux 🤔🤣🤣

You put that in your suitcase for the UWC and you definitely will be visiting the naughty room.

[broberts]

4 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

So I met my goal of gaining no more than 10 pounds on this cruise. I think a lot of it is liquid weight because I have already lost 1.5 pounds in a day.

 

 

I still have huge cankles. I’ve been sleeping at night with my feet elevated and it has helped. I figure a few more days and I should be ok. Going to need to figure out on future cruises what do to prevent this. Either by taking water pills or sitting in a sauna because I’m not willing to give up the good food and drinks. Any ideas on what you guys do or other tips out there?

 

Compression socks / stockings will help. Check with your doctor for your optimal compression factor. Some insurance plans cover with a prescription.

[brillohead]

4 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

So I met my goal of gaining no more than 10 pounds on this cruise. I think a lot of it is liquid weight because I have already lost 1.5 pounds in a day.

 

 

I still have huge cankles. I’ve been sleeping at night with my feet elevated and it has helped. I figure a few more days and I should be ok. Going to need to figure out on future cruises what do to prevent this. Either by taking water pills or sitting in a sauna because I’m not willing to give up the good food and drinks. Any ideas on what you guys do or other tips out there?

 

 

Wearing compression socks every night on the cruise will help (and it will help now, too).  Even just "regular" compression socks like Medipeds that you can get at Walmart (or online anywhere) will be helpful. 

 

Socks like Medipeds are much easier to put on than therapeutic/prescription/professional/(whatever you want to call the thick ugly beige ones) compression socks, which are basically an Olympic sport to put on!  Because Medipeds don't have as much squeeze-power, you might want to wear two pair to increase the compression.  Or go ahead and get full compression socks, if you'll put up with the hassle of putting them on.  (The best compression sock to get is the one that you'll actually wear, not the one that has the best numbers on the side of the package!)

Drinking more water will help encourage your body to release all the extra fluid it's holding onto, both during the cruise and after.  Many people restrict their fluid intake thinking it will help, but it just makes your body think you're in a desert and it holds on even tighter to the fluid it has on board.  

You can also buy an inflatable wedge pillow to cruise with to put under your feet in bed to keep them elevated.  Putting regular bed pillows under your feet in bed isn't as successful as using a wedge, because pillows tend to bunch up under your knees, allowing your feet to dangle down on the other side of the pillow.

 

 

The point is to have the ankles be the highest point so that gravity encourages the fluid to move towards the torso, and if the feet are dangling/lower, that ankle fluid has to go uphill to get past the knees and return to the kidneys to be excreted.

 

A combination of elevation plus compression socks plus increased water (not just liquid, actual H20!  Cocktails don't count! LOL) every night during the cruise will help keep those cankles at bay!

[Sea Dog]

1 minute ago, brillohead said:

 

 

Wearing compression socks every night on the cruise will help (and it will help now, too).  Even just "regular" compression socks like Medipeds that you can get at Walmart (or online anywhere) will be helpful. 

 

Socks like Medipeds are much easier to put on than therapeutic/prescription/professional/(whatever you want to call the thick ugly beige ones) compression socks, which are basically an Olympic sport to put on!  Because Medipeds don't have as much squeeze-power, you might want to wear two pair to increase the compression.  Or go ahead and get full compression socks, if you'll put up with the hassle of putting them on.  (The best compression sock to get is the one that you'll actually wear, not the one that has the best numbers on the side of the package!)

Drinking more water will help encourage your body to release all the extra fluid it's holding onto, both during the cruise and after.  Many people restrict their fluid intake thinking it will help, but it just makes your body think you're in a desert and it holds on even tighter to the fluid it has on board.  

You can also buy an inflatable wedge pillow to cruise with to put under your feet in bed to keep them elevated.  Putting regular bed pillows under your feet in bed isn't as successful as using a wedge, because pillows tend to bunch up under your knees, allowing your feet to dangle down on the other side of the pillow.

 

 

The point is to have the ankles be the highest point so that gravity encourages the fluid to move towards the torso, and if the feet are dangling/lower, that ankle fluid has to go uphill to get past the knees and return to the kidneys to be excreted.

 

A combination of elevation plus compression socks plus increased water (not just liquid, actual H20!  Cocktails don't count! LOL) every night during the cruise will help keep those cankles at bay!

 

Thank you Debbie great advice. 

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, MJSailors said:

Greg- I had cankles on a cruise once.

It nade me realize that , while the food was tempting, it did have a good amount of salt in it and it did not make me feel very good.

So, on cruises after that, I tried to eat fresh  selections-sałads, fruit, etc and did not go for gravy, sauces and overly rich food.

I certainly  never reached a 15 drink package limit, usually my limit was two or three drinks a day. I am a cheap datę!

My DH gave up alcohol many years ago due to health issues. I respect that and very often do not indulge in cocktails when we go out for dinner.

By the way, alcohol has a dehydrating affect. Having water between drinks can help with hydration.

The supplement drink you were using to help with a possible hangover had a high serving of salt in it. I noticed that when a fellow Bella cruiser posted the ingredients.

That could have added to your cankle situation..

Getting some walking in while on a cruise and sitting with your feet up should help with relieving  swollen ankles also.

Hoping the swelling goes down soon. 

MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

 

I dont think he could walk more. He had knee replacement I think hes recoving from and said he will have the other knee replaced soon, it hurt too. I saw walking more helped but he couldnt walk as much as others with knee replacement.  

 

I agree and had suggested endema socks or similar. I got my endema gloves also on amazon. I'm recovering from wrist surgery and swollen. They really do help.

 

@Sea Dog

[brillohead]

1 hour ago, SummerBeee said:

Glad to hear everyone made it safely home, or still on ships

Followed along this thread from home, it’s helped bridge the 6-weeks on land between sailings. (13 more sleeps till Brilliance Panama Canal, anyone going?Please say hi)

 

I too deal with edema in my ankles and calves. I never had an issue till pregnancy and birth and it’s been a nagging problem ever since. Mine triggers whenever I get hot or with long periods of standing/slow walking. When I’m at home with my feet up in the recliner I have beautiful ankles, lol.

 

A few years ago I brought these pneumatic compression wraps on Kickstarter 

https://spryngme.com

Now I bring them on every cruise 

They help tremendously 

I shared with a friend and she purchased a version from Amazon.

They look weird but help me tremendously. 

 

 

My only concern with these is that there's no compression of the foot itself and only the very upper part of the ankle gets compressed, and that's only if you apply them very low on the leg.  There is nothing to squeeze the fluid out of the foot and ankle, which is where the problem is the worst.

 

While not quite as convenient (not cordless/tubeless, although it can be much cheaper, depending on the model), a FOOT AND LEG compression system will encourage the fluid to move out of the foot and ankle as well as the calf.  It doesn't hurt that you get a foot massage action as well as the leg massage action.  (Who doesn't need a foot massage after a long day in port?)   

[brillohead]

43 minutes ago, NHProud said:

Of course , I’m not a medical person but it seems that there is not only edema but a purplish skin color on your leg and foot . I would schedule a doc appointment immediately to have it evaluated.

 

Stasis dermatitis will also be aided by compression and/or elevation.  

[akcruz]

@Sea Dog. Greg I have found that drinking bottled water over the tap water helps.  I normally drink a lot of water and try to keep up with it on a cruise as best as i can.  I know there is not a lot of salt in the tap water but whatever they do to it makes a difference to my body.  Have heard the desalinization (sp) process takes out other nutrients which could impact it, one I have heard of is magnesium.  I am in no way a Dr or any other official person but have figured what works best for me.

[Husky1987]

@Sea Dog Not sure if this has been brought up and I haven't gone back in this thread but it may have been you that brought the Liquid IV drink.  That has a good amount of sodium in it so I wonder if that may have helped with the morning after headaches but caused some extra swelling/retention.  Of course, I paid a lot of money for law school and absolutely zero for med school so take this medical opinion for what it's worth 🙂

[nasa1974]

5 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

So I met my goal of gaining no more than 10 pounds on this cruise. I think a lot of it is liquid weight because I have already lost 1.5 pounds in a day.

 

 

I still have huge cankles. I’ve been sleeping at night with my feet elevated and it has helped. I figure a few more days and I should be ok. Going to need to figure out on future cruises what do to prevent this. Either by taking water pills or sitting in a sauna because I’m not willing to give up the good food and drinks. Any ideas on what you guys do or other tips out there?

Hey Greg,

I've been dealing with Plantar Fasciitis on and off since last September. I have the shoe inserts as well as a compression sock that goes up to the ankle. I noticed during the cruise that my other foot was all swollen. So, I wore a sock on both feet and that really helped. Good luck.

[Lionesss]

35 minutes ago, akcruz said:

@Sea Dog. Greg I have found that drinking bottled water over the tap water helps.  I normally drink a lot of water and try to keep up with it on a cruise as best as i can.  I know there is not a lot of salt in the tap water but whatever they do to it makes a difference to my body.  Have heard the desalinization (sp) process takes out other nutrients which could impact it, one I have heard of is magnesium.  I am in no way a Dr or any other official person but have figured what works best for me.

Worked great for me on this cruise. We kept bottle water in cabin and drank 4-5 bottles each a day, plus one at dinner before the alcoholic drinks started. 
 

This is the first cruise I only noticed some mild edema. 
 

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by Lionesss

[Sea Dog]

47 minutes ago, brillohead said:

 

Stasis dermatitis will also be aided by compression and/or elevation.  

 

 

That looks like what I had too. Maybe not as bad. It was hard to tell because my legs were a little sunburned too.

 

 

41 minutes ago, akcruz said:

@Sea Dog. Greg I have found that drinking bottled water over the tap water helps.  I normally drink a lot of water and try to keep up with it on a cruise as best as i can.  I know there is not a lot of salt in the tap water but whatever they do to it makes a difference to my body.  Have heard the desalinization (sp) process takes out other nutrients which could impact it, one I have heard of is magnesium.  I am in no way a Dr or any other official person but have figured what works best for me.

 

II had bottled water in the cabin which I drank, but probably not near enough.

 

 

32 minutes ago, Husky1987 said:

@Sea Dog Not sure if this has been brought up and I haven't gone back in this thread but it may have been you that brought the Liquid IV drink.  That has a good amount of sodium in it so I wonder if that may have helped with the morning after headaches but caused some extra swelling/retention.  Of course, I paid a lot of money for law school and absolutely zero for med school so take this medical opinion for what it's worth 🙂

 

 

That very well could have contributed.

 

 

16 minutes ago, nasa1974 said:

Hey Greg,

I've been dealing with Plantar Fasciitis on and off since last September. I have the shoe inserts as well as a compression sock that goes up to the ankle. I noticed during the cruise that my other foot was all swollen. So, I wore a sock on both feet and that really helped. Good luck.

 

 

Thanks Marty. I had Plantar Fasciitis before and that's no fun. I hope you feel better.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

Worked great for me on this cruise. We kept bottle water in cabin and drank 4-5 bottles each a day, plus one at dinner before the alcoholic drinks started. 
 

This is the first cruise I only noticed some mild edema. 
 

 

 

I've always had problems with my feet and ankles swelling on a cruise. I think I need to be more proactive to minimize and prevent.