My name is Vickie. I have been asked by IVC to document my experience so other reluctant individuals can know of my experiences, my treatment, my pain or non-pain, and recovery process. I am a retired educator from a suburban/rural school district where I taught or was in administration for over 40 years. I like to travel, take pictures, read, crafts, scrapbook, and most anything that does not include chores around the house. One of my new hobbies is baking cupcakes.

I have had issues with my legs for a long time. After standing in the classroom I would find myself experiencing leg aches and in the night, leg cramps. Sitting down just doesn’t work when students needed help understanding what I taught. I have several other physical conditions and was never sure what caused the tired legs and leg cramps, but when my very active family wanted to walk, run, play ball, or other exercise my response was always “this body wasn’t made for exercise.”

When I was traveling I sometimes was restricted in my activities because my legs hurt. I found ways to compensate but I still missed out on some of the fun. I only take pictures until I can’t stand any longer, not because the subjects have disappeared. It takes two days to bake cupcakes–one to bake and one to frost.

I attended the Mother’s Day screening IVC conducted at the Marriot. I didn’t know for sure if varicose veins were part of my problem but my family did have a history of having varicose veins. No one really did anything about them because striping them was too costly and painful. Sure enough, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and I have varicose veins in both legs.