I had HORRIFIC varicose veins, some of the worst my Doc had ever seen. In this post, I cover how I got them fixed, insurance, if the surgeries hurt, what happened in the surgeries, the procedures, how I'm doing 5 years later, etc. I don't hold anything back, so read and watch at your own risk (some of the pictures are pretty graphic)!
![[Before] A woman's bulging varicose veins, [After] and after surgery, smooth legs from Fun Cheap Or Free](https://funcheaporfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Veins2.jpg)
My veins have always been bad but I always looked at them like stretchmarks (pregnancy battle wounds #AmIRight).
If any of you follow me on Instagram, you've seen several pictures of #JordansCrazyLegs, aka the HORRIFIC varicose veins I got (mostly) during my first 4 pregnancies. Freebs, they were bad. Some of the worst my doctor had ever seen, in fact. I had two major procedures and three smaller sclero (spider vein) treatments.
Every time I'd post a before picture y'all would go NUTS over them; the questions would pour in! I didn't do a post on it earlier because veins don't really have anything to do with living a frugal life. However, I know how much my life has changed since having them fixed.
In this post (and video below), I'm sharing all of the details you want to know about my varicose veins, treatment, medical insurance, recovery, advice, regrets…and an update five years later!
And as for the results?…well…keep reading to see for yourself!
MY VARICOSE VEINS ORIGIN STORY
Phlebotomists love me. I guess you could say I’ve always had intense veins. It runs in my family. I remember being self-conscious in high school about wearing shorts because you could see my veins through my skin. Then came the pregnancies and things began to change:
- With my first pregnancy, no problems.
- Second pregnancy, no problems until I was about 7 ½ months pregnant. All of a sudden, I had this horrible pain in my upper groin area.
- With my third pregnancy, bam! The veins popped up terribly, especially up and down my legs and my groin area. It hurt like a monkey’s uncle.
- By my fourth pregnancy, they were excruciating. They were so thick and swollen, you could see the bulging through my pants.
What hurt the worst was the big, horrible blood clot in my foot (there are pictures in the video below, so keep reading).
MY VEIN DOCTOR AND VISITS
My doc is Peter Jensen at Utah Vein Specialists and he has been UH-MAY-ZING. He was referred by 2 friends who said he's the best, and I whole-heartedly agree. Plus, it ended up being much more affordable than I thought because insurance covered my major procedures! (Happy surprise!)
I admit I initially went into the appointment really scared they would say my bad veins were caused because I had my kids so close together. Or that there’s nothing we could do until I was done having kids, and I’d just have to live with the pain.
Thankfully, he gave me so much hope and information. Things he told me:
- I didn't have to wait until I was done having kids. He says that’s kind of like waiting until kids leave for college before you clean their room.
- Once your veins are fixed, they’re totally fixed. They won’t be problematic anymore. Sure, your other veins might have problems, but they would eventually probably have had problems anyway.
- I have Venous Reflux Disease. It’s just like acid reflux disease. In your leg, the vein that flows upward toward your heart is regulated by a valve. With venous reflux disease, the veins don’t properly close, which creates pooling, creating aching, hot, painful, horrible veins. This was happening to my legs.
- Sometimes it only happens in one leg. Sometimes the disease just happens to “pick a side”. In my case, it primarily affects my right leg.
Pro Tip: Pick a board-certified vascular surgeon. RUN from anyone who mentions the outdated, barbaric, and painful method of vein stripping.
THE TIMELINE: HOW THINGS HAPPENED
My baby was born November 23rd. While in the hospital, my leg started hurting SO badly. It felt like someone had injected marbles in my leg. And, worse yet, every day another one would pop up. An ultrasound showed they were all surface blood clots. They weren’t harmful (those don’t tend to travel), but the fact that my blood was clotting so quickly was a red flag: my medical team didn’t want a deep, dangerous clot to form.
They gave me this horrible, expensive series of blood-thinning shots I had to inject into my stomach twice a day! (And it never got easier, just for the record.)
MY VARICOSE VEIN PROCEDURES
Before I go any further, let me remind you that I’m not a doctor. And while my husband was watching YouTube videos and Googling the varicose vein procedures, I really didn’t want to know. I just wanted it fixed, and I knew I trusted my vascular surgeon. So what I'm sharing is from my experience only. The procedures took place in three parts:
- The first 45-minute procedure was called a “closure”. They didn't put me under, but they numbed everything. The doctor snaked a hot catheter into my vein and pulled it out, which seals the vein closed.
- The “phlebectomy” lasted 2-2.5 hours. The doctor essentially created about 35 small incisions to cut and remove sections of bad veins. It is a much less invasive procedure than vein stripping (an outdated procedure that’s painful — run from any doctor who wants to offer vein stripping!).
- Several months later, I had three “sclero” treatments. I went into his office for 45 minutes to an hour. He found the purple or spidery-looking veins, numbed the area, and injected with a solution to make the veins look better by bringing down the swelling and the discoloration.
Pro Tip: The sclero, unfortunately, was not covered by my insurance, so meet with your doctor to discuss costs.
RECOVERY AFTER THE VARICOSE VEIN PROCEDURES
Recovery over the first few days was pretty uncomfortable. I had a ton of tiny little incisions in my leg, so I had to leave the bandages on for a couple of days and leave my leg elevated.
Oftentimes, there can be some nerve damage, but it gets better over time.
When I had sclero treatment, I had to wear horrible compression hose that I hated. I had to wear them 24 hours a day for three days after the procedures (it was even more than that after the bigger procedures). Then I wore them during the day for the next couple of weeks.
MY VARICOSE VEINS: BEFORE AND AFTER
Now that my procedures are all done (for the most part), there was no denying how curious you all were. I'm here to share the details and advice about my procedures!
YOUR VARICOSE VEINS QUESTIONS
You have had SO many questions, so in addition to my in-depth varicose vein video (below), I answer your most frequently asked questions –including how I'm doing five years later!
HOW AM I DOING TODAY? ANY LEG UPDATES?
It’s been 5 years since I had the varicose vein procedures, and I am a totally different person. I’m not afraid to wear a swimsuit or shorts, or get pregnant.
Everything he fixed is still fixed. But every time I’m pregnant new ones have come up. They haven’t been that bad since. I want to get them fixed since the twins but insurance is rough. Dr. Jensen was awesome. They don’t hurt save for when I’m pregnant. I still prefer a spray tan but I don’t have any bulging veins.
My legs feel great. My big problem veins are removed, and once they’re fixed they don’t break again. I still have venous reflux disease, so stress and strain cause stress to it again. If I were to become a runner, when I’m older, and everything starts sagging, or if I gain a lot of weight, or have a job where I’m on my feet all day, then that would exacerbate the problem. I just have to keep up on it. That’s why I try to stay healthy and fit, drink a lot of water, and keep my weight in check.
WILL MY VEINS CONTINUE TO GO BAD?
Yes and No. I do have venous reflux disease, so I know I have bad vein valves. As I get older or gain weight, or get pregnant, something will likely go wrong again. BUT any of the veins that have been fixed are FIXED.
ANY REGRETS?
I wish I would have done it sooner because I lived with so much horror, pain, and embarrassment that I should have gone. I am so glad that I did the varicose veins procedures and treatments, because for now, I have no more pain, my leg looks a thousand times better, and it was worth every dime. Totally worth it!
ANY WORDS OF ADVICE?
- If you are not using a board-certified vascular surgeon, RUN.
- If anyone says the word “stripping” RUN. That means they are outdated in their procedures or they don’t have the proper certifications for a less invasive procedure. I’ve had too many friends go to bad people who’ve had bad results, and I’m really protective of my people.
- Wear strong compression hose and follow the instructions of your doctor for the best results.
FINANCIAL/FRUGAL TIPS FOR HAVING THIS VEIN PROCEDURE:
- I recommend having an HSA or savings account just for medical purposes, where you set aside money each month just for medical expenses. That way when something like this comes along, you're not dipping into your family savings or “everyday” money to pay for it!
- Always check with your insurance! It's amazing what things can be covered! Not just with veins, but if ANYTHING in or on your body is bugging you, call your insurance (or talk to your doc) and there might be a way to have part or all of it covered!
- Price-shop, and ask prices! While you do want a good, reputable doctor, sometimes doctors could be just as credible, but cost less than others for whatever reason…and not because of quality of care! Maybe they have less overhead because of rent/mortgage, staff, location, etc. Either way, be sure to ask your doc upfront what the expected costs will be so you aren't surprised when the bills come in the mail.
Pro Tip: Whether you need sclero treatments or want to pay down other debt, don't forget about my Secret Sauce online budgeting program, Budget Boot Camp! Our super fun video program makes money easy to understand. All you need is a screen and you're set!
And don't forget, if you don't save at LEAST what you paid for the program, I'll refund every dime. You've got nothing to lose! Use the code FCFBLOG to get an extra 10% off, because I love you 😉
MY “TELL ALL” VARICOSE VEIN VIDEO
WARNING: This video leaves nothing to the imagination, peeps, so fair warning that some of the pictures are pretty graphic! So close your eyes to the “procedures” section of the video if you don't want to see it. Either way, I hope this video helps someone somewhere!!
Ok, with all that being said here's the video! Watch online or click and watch below:
So there you go!
Sorry about all the nasty pics, I'm sure they are forever burned in your memory (in a bad way. Oops!). I just hope my story and experience helps someone, somewhere!
Ready for some more great posts?
- Check out my simplest budgeting method ever + FREE printables! This post is updated, new, and improved!)
- Read all about my best, unconventional\ laundry hacks, tips, and tricks to save time and money in the laundry room!
- Learn why my block schedule system is an absolute game changer!
Be well! XOXO,
This video was SO incredibly helpful to me! I am pregnant with #7 and have had vein problems since baby #2. I was also told by my Ob/Gyn not to have them looked at until we were completely done having children. My vulvar/leg/groin varicosities have gotten so bad that I have an appointment with 2 different vein doctors in NM to start looking at options. I want them to see them while I’m pregnant even though I know they can’t do the work right now.
My question to you is this: Do you know whether you have Pelvic Congestion Syndrome? I have read that these varicosities actually start in the ovarian veins coming off of the aortic artery and that the pelvic region is FILLED with them. There are a host of problems they can cause. Because my veins are all on ONE LEG, and are in the groin/vulvar region (and continuing on down the leg), I was told that I have Pelvic Congestion Syndrome and will need all of those ovarian veins/pelvic veins addressed in a similar fashion to your major procedures. Do you think you could also have PCS? Did the doctor ever rule it out? My vein doctor said I will need to see an interventional radiologist for that procedure. It is possible to have children after it, but doesn’t sound very comfortable as they leave the veins inside you, closed off with metal coils. :/
YIKES! Honestly, we didn’t talk about the groin area much. He didn’t even look (thank goodness!). It’s not in his wheelhouse I guess, and he (and I) wanted to see what happened when he removed the large roping veins. So I guess we’ll see with the next pregnancy! But I’m so glad to know about PCS, I wouldn’t be surprised if I had it :S
I’ve been waiting for this post and will be watching the video tomorrow. I have had varicose veins and pain for over 10 years and recently talked to a vein specialist. Actually he’s the second one I’ve seen.
Long story short is the doctors I’ve seen so far seem to have a very slick sales pitch, which I havn’t felt comfortable with.
I was told my veins were not so bad, and I thought the doctor was crazy. Then you shared yours and I felt a little better. Sorry! Trust me, I can only imagine the amount of pain you’ve put up with and am happy for you that the treatments worked for you.
Anyway, I have asked several doctors about Pelvic Congestion Syndrome and have done some research on it. I believe you need to be concerned when the veins are on the LEFT leg as that is where the artery and vein in the pelvic region cross over. That’s good news for you Jordan since your veins are on your right leg.
I haven’t found anyone really willing to test for Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, but my doctors have told me that you need to see an OB/GYN and they do a vaginal ultrasound for that.
Sorry if all that is TMI, but I hope that helps a bit!
I love this info! So good to know about the left leg thing. I’m sure it will strike at some point, so I’ll make sure to be proactive when it does. Thanks for watching and commenting!! XOXO
How did your veins fair during your next pregnancy? Also, how did you deal with the pain of the veins while pregnant and still do all your “momming.” I want to have one more baby but am so scared I won’t be able to function if my veins get worse. I don’t have anything to fix between pregnancies because by some miracal they went back to normal even though I looked like a horror show when pregnant.
Hey there
First of all why is it that you have to be concerned when the veins are only on your left leg.
I had bad close to Jordan maybe not quite, could see them through jeans. My dod was old school so i got mine stripped. Let me tell Ya that hurts. Like a lot. like really a lot.
Anyway i got mine taken out between my two kids. and due to the veins, i got pulmonary embolisms in both pregnancies so for my sake we have stopped having kids, unfortunately it’s to risky. I was hospitalized at 24 weeks due to huge blood clots in my lungs with my first and despite the fact that i had to inject myself with the maximum dose of blood thinners twice a day.
I still to this day have major pain in only my left leg, my dr just shrugged it off and told me to be happy i didn’t have any more blood clots. And have not made much progress, I am trying to gather information to take with me, so i have some background knowledge and can demand things to get checked but am not 100% certain. so if you have any tidbits here let me know. You can’t see them so much but any of you who have had the veins know the feeling it has a very specific achy feel, so i can feel it, it’s in there it’s just a matter of getting someone to take me seriously and/or not be scared of me being their patient.
Hey Teri-
I am not in the medical profession and am not good at explaining these things. I’ve just had vein issues and leg pain so long that I had to research a lot since my doctors won’t help me.
From my limited knowledge, you do need to be more concerned when the veins are on the left because there is a vein in the pelvic region called the iliac vein. It can get compressed by the iliac artery (or it may be the other way around). When this happens, I believe there is a greater risk for varicose veins up there. Whenever varicose veins are, there is a higher chance of clots, strokes, heart attacks, or PE as you mentioned.
I’m glad to hear you are okay since you had the PE twice. I don’t mean to scare you, but if you haven’t gotten a thromphilia panel, I would strongly recommend it to rule out if you have any type of blood clotting problem.
When I began having vein issues and pain (mine are primarily in my left leg), my doctors thought I had everything from a blood clot to just “normal” superficial veins to a circulation issue. All the tests thankfully turned out negative.
I happened to stumble on a doctor who saw me that time of the month when my veins are worse and he did the thromphlilia panel. I have a genetic thing called MTHFR that makes me more suspectible to blood clots, strokes, etc.
From what my doctors have told me and the research I’ve done, there is a higher risk of these issues during pregnancy so since you had a PE during both pregnancies and a blood clot already, that would be something I’d give serious consideration to talking to your doctor about as there are supplements and lifestyle changes you can make that will better your changes of being healthy in the long run.
If your doctor thinks your veins or the possiblity of a blood clotting issues are not a big deal, that’s the sign you need a new doctor!
You may also ask to have your Vitamin D tested. My pain started in my left leg and over a 10 year period spread all over my body.
It was only recently a doctor figured out I was extremely deficient in Vitamin D. Currently I’m taking a super high dose of Vitamin D once a week. Almost all my pain including the fullness and pain in my legs is gone. I still have the veins, but the pain is so much better and the quality of my life is better too.
Any regular family doctor can test for Vitamin D.
A reporoductive endocrinologist did my thromophilia panel, but I’m guessing a regular OB/GYN or a family doctor could probably order it as it is just a blood test.
Again, let me stress I am not a doctor. Don’t take my word as gospel, but that should be a general guideline to know the types of tests to ask for during your next appointment.
Hope that helps a little!
Amazing info, thanks for sharing!
So I have to ask because I’m going through this now, did the veins in the groin area clear up for you after giving birth?
Hey, how are your veins doing now, post operation? Mine are pretty terrible too and I’m trying to learn the rate of recurrence 🙂 Hope all is well. Thanks for sharing your personal experience with your veins with us, it’s super helpful! 🙂
It’s insane what kids do to our bodies! After having 3, I like to say I’m on my “5th body” (you know, my pre-married body, my “newlywed/hi-I-make-pies-everyday” body, then literally different bodies after each child. Cray. CRAY.
Girl. Super brave of you to share this with the world. Hats off to you, sister! I seriously cannot even IMAGINE going through that, but I know you’re going to help so many women know that they’re not alone and hopefully educate themselves to some next steps.
Haha! Laura, you are my favorite! That comment made me laugh out loud. Thanks for sharing!! XOXO
Thank you SOOO much. I have 4 as well and my last baby was so hard on my legs. Personal question, what did the doc say about vulvar veins? did they make incisions there?? We thought we were done after 4 and my main reasons was my veins. This gives me hope. Calling a local doc asap!
We didn’t even address the “crotch veins” as I affectionately call them (psssht. eye roll). They are the worst right?! He wanted to see what happened once the other veins were taken care of, he didn’t even look “there”. I’m going to see what happens with baby #5 (and no, this is not an announcement), and I guess I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it!
You helped me soooo much! I have varicose veins that have been getting worse recently. After I starting running (go figure :().
Thanks for all the real info. I think I am finally going to check it out.
Blessings to you and your beautiful family.
So glad it helped! Best of luck to you!! XOXO
Jordan, I am so happy for you that everything turned out well & that you don’t feel self conscious any longer! You are brave for sharing & will be helping many women with the same issue!
Thanks for the sweet comment, Rebecca! XOXO
How soon can you get back to exercising once the procedure is done?
I had to take a few weeks off. Even with Sclero, I had to go easy for 3 weeks – no running, or even yoga or pilates. Basically only cycling, elliptical, or swimming. But now I’m back in the game!
Hi Jordan – I’m new to your blog. I was also wondering about exercise… Are you a long distance runner, by chance? I like to do 1/2 marathons and I’m planning to get pregnant for the first time this year. Have you had any luck running while pregnant? Could it increase one’s chances for varicose veins? (As far as I know I don’t have bad veins.)
I am certainly not a runner :S I’ve never taken to it! I have friends that run pretty much their entire pregnancies though. Just listen to your body…and your doctor! And yes, runners often have bad veins, but the beauty is that you can get them fixed! 🙂
Jordan, I love you. Thank you so much for sharing this with us! I too have this issue and am on my 4th right now, and am so going to treat mine after this baby! So helpful! Thanks again!
I’m so glad it was helpful!! Thanks for the comment!! XOXO
Girlie, I just watched the whole thing and love watching you talk! I’ve told you I’ve got a similar issue. It’s visible, but not as much as you had. I loved all the pictures and step by step! Who knows when I’ll do something about it, I need to check my insurance first. It scares me (anything elective scares me!) but you made it sound totally do-able. I wore compression hose with EACH of my 4 pregnancies and always felt pain, it just got worse with each child.
GUUUUURL, go get them checked! At least you’ll know what your options are. We should start a varicosities club! 😉
Jordan, thanks so much for sharing your story….I can totally relate! I just had endovenous laser ablation done 3 weeks ago and currently in the process of doing sclerotherapy sessions. During pregnancies with my three children, my left leg had started developing varicose veins. I finally decided to go ahead with this procedure and I am SO glad I did! Having nice legs again so I can finally wear shorts again is the BEST thing I have ever done!
So happy for your new legs! Amazing what it does to the morale, right?! Thanks for watching 🙂
I really enjoyed this video, even though veins haven’t been an issue for me (yet!), three babies in with hopefully more to come. I can commiserate with you about the blood thinners. My last pregnancy I had to have 4 injections daily from 8 weeks pregnant until six weeks after delivery. The fortnightly cost is $1200. So grateful we have universal healthcare (Medicare) in Australia as it only cost me $6.10. I will have to follow the same procedure for each baby we have from now on. So glad you have found relief from the pain!
$1200?!?! Holy MOLY! So happy it only cost you a few dollars, what a blessing for your family. Hoping all your endeavors help you too! Thanks for sharing, and G’Day! 🙂
So….. while this makes me feel better because 1. I can get this done before I’m having kids and 2. it wasn’t super invasive. It also really really bummed me out. I have had 2 kids, and I’m already having a lot of problems and can’t get anything done right now. It doesn’t look as bad as yours but I am in a lot of pain. I know that after the next baby it will be pretty bad.
If you have health insurance and if your doctor deems it medically necessary you might be surprised what your insurance covers! Here’s big hugs and happy thoughts about someday getting them fixed. Good thing the babies are worth it! XO
Hello Jordan, first I want to say I LOVE YOU! I mean it! You are the most honest & couragous woman I have ever met. When I see your usual pics you lool like the typical beautiful cheerleader type and I have found myself thinking “if I looked like that and was so thin I would be happy, too”. Shallow from my side, I know. I have problems with varicose veins, too and will get an operation this year. You are an encouragement to me, because I like to hide my problems to keep up appearances and you are teaching me to be more open and vulnarable and therefore become more helpful to others. You have the greatest personality EVER! Your husband is lucky man. Never change, please! xxx Rebecca
OH. MY. GOSH. Rebecca, I can’t tell you how much your comment brightened my day! You are so sweet to take the time to say such kind and encouraging things. We need more Rebeccas in the world, thanks for being you!! XO
Hi Jordan! I recently watched your video and had a couple of questions. Do you feel like your legs are “back to normal” or do you still have some discomfort? I have had some vein issues but, thankfully, they were not as bad as yours. I have had the laser ablation and some sclerotherapy but my legs still get tired and achy sometimes. Especially if I’ve been on them a lot that particular day. My problem was mainly with my left leg but now my right is starting to bother me. Thank you so much for posting this video. It is so nice to know that I am not alone!! Thank you again!!
Thank you for being brave and sharing this. It’s so embarrassing to experience this as a young, otherwise healthy person. It’s so validating to know that other women have the same problem. I’m approaching my third trimester with baby #3 and trying not to panic because my veins are already starting to cause me a lot of pain. I actually had a procedure done in my right leg after my second baby and it was totally life changing. My legs are still feeling pretty good at this point but the veins in my pelvis are really starting to hurt. I hope I can make it through this pregnancy ok. Do you mind if I ask what you did to deal with the pelvic pain during pregnancy? Did you try a belly brace or V2 supporter? I can’t wait to go back to my doctor after this baby comes and get some relief. Like you said, it’s totally worth it!
There was nothing I could do for the pelvic pain, it was so horrific. I mean, picture my leg…but worse. Yikes. I’m hoping now that my veins are fixed there won’t be so much back-flow and pooling of blood and it won’t be an issue any more. I guess only time will tell!
How are you handling your veins with this 5th pregnancy? Do you use compression stockings?
Jordan, thank you for sharing!! Guess what? I went and got the deep varicose vein in my right leg completely fixed by Dr. Jensen! I thought it was “superficial” and that I just needed to deal with the pain and discomfort, but, as Dr. Jensen’s website says, “Veins Matter!” I felt a little “pitched to” at first and wasn’t entirely sure it was necessary, but after having it done I realized, they sort of have to pitch it to people, because we don’t understand just how valuable our vein health is, especially as we get older and stuff starts to change. I’m the mom of three kids, 19, 12, and 10, and I just did it a little over a year ago. I’m so glad I did. I just erased a really buggy problem I’d been putting up with for years. I don’t even think about it anymore. Wow. Thank you for posting. People need to be educated and you just did your part!
I’m so glad you got them fixed!! He’s great, isn’t he? Thanks for your comment, I’m so glad it went well for you!! XO
Hi thank you for sharing , I am going for sclerotherapy in a couple of weeks and I am currently breastfeeding and was wondering if it is safe to be breastfeeding ? Thanks Jen
As far as I know there is no problem, I was breastfeeding when I had all my procedures!
Thanks for the post Jordan, so glad you such great results! I am almost 40 & have always worked on my feet. My family has a history of bad vein health. Maternal Grandmother’s was like yours, but both legs, and they burst. I am finally wearing good supportive shoes and compression socks, so my question is, did your Dr. have any recommendations to prevent recurrence? Like compression socks or anything like that? Thanks for all the info as always!
Thanks Jordan. You have helped me make the decision to get my really bad & Painful Varicose Veins done. Thanks again. Lisa
Hi Jordan. My name is Guy and just watched your video on Varicose veins. Thanks for posting that because it has educated me to know more about varicose veins. I just sat down with my doctor and went over my results from my ultrasound I had a couple of weeks ago. In my right leg they are pretty bad. It’s like quateuple the number it supposed to be in my right leg so that one is pretty bad. My left is not as bad. My question to you is how long did you half to wait for your insurance to approve the surgery ??? Thanks
I had to get pre-approved before we could even operate. It might be different in your state but in Utah, anyway, they have to pre-approve everything before they would pay a dime. So be sure to get your insurance involved BEFORE doing any procedures!
Did you ever experience numbness in your leg or foot? I am 62 and have bulging veins only in my right leg. The veins seemed to be more prominent in my right leg when I was pregnant (8 pregnancies). My concern now is the partial numbness in my right foot, and assuming it is due to my bulging veins, also in that leg. Not sure if I need to see someone like a neurologist, or other specialist besides a “vein specialist”.
I am concerned that the numbness has gotten gradually worse. Could there be permanent nerve damage? Years ago I had a test done that determined the veins were NOT ones that could cause clotting, since that was my concern more than the appearance of the veins. Thanks for sharing your story. Any thoughts?
I have bad veins during pregnancy I have 4 kids and might have more have never had treatment done before but did your doctor tell you how long you have to wait to get pregnanct again after vein treatment thank you
Hi Jordan,
Your post and video are a huge part of getting me through this pregnancy (my third) and giving me hope about my legs! I had some issues with my first two pregnancies but my veins reared their ugly faces early this time (and they are so painful!). I want to get these fixed ASAP after this baby comes but I also plan on nursing. Did you pump during/after having the procedure and sclero? If so, how long each time? Thank you so much for sharing your story. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only pregnant chick that has this issue. Your post is amazing!
Amazing video. Can I ask if your legs at still vein free a year later? I had an operation 2 years ago and i had new veins come back within a year; now they are getting much worse again, and my legs are super uncomfortable. I’m in UK so have to pay for all this myself – and i just wonder if i’m fighting a losing battle. I’ve had bad veins since 17 🙁
I am having this done TOMORROW!! and was starting to freak out and get nervous. My leg is not as bad as your photos, but close. With each pregnancy, (10!) it has gotten worse. My OB always told me the same thing and I never even went to a vascular surgeon. When I finally got up to guts to go see him, he was sorry I had waited so long. I am hopeful it will be helpful. If I have more babies, I will deal with it then & I will be thrilled to have less painful veins, especially during my cycle until then 🙂
What a great story. Thank you so much for sharing.
Best of luck to you, I’m happy for you to be getting them fixed!!
How is your “veins”?
Tell us
I have a 6 months old baby and my veins are so bad.Arms,legs,down on my feet.I have several post pregnancy problems but this is hard.I’m really like an old woman,but only 26.
I cry everyday.I’m thinking:acne,saggy big breast,streches marks,varicose vein and veeeery visible veins everywhere popping out..And so many from pre pregnancy..
They are doing so amazing. GO GET YOURS FIXED! I can’t stress this enough! You won’t be sorry, I promise!
Yes it’s amazing having for leg back as before looking very happy for that Varicose Vein Surgery.
But how can i get my own remove because am having it on my leg, but i dont know what to do again, such as i have being in different Hospital and the Doctors will tell me that if i try to touch it i will died.
I have seeing your own get remove and am very happy for you.
Thanks you so much for the video. I live in Nigeria and am getting ready for vein surgery this December.
Thank you so much for your video. I live in Spain snd am getting ready for vein surgery this November. I was told to wait until I ‘m done having kids:) I too am looking forward to wearing shorts again which was especially hard living in the warmest city in Europe, Seville:) Thank you so much!!!
Hi ..so I had practically the same procedures done on my left leg ..I am now 3 months after the surgery..could you tell me how long it took for your leg to look normal..I still see where the vein used to be in my leg. So essentially looks like I still have a vein in the void. It has lightened up a bit ..but can’t wait until I can feel comforitable in shorts ..it’s been years ! I have had vein issues since I was 16 and waited until I was 28 to fix them. I wish I hadn’t waited so long! Thank you for sharing your story.Great insight! You look fabulous!
Thank you so much for posting this! After my third baby (19 months, and 22 months apart), my legs have been awful! I won’t wear shorts ever. I am a personal trainer and into health and fitness and it drives me insane how bad my legs look. 🙁 I feel like it is petty for me to be upset about it, but they look close to what yours looked like. I live in workout pants or jeans. I am hoping to call my doc this week! Thanks!!
Hey!
I’ve done all the procedures to my friend. I feel for you. I have really bad veins around my ankle and below it still. My Dr. said he couldn’t treat any of those (not even with a phlebectomy) because they are to close to the arteries. What did you do about the veins around your ankle and on your foot? I wish something could’ve been done for my foot. Or maybe I should’ve asked around.
Hello! Thanks for posting this, I love your humour around it all! I have three kids and my youngest is now Three, I always wanted Four kids but the veins have been a put off towards having more ( selfish maybe? ) Like you, I got them bad with the Third, also very achy vaginal ones and heavy feeling ‘down there’. My question is, did you notice it got HEAPS worse with the Fourth baby? Like, will I be able to bear the pain? I remember finding it hard to stand still in one place, I always had to be moving…and I wore one of those V- supporters…tell me, Im not worried about the leg ones so much…just the pelvic ones and vagina…does the vagina swell HUGE? And will it go back down in size once bub comes out? Also, did you bother wearing compression tights through pregnancy… I’d love to hear from you:) Conisdering fourth…:) x
I love that you had the courage to post this! Even though I “know” people on social media aren’t perfect, sometimes its hard to remember it, especially if I’m just in a rough patch of life. But I love how you aren’t afraid to show the real side of life and that you’re human just like the rest of us. I’m glad they were able to clear everything up and you’re not suffering anymore!
Thanks for this post! It was so interesting. I’ve had problems with my veins too, and have a blood clotting disorder that manifests during pregnancy. Your post was so informative and enlightening. I’ll be looking into treatment soon.
I can’t believe you had to go through that! Thank goodness for modern medicine!!
I needed to find this today.. we were looking for appointments for my husband. Thank you so much for this. Your before and after pictures are amazing
I have some funky veins I need to address and this was helpful. The idea of getting the process started seems more doable now, thanks!
Thanks for sharing your story. it will be very helpful to everyone out there suffering from this medical problem. We should always try to prevent such disease from happening by having a healthy lifestyle, avoid bad food habit and eating healthy organic food.
When I was pregnant of my second child some varicose veins started to appear on my legs, at that time I wasn’t really worried, but as they got worse I started to get worried so I visited a specialist who recommended me venorid treatment, and the results have been amazing!
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for the video and info! I’m 8 months pregnant with my second child and all my pregnancies have had gotten worse and worse. I know these are my “battle scars” or whatever that remind me of the awesomeness that my body has done in creating two humans, but I still don’t wanna look at these gnarly things for the rest of my life. I have one “black” leg and it’s seriously embarrassing and ugly. I plan to have some corrective treatments when I am done with this pregnancy and this made me want to get it done ASAP. Thanks again for the info and sharing your story!
I’ve had varicose veins since 3 years ago. Don’t give up with the treatments, you’ll find the one that works for you! The treatment that has helped me a lot is venorid. Besides applying venorid, taking 30 minute walks 3 time a week has helped me!
it is very nice thanks for sharing article is very useful
Your post was so informative and enlightening. I’ll be looking into treatment soon.
Nice article,Thanks for sharing this information.
thank u for amazing facts and very useful
varicose veins pain
Very well said you just cleared all my doubts
Good for you for sharing. You should be very proud of yourself for being so upfront with ugly issues. Most people would just keep it to themselves . But you have probably helped alot of people .great job being real.
Now that it’s been a while since posting this… did you ever do anything about your crotch veins?? Wondering if they have gotten any better or if you had procedures done on them?
Unfortunately that is a whole different set of surgeries from a whole different doctor. So no, they are still an issue and haven’t been fixed directly. That being said, by fixing my leg veins it has definitely helped, since blood flows up toward the heart!
Oh hey! Just watched your video, seems I’m late to the game, ha! I don’t have vein problems, but I work in the medical field so I’m always intrigued to hear about things I don’t know a lot about. Anyway, when you said you got the little shots of adrenaline, the epi, that is to help control bleeding, it’s a vasoconstrictor. Dentists also use epi with novacaine for same purpose. 🙂 Love your video, thanks for helping others. And I’m so happy for you and your pretty legs! Take care momma!
Thanks! XOXO
omg, you have no idea how you sharing your story about your veins was such an encouragement and relief for me. I am in my 26th week of my 2nd pregnancy (my first and second will 18 months apart too) and I just started to notice that I was getting more of these veins and got so subconscious! I freaked out thinking a lot of what you mentioned, (ie, is this because I am having kids too close, do I have to wait till I am done to treat them, am I doing something wrong health wise etc) to know there is treatment that works and lasts is such a relief.. because again. like you said, I heard it too, we have to wait until after having our children to do anything about it (and that was scary because my husband and I want a bigger family too, 4-6 kids)…. so all that to say, thank you for sharing your story. it really helpped knowing this is not out of the ordinary, other women do struggle with it too, and it can be treated.
So glad to hear that it was an encouragement to you! Varicose veins really stink, but they’re so worth it to bring all of these sweet babies into the world! Congratulations on your second baby, good luck! 🙂
Hi There. I just watched your varicose vein story video. Why would a guy do that? Well, I thought you’d find it interesting that Dr. Jensen sometimes tells patients about it. My wife and I are the curious types and not squeamish (though my wife hates watching things when it’s me). I was taking pics and vids with my phone but somehow never saw an actual vein coming out (though my wife sure did hahaha). Dr. Jensen said your video would answer my questions. Thank you also for detailing your experience with the first unwrapping of your leg. My leg was surprisingly colorful (the blood) and I hadn’t expected the gauze to be so saturated. Your video helped me realized all was well. Plus Dr. Jensen gave us his personal cell phone number for the weekend. I was able to send him pics of my cleaned up leg and he was able to reply with a comforting thumbs up. Anyway, well done with your video and all the information and honesty. Thanks. Now maybe I’ll cruise around through your website. I’m sure it’s full of tips and information even for a pair of non parents like us.
Aw yay, so glad it helped you! 🙂
Thank you so much for all this info! I see you had done the varicose treatments a few years ago but from your Instagram, it seems some of the varicose did return with the pregnancy of your twins. Did they go away once you delivered or do you think more treatments will be needed? In general did any go away somewhat after giving birth or was a it a few months after? Currently pregnant with my 5th and have it pretty bad which I’ve never had before. Trying to figure out what to expect after giving birth. Thank you for all your info!
I absolutely fix them after each pregnancy. It’s like a cavity. Why wait until every tooth has one to fix it? Fix as you go. Not only does it keep your veins and body healthier, but cuts WAY down on pain, and permanent damage. Plus, once one bad vein is fixed, it will not be a problem again. But that doesn’t mean that other veins won’t pop up, which is the case in my situation. But I know many people who fixed their problem vein and then never had a problem again!
Hi I’m so happy to read this. I also have varicose veins in my right leg while pregnant. I’m wondering did yours go away after being pregnant or did you always have them even after the pregnancy. Mine are pretty horrible and painful while pregnant but totally go away when I’m not so I just don’t know if I need to have them fixed or not.. my ob acts like there’s just nothing I can do till I’m done having babies. This gives me some hope:)
Once a vein is fixed, it won’t happen again. So if you have some really painful ones that get bad every time you’re pregnant, then you should totally consider seeing a vein specialist and discussing your options with them. If you’re planning on having lots of babies, there’s no need for you to be in pain every time if you can fix it when you’re not pregnant! You may need to go see the specialist when you’re pregnant so they can see how bad they are and where they are, then they can go into more detail with you. Hope this helps! 🙂
Did you have issues with your Iliac vein? A stent procedure can be done to open up the iliac vein near the spine in the abdomen. Do you know if you had this or Non-thrombotic Maythurner Syndrome? Navigating nexts steps for myself. I really don’t want a stent in my vein, but might be the best option.
I haven’t, so I’m no help. I’m sorry! I hope you can get it all figured out! 🙂
Your varicose veins story was very impressive which surely help many people. Thank you for sharing and answering the questions.
wow! thank you so much for sharing your vein story!
i am just now fixing my *horrible* post baby veins, and my youngest is 15!
the technology has improved so much since i first went to see a vascular surgeon 10 years ago, i’m happy to have waited (but maybe not this long).
enjoy your babies, time goes by so quickly!
You are simply awesome and amazing. I have had 7 children. After 2nd had some stripped. Yes my birthing wounds I am so happy you found a solution and Thank you for having confidence to share and give women hope and inspiring change of that is what they need. ❤️🌈💜🥰🦋
Sounds like you’re pretty awesome yourself!
my question is once they take out or fix the bad vein.. does that mean you have less working veins in your leg and you lose a bit of circulation when you’re older? like getting them fixed isn’t a perfect solution.. but its better than having them badly
Got a consult with Dr. Jensen. Planning on doing the removals… But in reading up, it says that sometimes the veins don’t close, or new ones without valves grow back. What has been your experience over the years? Have you gotten new veins or have the results stayed over the years?