Chrissy, it IS more common than you think…

This is a Breast Cancer site that is good, and while it focusses on the arms/hands, it gets down to the whys and wherefores.
My own ‘edema’ is in my feet, and not due to diabetes, rather another autoimmune issue. That issue ‘presented’ itself 6 months after my CIDP onset and 12 months after the CIDP onset a BC lump was found. Fortuneately, I’d not had any lymph glands affected yet.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Don’t fall asleep with the heating pad on your feet! That didn’t help w/my own swelling! In fact for a while I HAD to llive with blue toes just to keep the swelling down! I now have what I believe is permanent damage due to that ‘falling asleep’ issue. I’ve found ‘Bed Buddy’ things that you heat in the microwave work well [providing that you use a lite towell between you and the ‘heater’ at first] and just using your hair dryer on lo blowing on really cold feet. These are safer in the long run, as you are like a diabetic in that you likely won’t know if you’re burning yourself!
Hoping this helps…. Take special care please.