Meralgia Paresthetica

Say what? Now that’s a mouthful, Meralgia Paresthetica. This is a medical term for a condition that I am currently suffering from. As the Mayo Clinic has defined, “Meralgia paresthetica is a condition characterized by tingling, numbness and burning pain in the outer part of your thigh. The condition is caused by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, which supplies sensation to your upper leg.” My doctor stated that some common causes of this condition stem from wearing tight clothing (such as tight low-rise jeans or spandex), obesity or weight gain, and pregnancy. Excess sitting, squatting, extended walking or the wearing of a wide belt compressing the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve will increase symptoms. Umm, not such great news for me. I don’t have a standing desk and have no other option to do my work than to sit on various platforms (choices of a chair, exercise ball, the wooden floor or a bolster). Ideally, a standing desk would be optimal. However, I am still curious as to what might have brought this condition on! I’m not pregnant, my clothes are quite loose (think yoga gear), I may have gained some weight, but nothing too drastic, and I can’t be classified as obese. Hence the mystery, and a sometimes burning numbing and painful one at that!

After a bit more questioning about what my habits have been of late, we seemed to have wheedled the possible cause down to the fact that I’ve been using my laptop almost daily, for long hours, perched on my lap. Practically I would be working at a table or desktop, but with our mobile lifestyles, much time is spent on the computer in the truck or sitting on the comfy Airstream couch — no real desk but the kitchen table. I of course use a lapmount buckwheat pillow to separate the MacBook’s intense heat from my legs. But obviously, even the weight of the pillow is creating distress within my body. Sigh, this shifts so much!

I need to come up with a table like surface that doesn’t rest on my lap but allows me to work in the truck or on the couch. Any suggestions?