Every morning I woke up fine. Rings on, shoes on, out the door.

By lunchtime my fingers felt thicker. By about 3 PM the rings came off and went in the cup holder. By the time I got home my shoes felt half a size too small, and after dinner my waistband was arguing with me.

Next morning, back to normal. Then the same thing again. Every single day, for two years.

It was never painful. It was just there, every afternoon, and it made me feel heavier and older than I am.

Less salt. More water. Cutting carbs. Compression socks. Ten thousand steps a day. A “de-bloat” tea that tasted like a lawn.

I kept a note on my phone with all of it. Every line is crossed out.

None of it was silly — most of it is sensible advice. It just never touched the thing that was actually happening to me.

It clicked while I was unblocking my kitchen sink.

Nothing wrong with the tap. Nothing wrong with the water. It simply wasn't draining, so it sat there.

That evening I read that the body moves fluid around all day through its own drainage network — and unlike the heart, that network has no pump of its own. It depends on movement, and on being looked after.

Every single thing on my list was aimed at what went in. Not one thing was aimed at where the fluid goes.

Two years. Wrong problem.

It's a botanical blend in a dropper bottle — boswellia, horse chestnut, citrus peel, gotu kola, ginger. Plants I actually recognised, which mattered to me after two years of mystery powders.

Two droppers in my morning coffee. Stir once. About thirty seconds, then on with the day. That is the whole routine.

Week one: nothing at all. I nearly gave up.

Week two: I noticed at half past four that my rings were still on.

Week four: I crossed the whole list out.

That's my experience. Everyone is different, and I'd never promise you the same.