Occasionally my legs and lower extremities are swollen and feel hard to the touch. This is not from long periods of standing. What should I make of this? Should I be really concerned?
This can be a side effect from some medications. There are several other causes. You should speak with your doctor.
Many things can cause edema including, too much salt, mineral imbalances, circulatory, heart & kidney problems, & medicine side-effects. This is something you should discuss with your doctor. He/she might prescribe a diuretic.
Diuretics generally aren’t prescribed to diabetics, so my doctor tells me, because they put a strain on the kidneys to flush the water out. We diabetics need to look after our kidneys of course so we’re better off riding it out.
I can’t say what’s going on with your swelling Cynthia, there are so many reasons for it. I’ve had a problem with it for years - full body swelling (even in the fingers!) but worse in the feet & lower legs. My doctor & endo have been very vague about it all and after all this time I still don’t have an answer 
My best guess is that it’s to do with the early menopause, but I can only guess. Exercise is the only thing I’ve found that helps so maybe it would help you too?
Yep, this is a symptom with many potential causes… some benign, some not so much. It’s absolutely worth mentioning to your doctor(s) though 
I can't recall what it's called but I did see something in a symptom book about swollen legs that was something like nephron symptom, or neuron symptom. Nephon and Neuron means Kidney/kidney related. Makes sense, since your kidneys filter toxins and waste in the your urine. The book also said it was a "warning" like your body just going hey this is going on. I have a book somewhere in my house about 3 inches thick of medical terms and a dictionary. I'm not sure if it's in there, but I will look and respond again with more info.
I looked into this matter because occasionally I have swollen legs, and they are really sensitive to the touch. Shaving hurts, so I will wear pants. Not attractive. I don't know why this happens. I had a pancreas transplant which failed after a year and it stopped, but I'm diabetic again and it's still happening.
Another issue I have is the glans on my neck(lymph nodes), kind of by the ears. I would like like I had the mumps, which I didn't. I tested it by sucking on a lemon, and saw my pediatrician, well a few years later had the same thing happen and saw my primary care, and he said he'd never seen it before on both sides on the neck and it was just a diabetic thing. He was a doctor from a small town, and his daughter was recently diagnosed.
The thing is there's lymph nodes in your inner thighs, always a problem I swear... anyway they swell when my lower legs do.
It's so ugly, an hard to walk. I feel like a flamingo on a good day, and an elephant on a bad day. It lasts for days, right now my legs are swollen, which is why I made this search. They've been swollen about a week. Edema is the worst, I've had it so bad I can't get skinny jeans on, or shoes.