Ok I do not usually put pictures on my blogs but with this lymphedema I really feel the need to do so. First let me say typing when you are undergoing lymphedema treatment is very hard so if my blogs are not as frequent lately I apologize.
I have a great lymphedema specialist named Tiffany at TLC in Dallas. She said it was ok to use these pictures and her for my blog. She did think it was odd that my husband was taking pictures of my getting wrapped for the first time but hey he was there to learn and watch and the pictures help with the re-wrapping he does.
Now when I went in for the first time I was not really sure what to expect except that it was not going to be great. First when I go in she massages my lymph nodes at my collar bone, abdomen, pelvis area, and my other arm. When she does this she is trying to wake them up and have them work a little harder to move the fluid from my left arm to the rest of my body. It is weird it makes me have the chills, not like I am cold chills with goose bumps just like a tingly chill. When I mention that to Tiffany she said it is because the lymph nodes are opening and that it is a good thing. I must say it feels very weird like I am shaking,
Next she cuts some foam for my lower arm, the foam goes from the wrist to just below the elbow. She cuts a piece from above my elbow to about 2 inches below my shoulder and a small piece for the top of my hand. She then slides like a thin stocking from my fingers to about 4“longer than my arm. She then used almost a thin bandage and wrapped around my fingers. She then took a wider bandage and used two rolls and wrapped that from my wrist to shoulder.
Next she takes what looks like an ace bandage but she said these compression wraps are much tighter than an ace bandage. She uses a total of four bandages starting with the smaller one on my wrist and hand, then the next size up starts at the wrist and goes up to the shoulder, and same for the next two bandages.
I look like a Michelin man with a tan on that arm, it is uncomfortable and makes sleeping and basically everything harder to do.
My daughter did the cutest thing she has these little purple gloves that are fingerless and go to her elbow, she put it on so we could be twins. It was so sweet.
