GRRRRRRRRR I HATE LE..........
Comments
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Purple, Thanks for the reminder, Arm is a bit achy today but not bad.
Note to myself. Gotta think before I act.
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Hugz, you DID think before you acted. But with this stupid LE you don't know until you know
. Now you do, so you have some options.
Next time you can fork over the $12, call around and find a cheaper car-wash place, get some enthusiastic neighborhood kids to help just for the fun of it--or do it yourself in stages, with a change of activities in between.
Anyhow, you got this month's wrapping practice in
, and I'm really glad things are better today. Be well!
Binney0 -
wait wait, binney ...OR PM purple and get that $12 wired to her
Hope you are back to par soon, hugz
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You are all too funny. Arm is OK although it was achey this morn. Not anymore. Just pulled off some lebeds to clear the nodes and will practice more wrapping and leave it on.
I usually am so careful but this is one of the first times I noticed a direct link to achey and overuse. Now that I think of it, sometimes the computer will give me the same kind of feeling but slighter.Grrrrr
Someone on the threads suggested that I may have wrapped my wrist too tight and that is why my fingers were on the blue side. Will lighten up on that wrist and see. One thing for sure is if your gauze is worn out, it kinda bunches at the wrist once the wraps are on and creates horizontal lines once you take your wraps off. This is what I had so I guess that guaze goes out the window so some Sparrow can build a nest
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Here comes the good, bad and weird. I think in that order:
Went to PCP for a long chat & check-up. He ordered bloodwork & ordered it to be drawn out of a "lower extremity" :-)
Had to go to hospital - a nurse had to do the draw. Very little room & this male nurse comes in -
Now for the weird: he was fine with the draw, sat on the floor, nicely took my foot and placed it on his leg. Asked the tech for a piece of tape because he couldn't see on that side. I laughed and he said," no, really, I only have one eye, I was shot in the eye when I was 3." I looked at him and he said, I've drawn blood for years, it'll be fine, But you know this is really going to hurt like you never felt before." It did. Then told me I should not walk on it or it would bruise really bad. After I told him I drove myself and have a clutch.. Why couldn't he tell me BEFORE he did the draw? Made it home and off my foot.
Was it worth it? Better than having swollen arms :-/ I know I should have thought this through earlier, but now that this ordeal is over, is there anything I need to be concerned about?0 -
I'm having the biggest flare-up since last August. Whole hand blew up and HURTS!
LE SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, I'm done complaining now.
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Nibbana, how crummy!
So many having nasty flares--what is with that?! Hope you get it back in shape quickly. In the meantime, chocolate helps.
Gma, I have never stayed off my foot after a draw, and never bruised. I'm not sure where that thought came from. If it was painful, try using some Emla beforehand next time. I don't sit up, I make them give me a place to lie down. Not only does it keep me safer, but it makes it much easier for them because they're not squatting on the floor and groping around trying to reach for supplies up on the counters. They DO have rooms with places to lie down, though they're usually decorated in something cutesy like Disney characters because they use them for little kids. So be it. I also keep my leg moving prior to a blood draw, bouncing it on the floor the whole time I'm waiting. Makes everybody else in the waiting room look at me with those sideways glances that say, "What the heck is the matter with HER?!" But it really does seem to help when it's time for the draw--sitting around beforehand cuts off circulation above the knee where the chair hits your thigh and makes the whole draw harder. Also keep my foot warm with a heating pad on the trip there. As for the pain, I make a point of deep breathing and relaxing (which is much easier to do lying down) and when I do that the pain is no worse than an arm draw. Still, medical folks do believe foot draws are extremely painful, and I let them think so--I never turn away sympathy from anyone with a needle in their hand. Better luck next time!
Hugs,
Binney0 -
hmm. I'm reminded of a time years ago when I went in for some blood work, I was a student at the time and the campus had a clinic staffed by student nurses and various tech students and a few med students as well as a couple of staff types... I don't remember why they wanted blood, and it really doesn't matter. So they tried to find veins in my arms and my hands and failed. Finally it was decided to try my foot and lo and behold I started bleeding like a stuck pig (as the saying goes) unfortunately, the blood wasn't going into their tube, but rather running down my foot and squirting up in the air... and oh did I mention no, they didn't have me sit or lie down. They had me stand on a step stool (one of the chair types with the fold out steps...) So there I am bleeding all over, including on the person doing the blood draw, he's turning green, blood is squirting up in the air and still no usable blood sample. I left and went to a different lab for my blood work.. hum maybe that's why some techs don't like foot draws. I am legend?
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grrr to the LE. I feel puffy all over lately. I think it is all the weather changes and me being sick so much this year.
Since we don't get much goodnews here, I thought I would share mine. I had my yearly scans last week. i am happy to say they looked good. The spot on my chest is still there but I got the report this time and found out it is on the left side and 3mm. March 29, I can say 3 year survivor!
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GMA, my lab girl last week did tell me to stay off my foot draw leg. She did say it was because of bruising. So I walked into the hospital coffee shop and had a tea for a half hour. That seamed to work. No problems. For the doc to say it was going to hurt like hell would just set up a patient to be anxious. A experienced lab tech will get the vein in one stick and it only pinches a bit. sounds like he was fishing around for the vein or something.
I always get it done at a hospital lab and announce that I need the best foot draw girl in the whole hospital. They usually will call a girl off the floor to come and do me. A lot of older patients on the ward get foot draws. For my dad with dementia it was the best because he couldn't figure out what they were doing way down there.
A hot washcloth on the foot for 5 minutes is very helpful before the draw and the smallest needle too. My girl told me to take a deep breath and then she inserted. She was so good I wanted to take her home.0 -
March 29, I can say 3 year survivor!
Great news, kitty- congrats !
There's nothing I love more than popping into the Grrrr forum and seeing something good !0 -
Kitty, your good news isn't good, it's wonderful! Now, if only your LE could treat you a little better!
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When I had an injection in my foot last week I wasn't told to stay off my foot, not did I bruise. It did hurt a LOT while the stuff was going in but it was the nuclear injection for a bone scan and that stuff is ouchy. Next time, Emla.
I get all my bloodwork through my port so I don't have to deal with using my foot whenever I need a blood test.
Leah
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Kitty...yeah hoo for you and 3 years! I celebratd 4 years a couple of months ago and it is so good to think of the 5 year mark upcoming.
Hope you were good to yourself!
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EMLA?
OK, I give - what is emla ?0 -
Emla's a topical anesthetic. It numbs the skin. You shouldn't use it if you're also using a heating pad. One or the other. I've never used it myself, but some women find it really helpful. Then again, if you have somebody drawing blood who tells you "it's really going to hurt like you never felt before" just the anticipation is going to be painful!
Binney0 -
The veins on my foot appear prominent so I'll try the Emla next time - it seems I won't need the heating pad.
My DD is a nurse and does blood draws for tests every day. I asked if she'd ever done a foot draw, and she said she'd never been asked to do one but would refuse. She said she'd never been taught how and wouldn't want to be poking & digging in someone's food with a needle. So it's important to find someone who has experience in foot draws!
Leah
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Aha ....thanks, Binney
I once had an ABG (arterial blood gas exhange) from someone who had never done one before. Took 45 minutes. Yep- no exaggeration. She kept stopping and asking if I wanted to book another day. I kept thinking : " This has to be overwith any minute" . When I looked at the clock, I could hardly believe it. I haven't had one since.
I couldnt even get someone at my cardio drs office to do a BP on the leg- cant imagine a blood draw on my icy cold foot.ugh.
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Saw my onc today and she's concerned about my high blood pressure. I told her I don't have high blood pressure, it reads higher when you do it on the leg.
I told there is no way I would even consider having blood pressure taken on my arm. This is becoming a battle of wills with this blood pressure thing, but I'm not giving up.
Stay strong around Bp cuffs ladies.0 -
If you're having BP done on your leg, it's best if you lie down for about 10 minutes (with your leg at about the same height as your heart) and have it done while you're lying down.
Before my second mx I had my BP done on my arm and then my leg so we'd have a comparison. It was 115/60 on my arm and 130/70 on my leg.
Nibbana, tell your onc my numbers if you keep getting grief about high BP.
Leah
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Leah, how brilliant to get pre-surgery baseline BP measures to help with the leg/arm apple/oranges BP problem!!!
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Carol, it's thanks to the info here that I thought to do it!
Leah
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I have hi BP in the onco office, but at the gym it is perfect! I recently had BP taken by a neurologist and they did it to me lieing down and standing! And it was good! They had no problem doing it on my non LE side
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BTW: Slight bruise on the foot, nothing bad..
I picked up some paperwork at my LE Therapists office and was able to say hi to him. Told him I needed measurements and he told me I knew how to do them and reminded me how far up the arm to go.. and said bye. I get the feeling he has done so much for me that he got in trouble. OR he can't see me anymore unless I have another prescription. Anyway you look at it, unless I get in real trouble - I'm done with my LEist.
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he told me I knew how to do them and reminded me how far up the arm to go.. and
I'm sorry gma, but
maybe you really do know how to take them!
Perhaps he has taught you enough, and barring any changes or flares just maybe you have the tools to keep this in check- as long as you are compliant.I sure hope so!
http://www.lymphedemablog.com/2011/08/23/measuring-for-compression-arm-sleeves/
*EDITED TO ADD: There is a special meauruing tape that will help as well. Becky had sent me the link, but i cannot seem to find it/ sorry. Perhaps she or someone else will post it if they see this message. IF NOT, you could try to PM Becky for it.
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I think that it would be really hard to do the measurements on yourself - sorry Gma :-(
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I think like all things LE...........it takes practice. But that doesn't make things any easier.
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Ummm, anybody got some flare-up first aid? My hand isn't getting any better. This is the first major flare up I've had in almost six months. I can see one tendon in my hand, that's all.
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nibbana -
I'm sorry about the flare.First thing I would do is start drinking lots of water. Elevate. Wrap, if you know how. Don't do any weight lifting while you're in the worst of it. Maybe some cardio but even then ... I would take at least a couple of days off from exercise. Call your therapist, if you have one ... and see if they could see you.
Sorry about your hand.
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nibbana
so sorry. Yes, take a few days off. MLD as usual and pay extra attention to the hand, plus all everyone else has said.
Good Luck - do call your therapist!0
