Friday I visited a clinic on Ridgeway Ave. and met with a therapist named Angela that specializes in edema (the fluid retention in my right arm) wraps and sleeves. She took measurements around each arm every 3" from my wrist to my shoulder. One of the measurements was literally 6" around when compared to my left arm. So not only were we surprised from the pain just from the swelling pressure but also the strain on all the additional muscles on my right shoulder from all the added weight of the liquid. Let me tell you in a very Larry the Cable Guy fashion; "this here aint you're granny's ACE bandage". There are 6 layers to this thing. All made out of different stuff. Some you're supposed to use tension others are you're not. It's a mission... poor Dad. Really, the one material to wrap the hand is the complicated one. It cannot cut off circulation but still has to cover everything like it should.
If we do this for awhile (1-2 weeks) and we think it's making a significant difference (this guy's head is saying 1 week). Then I get measured for a custom sleeve and I'm ASSUMING that means just one thing to have to pull over that arm until the cancer is gone.
Tomorrow is the big scan day. No huge promises in cancer rotation as I have only been on the new chemo for one rotation.
Wish me luck and pray extra hard tonight. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment