Treatment Trials

Having a good relationship with your Lymphedema therapist is key to your success in treatment, in my personal opinion.  My first one was ok, but had the personality of a mushroom.   My second one was awesome and we ended up becoming friends. I wish she was still in network.  My current therapist is meh. 

Gnarly scar left from
the Thrombophlebitis

When I started Lymphedema treatment, it wasn’t till over a year after I was diagnosed thanks to insurance and a waiting list.   My first therapist was ok.  She had no personality or sense of humor.  I like to kid around and make small talk.  I mean anything to take your mind of someone messing with the lower part of your body for 90 minutes a day.   My treatment was going well…I was going to graduate from the bandaging to garments.  I go in on a Tuesday morning.  I don’t remember why, but my roommate decided to go with me.  Therapist #1 is unwrapping my legs, and about two layers down and she gasps.  There is blood.  She quickly starts to unwrap faster.  Now my leg is gushing blood.  Therapist lady freaks out.  I freak out a bit too.  I get hauled over to the ER and am there forever.  I finally get seen.  I have Superficial Thrombophlebitis, basically a blood clot under the skin.  They cut a huge hole in my leg and get this of this clot.  Thus ends my first round of Lymphedema therapy.  

Thanks to my job at the time and medical insurance that was the end of my therapy until 2011.   By this time, I had lost my job, and was trying to establish my own business.  I get back into therapy and was relieved mushroom lady was gone.  Enter the Dominatrix.  She was great to talk to and didn’t let me get away with anything.  She knew when I had consumed too much sodium or alcohol.  She made me do the leg exercises I needed to do after bandaging.  She also figured out that conventional bandaging wasn’t working for me and started using the Coban 2Layer Compression System.

The Dominatrix taught me a lot about Lymphedema and how to care for it.  She also told me to go for it when deciding to go on a first date with my wife.  She runs a Lymphedema support group one day a month.  I always joke when the new people that she helped me make one of the best decisions of my life.    

Therapist #3 is ok.  She is over worked and very granola. I live in a rural area now and there is one therapist for two/three counties.  I only see her about once every six months for maintenance visits.  

I’ve not been happy with her because she got my measurements wrong for my last set of socks.  Then didn’t want to listen to me when I voiced my concerns.   I’m in the process of trying to get the company I purchase my socks through to measure this time.  This set of socks rubs my ankles raw.  They are so tight in my feet that they go numb sometimes.    Insanity.