It's been another week of struggling. I won't bore you with the details. Suffice it to say cancer is still not my friend. It never will be and I hate it more than the most awful thing ever invented.
But I have discovered something... It may be apparent to the entire world and I'm only realising it now - but... I got my disgustingly ugly sleeve and glove (shamefully pictured below - aren't they dreadful? Seriously?).
So, they compress my equally ugly lymphedema-riddled hand and arm. That, in turn enable my therapist to do MLD in the hope that this swelling and blockage will kindly move along. I've been told about a very cool website called www.lymphedivas.com where you can buy compression gear that aren't so vile looking that you want to fling yourself on the floor and have a full blown tantrum. I love their stuff but I am not planning on wearing compression gear for long, so I'm holding out on buying anything for now. Obviously if the swelling persists I will be using my credit card until it smokes.
BUT are you ready for my tip?
I put my sleeve and ugly paw yoke on after my shower each morning. At that time my skin tends to be warm and tacky from the water. So I lash a load of baby powder on my hand and arm and the glove and sleeve go on a million times easier.
This could be a fact that sleeve wearers have know for generations. Maybe the lymphedema crew of the universe are all sighing and rolling their eyes in boredom saying "tell us something we didn't know Hannigan."
If that's the case, I will retreat to my corner and sit quietly in shame. But if you are a sleeve and glove wearer and nobody told you this information - try it. Go on! It's brilliant and cuts the yanking and stretching and sweating and swearing time in half. Now the sniggering people with the dirty minds can all sit at the back of the class. For everyone else, I hope my little tip is helpful.
I'm in the midst of the final, final, final edit on the next novel. It's called 'Letters to my Daughters' and I can't wait to share it with you. But for now, I hope you find my tip helpful. For everyone else, as in the gorgeous non-swollen to elephant status folks, I can highly recommend coffee and chocolate. It's an old but firm favourite and they make a marvellous combination.
May all the lymphedema in the world bog off and leave us alone. Nobody likes you - take the hint.
Love and light
Emma x