Amy's America

So the disappointing news about the surgery wasn’t the worst thing that happened last week. In fact, my conversation on Friday with my physical therapist put the one with my reconstructive surgeon to shame.  It’s taken me until now to digest it all – in fact, I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet, but I decided I need to write about it to get it out of my system and start the new week fresh.Long story short: she told me that I am supposed to wear the damn sleeve and glove every day for the rest of my life. Yes. Every. Single. Day. Forever. You can imagine my response. In my head: F@$% that! In reality: “You’ve got to be kidding me?!” Her response? “No, I am completely serious. You’ve see what happens when you don’t wear it – the swelling comes back. You need to wear it to keep the lymphedema under control.”

The miserable glove and sleeve

She went on to inform me that while she “didn’t want to scare me” if it got worse, she and I would become best friends because we’d need to go to wrapping in which case I would have to go there every day for about two weeks, 7-8 hours a day to have my arm wrapped the entire time. You’ve got to be kidding me. Frankly, this is all way worse in my mind than cutting my chest off.

So every day, must do the massage, and the exercises, and wear the sleeve and glove. Ugh. I honestly can’t comprehend this right now. Just when I think I get to go back to being somewhat normal. I just want to scream.

I came home rip-roaring mad (it didn’t hurt that a family member had called and given me other disappointing/frustrating news), and told Nick all about it, ending with, “They expect me to wear it every day for ever – I don’t think so!!!” (Maybe there were a few bad words mixed in there too…) And once again, Nick just looked at me and said, “Mom, don’t be stupid. If it’s going to help you, you do it.” Ugh. When did he become the parent?

I know logically that he is right. But I don’t want to. I hate the sleeve and glove. They’re grungy even though (or because) I wash them. It’s summer and they’re hot. Mom is going to try making some lightweight, fashionable sleeves to go over the medical sleeves (which are really expensive or I’d get all different ones like those from Lymphedivas). And they make it obvious something is wrong with me. People are always asking me now what the sleeve and glove are for, and because explaining what lymphedema is can be confusing, I just say “cancer related – my arm swells.” And it used to be when they would ask how long I have to wear it for I would say “just a little longer.” Not any more…

So I need more time to let this sink in. I’m not going to say I’ll wear them every day forever, but I won’t rule out wearing it the majority of the time. We’ll see. I have a lot of research to do…