Be Careful What You Hound People For

Tuesday afternoon was the long-awaited appointment for the leg service I was referred for on March 9th. It was at the occupational therapy facility near the hospital and my NP's office. Farmer H drove me. I was told this first appointment was a consultation. I told Farmer H it might just take 15 minutes. Or maybe a half hour, depending on how they booked. I didn't think anything would be actually done on this day.

WRONG!!!

We got there at 12:35. My appointment was 1:00, but I'd been told to arrive at 12:45. It's over in Bill-Paying Town, so a 30-minute drive on the highway. NOBODY was in the parking lot!

"Is this the right place?"

"Yeah. There's the address above the door. This is what they told me. It must be because of lunch time. At least we got a good parking space!"

A couple more cars arrived. Two people went in, so I did, too, while Farmer H fiddled around in A-Cad for a moment. I got checked in. Nothing to fill out, because I had done it through YourChart. At least the receptionist VALidated my efforts by thanking me for that.

The waiting room filled up quickly. The worst part was KIDS! Only two, but they were four years old, and one had been running wild for 10 minutes when the other arrived. He was good at first, but saw The Runner, and started doing it himself. Which eventually ended with Second Runner stumbling and falling ON MY LEFT KNEE! It was quite startling, and unwelcome, but didn't hurt too much, because that's the better of my knees. Farmer H picked him up, and his grandma apologized to Not-Heaven and back. I don't hold it against the kid, because obviously he has some issue that's being dealt with through occupational therapy. It's just that I'd prefer a child-free environment at this stage in my knees life.

I was called back to a room with a chair and a low flat table. My Occupational Therapist was a gal in her early 30s. I liked her immediately, because she was matter-of-fact and put me at ease. I pulled up my pantlegs for the exam, while sitting on the chair and she wheeling over on her doctor stool. She heard my tale. Poked at my legs a bit. Asked me some history. Said it is definitely lymphedema, not cellulitis, but that it's possible cellulitis could develop, especially after a surgery, when there's a lot of swelling.

OT then had me sit on the end of that low table, making sure I felt secure, far enough back, and RAISED IT UP! High! I felt like a car getting worked on! OT wheeled over to my dangling my legs, and had my shoes and socks off before I could object. I don't like people touching me. Of course you don't really have much choice when you're there to get your legs worked on.

OT took about a bazillion measurements, then said she was going to wash my legs (they weren't dirty, it's standard procedure!) and wrap them. That I couldn't get them wet. That I'd need "shower bags" if I took a shower, or to do sponge baths.

"For how long?"

"Until I'm done seeing you."

Which will be THREE TIMES A WEEK until the END OF JULY!!!

What in the Not-Heaven have I gotten myself into? No way am I going that long without a shower! I said so to OT (in a polite way looking for a solution). 

OT said that since I had mentioned wrapping my legs at home with an ACE bandage (which I have been doing for a while, because it makes my knees feel better), that I could undo her wrappings, and put them back on as soon as the shower was over. Since she wants the wraps left on continuously between visits, when she wraps them again. She said a lot of her patients can't bend over to reach their feet, so they can't re-wrap, but she could see I had no problem doing that.

The goal is to squeeze fluid out of the tissues, and then maintain that after the three months by using home wraps and therapies. Again, I'm not sure if this will be good enough for the orthopedist, but it can't hurt giving it a try. That's why he referred me to my NP for such a referral.

Anyhoo... that's the plan. I went back again today (Wednesday), and I go Friday. As you might assume, more tales will follow.