Tuesday we spent a wonderful two hours in the Morse Museum with the Tiffany glass exhibit. It's pretty spectacular, and I think anyone who comes to central Florida should try to get there. We had also planned to do the lake cruise, but we didn't have time because I had to get back for PT. Instead we had a lovely Thai lunch on the main street in downtown Winter Park. For years we had seen this pretty street and park from the train because the station is there. We always said we wanted to visit that area, so we were happy to do that on Tuesday. I've included a picture of me in the Orchid, the Thai restaurant.
Wednesday we spent the day at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center to see the Sci-Fi summer and Star Trek exhibits. Mark had read about this Star Trek Live show years ago as it traveled around the country. Just a few weeks ago it came to KSC for the summer. The exhibits did not disappoint! Just to make ourselves really look dorky, we wore our matching Star Trek Captains t-shirts that we had bought in Las Vegas years ago at the Star Trek Experience out there.
Mark has many wonderful memories of his 37 years working for NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center. He had many great trips to this area for meetings at Kennedy. Today he said he was enjoying being a tourist more than an employee!!
We are such Star Trek nerds that we got excited looking at all the exhibits and playing on the bridge! We also got inspired to watch ALL the TV episodes and movies and cartoon shows in the Star Trek universe chronology, not the order in which they were aired. So...we went right home and watched the opening two episodes of Star Trek Enterprise, starring Scott Bakula as Captain Archer. Fun times! I have liked Scott Bakula since I first saw him as the star of Quantum Leap. We also saw him perform the role of the father in the musical Shenandoah at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. (Yes, THAT Ford's Theater for those not from D.C.) One fun touch was that when we finished those two episodes, "Broken Bow, parts 1 and 2," we watched Scott Bakula in an episode of his new series, Men of a Certain Age. Ha Ha! Cindy, you'll get this! For me watching Scott Bakula is like you watching Boston Rob! LOL
I took my wraps off yesterday morning. As instructed, I had rewrapped myself Tuesday night. I looked pretty awful again yesterday morning, and I had a lot of pain in my forearm from swelling. I spent the day doing a LOT of manual drainage and did manage to get a lot of fluid out of my arm and hand. Last night I was determined to do better on my wrapping. I tried really hard to get it right, in fact, I started over three times. I wrapped it at 10 p.m. and at 3 a.m. I couldn't sleep from the throbbing in my hand. It was just too darn tight. I got up and took everything off! Well, it might have been hurting, but it worked. My hand and arm looked very normal. Wow! That was the first time I made it better not worse with my wrapping. Now I need to find that happy medium where I get the compression in the right places AND at the right intensity level.
I have PT again today at 2 p.m., and I will wrap myself under her watchful eyes once again. I'm sure she'll tell me to take it all off and redo it at bedtime. The game plan is that the night time wrapping is only occasional as I decide I need it. The rest of the time the compression garments and manual lymph drainage (which now she is saying to do 7 times a day) will take care of everything. Management is the key to this condition.
I'm going to my cancer support group in just a few minutes. I haven't been there in a long time because of other appointments or just being out of town. I won't be back for awhile, so I'm hoping to enjoy their company today. Then I'll be doing some more last minute shopping at Downtown Disney before heading to my afternoon PT appointment. It's Thursday, so the day will end with free wine dinner at Lakeside Restaurant and free movie in the Starlite Ballroom.
Have a great day, everybody!
Congratulations on your wrapping. I am so happy for you that you have had some success. About 8 years ago when I went to a lymphedema therapist she had me try some wrapping and I remember it being pretty challenging. I never got the hang of it so I was lucky that my arm got better. Keep up the good work on your wrapping. I hope that your cancer support group is fun today.
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear from you. She finally told me about the pump machine yesterday. She said there are several but she recommends a specific one. I think it was called Flexitouch. It's kind of big and takes an hour a day. I'm going to call and see if the insurance covers it. If yes, then I need a prescription for it from the doctor and then a lady will bring one to the therapist's office to give me a demonstration so I can decide if I want it. Mark is encouraging me to do it, but it looked bulky and complicated. I guess it can't hurt to look, but I'm leaning against it.
I am so glad that she told you about the pump machine so you will be able to make your own decision on it. I hope that it isn't as complicated as it looks. I've never seen one in person. Have a good day.
ReplyDeleteIt's a machine that looks to be about the size of a toaster oven with four hoses coming out. The hoses run to large brown wrappers that go over the shoulders, arms, and upper thighs/hips. Looks hard to put on and uncomfortable to sit in. I only saw a picture on the flyer and an elderly lady smiling happily while she sat on the side of the bed wearing it. I guess I should reserve judgment till I see it in person.
ReplyDeleteIs she just including the upper thighs/hips wrappers to prevent you from getting lymphedema in your legs? It sounds like it would be less intimidating if you could ignore the upper thigh/hips wrappers for now. Also would you have to do it on both sides for now if you only have lymphedema on one side? I don't know much about these machines obviously. I was just wondering these things. I hope that you can figure out a maintenance system whatever that may be that is doable for you.
ReplyDeleteShe said this machine simulates what she does manually to me, and she works all those areas of the body. She is opening up the lymph systems that work and rerouting lymph from the affected limb to other areas with working nodes. I guess that's what the machine will do, too. You can see some pictures of it if you google Flexitouch.
ReplyDelete