My Wrapping Saga

For your enjoyment: Time: 7:38 am

• Put the undersleeve on, get all the wrinkles out, make sure the thumb hole(s) are in the right place
• Wrap the foam
• Foam doesn’t go up the arm high enough. Unwrap, re-roll, Re-wrap.
• Realize I should have wrapped the fingers first. Unwrap foam, reroll
• Wrap fingers
• Oops, dropped the roll. Re-roll, continue wrapping.
• Wrap with first bandage. Good job. Oops forgot to get the tape ready. No problem. Tape. Yes!
• Fold the undersleeve over the bandage. Hmmmmmmm. Not enough undersleeve. Something is wrong at the fingers. Thumb won’t go into second hole on undersleeve. Ooops. Forgot to wrap the foam. Unwrap bandage. Re-roll
• Wrap foam. Oops. Not far enough. Unwrap, re-roll, re-wrap
• Fold undersleeve over foam at hand. Thumb hole a little tight, but that’s okay.
• Next bandage. Wrap Wrap Drop the roll Re-roll. Wrap. Wrap. Tape.
• Next bandage. Wrap Wrap Wrap. Tape. Tape Tape.

Time: 8:25 am: Sigh. Tomorrow will be better.

Update: Down to 20 Minutes

As a matter of fact, this morning I got the deed done in 20 minutes! I'm going to try to beat that record, however, because I'm going to London soon with friends. I don't want to hold everyone up in the morning while I wrap. So I'm shooting for 10 minutes. I think I can. I think I can!

Note: Jackie Doss is a "Melanoma Warrior: whose motto is, “Today is a gift. That's why they call it the present.”

Reprinted, with permission, from "Voices of Lymphedema" edited by Ann Ehrlich and Elizabeth McMahon PhD, Lymph Notes 2007

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Category: Living well with Lymphedema