by Christina Routon
Two years ago this month, my husband and I divorced.
Yes, you read that right. At the end of February 2011 I sat in a lawyer's office and signed divorce papers. It was one of the hardest and most painful things I'd ever done in my life. It was also a wake up call from God, and through this day He's led me on a journey of discovering my identity.
Ending up at the attorney's office wasn't an overnight decision, of course. And God had been working in me for some time, nudging me, inspiring me, to do certain things, to change certain things. And I ignored the nudges. I turned away, I disobeyed, I flat out said, no, why should I change? HE should change. Other people need to change, not me.
And the result was a broken marriage and a broken woman, crying on the floor of my bedroom, feeling more alone than I'd felt in a long time. And it was there that I submitted to God, that I begged for forgiveness from a God I truly believed was fed up with me and who hated me. And I asked for healing, for myself and my marriage, even though in my heart I felt it was too late.
Instead, I felt a wave of peace wash over me. There was no hate, there was no anger, there was no bitterness. There may have been some frustration, but He never pushed me away. Instead, He said to me, "Finally! Now, we can start over." And little by little, he began to rebuild me.
This started with my self-esteem. As my husband shared in his post, my self-esteem had been shot for a long time, mostly over my appearance. I hated my body. I hated how I looked and how I felt. Now I was in a position where I hated my character. God began telling me and showing me how much I was loved, how nothing I could ever do, say or feel could separate us. He had to start with my character because I felt unwanted and unloved at that moment. I didn't feel worthy of love. He led me to music, He led me to books, He led me to movies, and spoke through them each time.
I began to write affirmations on index cards. I put them on a bulletin board and read them every day.
I am an honored child of God.
I am a beautiful, sexy woman.
I am living a wonderful, beautiful, abundant and creative life.
He sent me the song "Beautiful", by Mercy Me, and I still play that song and listen to it almost daily.
So what does this have to do with lipedema? All of this happened before I discovered lipedema. But I was on a quest for answers. It started with Who am I? God answered this, and continued to tell me and show me how important I was to Him over time. Then it changed to What am I called to do? And he answered that as well, and I finally submitted to the call to be a writer. It's strange when life throws you a curve ball and you end up where you never expected. You no longer have any fear. I stopped being afraid to go after a dream, and I just did it. I was inspired to write a short story, so I did, and sold it within a month. I was inspired to start a website about running a transcription business, so I did, and after a year and a half it's started to gain a following and make money. I finished a book I'd been working on since 2003 and self-published, then I started writing another book.
God began working on my ex-husband as well, and our son, and issues we had as a family. Six months later, in October, 2011, we remarried, and we're more in love now than we were at 18.
Then it was time to get back to work on my health. I'd been working out and dieting already for two years and hadn't seen any real results. My legs were still large and I'd only lost thirty pounds. Since the divorce, I'd been working two jobs - a full-time job during the day and in the evening I'd come home, eat a bowl of cereal, then work transcription jobs until 10:30 or 11:00. I wasn't taking care of myself anymore and after a couple of months it was time to start again. So I made my doctor's appointments and started using my insurance benefits. I continued to ask questions, I continued to search for answers, until last June I got my answer. I had a condition, with a name, but no cure and no treatment. And it broke me.
Once again God had to rebuild me and remind me of my identity. As I left the pharmacy after picking up the medication the endocrinologist had prescribed, I was almost in tears. I clutched my husband's hand as we left the grocery store and the song on the PA system changed - Lionel Richie's "You Are So Beautiful."
I stood in the parking lot of the grocery store with my husband and cried. I cried for the lost hope, the lost dreams, the possibilities of a future filled with pain and loss of mobility. Never wearing dresses or skirts again, never wearing a pair of boots. A lot of that seemed silly, but these were things I really wanted and hoped for. I wanted to be normal. I wanted to be on the outside the person I was on the inside. It's taken some time, but I am finally learning - and believing - the truth, and not the lie.
Our identities are NOT this disorder or any other medical condition we may have in addition to lipedema. Our identities aren't our large legs or arms or butts. Our identities are not our jobs or our families or our social status. Our identity is this, and this alone:
You are an honored child of God.
You are here for a purpose.
You are loved.
You are beautiful.
Showing posts with label my experience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label my experience. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Thursday, November 29, 2012
MLD Therapy and Wrapping - Part Three
By Christina Routon
After about three weeks of wrapping I was ready to be back in my regular clothes, so Jodi set up an appointment for me to be measured at a local medical supplies company. I met Carey one morning before heading to work. I knew I wanted regular pantyhose, not thigh highs or knee highs.
It was uncomfortable being measured by a man instead of a woman. I kept telling myself it was for the greater good and I'd be back in my regular clothes soon.
I wore my wraps to the appointment and removed them there. This way we could be sure my legs were as small as possible. I wore a pair of loose fitting pajama pants over the wraps. Carey measured the same way Jodi did - using a small tape measure in various increments up and down my leg. We discussed the sizing and type and the difference between flat knit and circular knit. At the time, I remembered I'd read something about lipedema patients needing flat knit but I couldn't remember why. The flat knit seemed very thick, bulky and hot, so I chose to go with circular knit.
A few days later Carey had the cost - $600 for a pair of custom made hose!
There was no way I'd be able to pay that, especially since I wasn't sure how much insurance would pay, if any. So my husband and I discussed various options - getting knee highs and wearing them with a pair of store-bought capri length body shaper, waiting until spring and seeing how much our income refund would be or see if there was an off-the-rack size that would fit me, even if it wasn't exact.
I spoke to Carey about those options and he was able to find an off-the-rack pair of hose that fit within my measurement range. My cost was just over $100, which I paid using my Flexible Benefit card.
After wearing the hose a few days, I realized WHY lipedema patients need flat knit. The circular knit hose will bunch up around the ankle, the knee, and any other place you have lumps and bumps. The flat knit is supposed to do just that - lay flat, and not bit into the skin. My hose tend to pool around the ankle, just under the ring of fat. I'm constantly adjusting them during the day. Every night I check my ankles to make sure they didn't actually cut into the skin - sometimes it feels that way - but to be safe I put triple antibiotic cream around my ankles every night.
Mentally, dealing with the wraps was difficult. I found it hard to go out in public. No one said anything to me at work, even though I know some had to be curious as to why I walked around in skirts and tennis shoes with bandages on my legs. It's difficult to be in that headspace where you think people are talking about you or saying something about you. As an overweight person and now knowing I have lipedema, I seem to be in this place a lot, which is why it's difficult for me to wear dresses and skirts. Not physically difficult, but mentally, because what repeats inside my head is "They're looking at your legs," over and over like a broken record.
Physically, the wraps were a pain because they would fall and slip during the day. I couldn't take the stairs because it was difficult to walk up and down in the bandages. They would loosen and start to fall as I climbed. There were times they seemed very tight, especially around my calves, and I couldn't wait to take them off or loosen them even a little. Keeping them on difficult at times. I enjoyed my freedom from the wraps when I washed them and showered.
I've had my hose now for about two to three weeks and I'm still getting used to them. I have to put them on with rubber gloves. This helps get a good grip as well as making sure nothing tears the fabric. Pulling them over my ankles and calves is the hardest part - and it hurts the most. Once I get them over my knees it's a lot easier. The material is still pinching around my ankles. I tried wrapping some cotton and taping it around my ankles first to give some cushion, but I couldn't get the cotton to stay in place as I pulled the hose over my foot and ankle.
I had my final visit with Jodi yesterday and received my final measurements.
From October 7 - November 28:
Lost 1 inch from hips
Lost 1 inch from thighs
Lost 1/2 inch from calves
Lost 4 pounds of scale weight
Doesn't sound like a lot, but when you look at fluid loss, it's a lot.
According to Jodi, I lost two liters of fluid from each leg during October / November. That's the equivalent of two 2-liter soda bottles.
My slacks fit better and my skin feels better. The ring of fat around my ankle is smaller. I can see a difference in my thighs more than my calves, although my husband says he can see a difference.
Now that the therapy is done, would I do it again? Yes, I would. I do believe I gained some ground in stabilizing this disorder. I dealt with being uncomfortable, physically and mentally, because I believed it would help me in the long run.
I plan to buy a pair of flat knit hose as well so that I can alternate between the two pair. I don't know how I'll feel about them come summer, and I don't like the pinching, but if it means staying stable I'll continue wearing them, and I do believe they're helping.
Now that the wrapping is out of the way, my next short-term goal is to start saving for surgery, continue my wheat-free / sugar-free diet (I may go grain free next year), continue exercising three days a week and become stronger and healthier as I prepare for liposuction within the next two-three years. All that sounds well and good, but my ultimate goal for 2013 purely superficial - I want to buy a great pair of wide calf boots and start wearing dresses and skirts again.
After about three weeks of wrapping I was ready to be back in my regular clothes, so Jodi set up an appointment for me to be measured at a local medical supplies company. I met Carey one morning before heading to work. I knew I wanted regular pantyhose, not thigh highs or knee highs.
It was uncomfortable being measured by a man instead of a woman. I kept telling myself it was for the greater good and I'd be back in my regular clothes soon.
I wore my wraps to the appointment and removed them there. This way we could be sure my legs were as small as possible. I wore a pair of loose fitting pajama pants over the wraps. Carey measured the same way Jodi did - using a small tape measure in various increments up and down my leg. We discussed the sizing and type and the difference between flat knit and circular knit. At the time, I remembered I'd read something about lipedema patients needing flat knit but I couldn't remember why. The flat knit seemed very thick, bulky and hot, so I chose to go with circular knit.
A few days later Carey had the cost - $600 for a pair of custom made hose!
There was no way I'd be able to pay that, especially since I wasn't sure how much insurance would pay, if any. So my husband and I discussed various options - getting knee highs and wearing them with a pair of store-bought capri length body shaper, waiting until spring and seeing how much our income refund would be or see if there was an off-the-rack size that would fit me, even if it wasn't exact.
I spoke to Carey about those options and he was able to find an off-the-rack pair of hose that fit within my measurement range. My cost was just over $100, which I paid using my Flexible Benefit card.
After wearing the hose a few days, I realized WHY lipedema patients need flat knit. The circular knit hose will bunch up around the ankle, the knee, and any other place you have lumps and bumps. The flat knit is supposed to do just that - lay flat, and not bit into the skin. My hose tend to pool around the ankle, just under the ring of fat. I'm constantly adjusting them during the day. Every night I check my ankles to make sure they didn't actually cut into the skin - sometimes it feels that way - but to be safe I put triple antibiotic cream around my ankles every night.
Mentally, dealing with the wraps was difficult. I found it hard to go out in public. No one said anything to me at work, even though I know some had to be curious as to why I walked around in skirts and tennis shoes with bandages on my legs. It's difficult to be in that headspace where you think people are talking about you or saying something about you. As an overweight person and now knowing I have lipedema, I seem to be in this place a lot, which is why it's difficult for me to wear dresses and skirts. Not physically difficult, but mentally, because what repeats inside my head is "They're looking at your legs," over and over like a broken record.
Physically, the wraps were a pain because they would fall and slip during the day. I couldn't take the stairs because it was difficult to walk up and down in the bandages. They would loosen and start to fall as I climbed. There were times they seemed very tight, especially around my calves, and I couldn't wait to take them off or loosen them even a little. Keeping them on difficult at times. I enjoyed my freedom from the wraps when I washed them and showered.
I've had my hose now for about two to three weeks and I'm still getting used to them. I have to put them on with rubber gloves. This helps get a good grip as well as making sure nothing tears the fabric. Pulling them over my ankles and calves is the hardest part - and it hurts the most. Once I get them over my knees it's a lot easier. The material is still pinching around my ankles. I tried wrapping some cotton and taping it around my ankles first to give some cushion, but I couldn't get the cotton to stay in place as I pulled the hose over my foot and ankle.
I had my final visit with Jodi yesterday and received my final measurements.
From October 7 - November 28:
Lost 1 inch from hips
Lost 1 inch from thighs
Lost 1/2 inch from calves
Lost 4 pounds of scale weight
Doesn't sound like a lot, but when you look at fluid loss, it's a lot.
My slacks fit better and my skin feels better. The ring of fat around my ankle is smaller. I can see a difference in my thighs more than my calves, although my husband says he can see a difference.
Now that the therapy is done, would I do it again? Yes, I would. I do believe I gained some ground in stabilizing this disorder. I dealt with being uncomfortable, physically and mentally, because I believed it would help me in the long run.
I plan to buy a pair of flat knit hose as well so that I can alternate between the two pair. I don't know how I'll feel about them come summer, and I don't like the pinching, but if it means staying stable I'll continue wearing them, and I do believe they're helping.
Now that the wrapping is out of the way, my next short-term goal is to start saving for surgery, continue my wheat-free / sugar-free diet (I may go grain free next year), continue exercising three days a week and become stronger and healthier as I prepare for liposuction within the next two-three years. All that sounds well and good, but my ultimate goal for 2013 purely superficial - I want to buy a great pair of wide calf boots and start wearing dresses and skirts again.
Monday, November 19, 2012
MLD Therapy and Wrapping - Part Two
By Christina Routon
I felt strange during my first treatment visit to Jodi, my therapist. It had nothing to do with her - it was all the stuff in my head. I was wearing a skirt, I felt self-conscious of how I looked, and I just didn't feel myself. I never really got over those feelings, but I learned to deal with them.
Remember - feelings aren't reality.
Jodi made me feel as comfortable as possible. As she massaged my legs, we talked about our families, our jobs, what we were doing for Halloween. I asked her questions about lipedema and the therapy. Of course, we had no idea what progress would be made, if any. I felt relaxed and completely at ease. She confirmed the lump on the side of my ankle was a lipoma. I never knew it had a name. It was just a lump that would sometimes swell if I'd been on my feet most of the day.
The massage lasted about forty-five minutes. I wore a loose pair of capri-length workout pants under my skirt. I was used to wearing hose couldn't go out without wearing something over my legs. I took them off and Jodi proceeded to wrap my legs for the first time.
She started by applying lotion. The room was chilly and the cream was cold. She smoothed it into my skin, then measured and cut a pair of knit stockings. These aren't actual stockings with silicone at the top to hold them up. They're basically a tube of knitted material that she cut to size. She slipped it over my leg and I helped pull it up to the thigh.
The next step was cotton padding. The cotton is between the stockings and the wraps so they won't harm the skin. So far so good. My legs grew warmer as they were covered.
I ended up with five wraps on each leg. I was wrapped from foot to thigh, the smallest wrap on my foot and the largest over my thigh. Jodi walked me through the wrapping procedure so I could fix them myself if they came loose and so that my husband could help me when he was home.
The wraps were tight, but not painful. Many women with lipedema have debilitating pain in their legs. It's so bad they can't bear to be touched. I'm thankful I don't have pain. My legs may ache at the end of the day, but they're not so painful I can't be touched.
When the wraps were finished I pulled my capri-length sweats over them, then straightened my skirt. Jodi helped me put on the shoes I'd brought, a pair of hospital boot type sandals with velcro fasteners. After the first day, I ended up mostly wearing my tennis shoes and kept the hospital sandals for home. I wore the wraps for two days, taking sponge baths and sleeping in them.
I spend the first week hating the wraps. The bandages around the thighs would slip, along with the stocking, and the material would bunch up around my knee. One day the right leg would fall, the next it would be the left. I felt as if I was in the restroom at work every few minutes, redoing the wraps. I sat at my desk as much as possible as moving around made them fall faster. By the second week of wrapping, Jodi cut two pieces of stretchy material called Tubi-Grip (I called it Turbo Grip!) to place around the top of the wraps. The Tubi-Grip helped everything stay up the way it was supposed to and I spent less time fixing falling wraps. I wished she'd given me some earlier.
I noticed a change in how my legs felt by the third day when I removed them to shower. The skin was much softer to the touch, most likely due to the lotion used and the heat generated by the wraps. I enjoyed how my skin felt so much I've continued using a moisturizing lotion on my legs daily.
I had an issue with my legs itching where the wraps bunched around my knee. Jodi used hydrocortisone cream around my knees to help combat the itching.
We measured after the first week. By then I was asking her about getting my compression hose. I was more than ready to stop wearing the wraps, and it had only been a week. We discussed waiting at least one more week to see how the measurements worked out.
The first week's results were amazing! Based on her measurements, I lost almost two liters of fluid in one week. My calves didn't seem to have changed much visually, but the measurements showed they did lower. My skin was feeling better and there was a visible difference in my upper thighs.
Jodi compared my loss to a two-liter soda bottle, three-quarters full. I agreed to wait one more week before ordering the hose and we set up our next set of appointments.
Next week - Final Measurements, Getting the Hose, Dealing with Work, the Public, and Thoughts in my Head
I felt strange during my first treatment visit to Jodi, my therapist. It had nothing to do with her - it was all the stuff in my head. I was wearing a skirt, I felt self-conscious of how I looked, and I just didn't feel myself. I never really got over those feelings, but I learned to deal with them.
Remember - feelings aren't reality.
Jodi made me feel as comfortable as possible. As she massaged my legs, we talked about our families, our jobs, what we were doing for Halloween. I asked her questions about lipedema and the therapy. Of course, we had no idea what progress would be made, if any. I felt relaxed and completely at ease. She confirmed the lump on the side of my ankle was a lipoma. I never knew it had a name. It was just a lump that would sometimes swell if I'd been on my feet most of the day.
The massage lasted about forty-five minutes. I wore a loose pair of capri-length workout pants under my skirt. I was used to wearing hose couldn't go out without wearing something over my legs. I took them off and Jodi proceeded to wrap my legs for the first time.
She started by applying lotion. The room was chilly and the cream was cold. She smoothed it into my skin, then measured and cut a pair of knit stockings. These aren't actual stockings with silicone at the top to hold them up. They're basically a tube of knitted material that she cut to size. She slipped it over my leg and I helped pull it up to the thigh.
The next step was cotton padding. The cotton is between the stockings and the wraps so they won't harm the skin. So far so good. My legs grew warmer as they were covered.
I ended up with five wraps on each leg. I was wrapped from foot to thigh, the smallest wrap on my foot and the largest over my thigh. Jodi walked me through the wrapping procedure so I could fix them myself if they came loose and so that my husband could help me when he was home.
The wraps were tight, but not painful. Many women with lipedema have debilitating pain in their legs. It's so bad they can't bear to be touched. I'm thankful I don't have pain. My legs may ache at the end of the day, but they're not so painful I can't be touched.
When the wraps were finished I pulled my capri-length sweats over them, then straightened my skirt. Jodi helped me put on the shoes I'd brought, a pair of hospital boot type sandals with velcro fasteners. After the first day, I ended up mostly wearing my tennis shoes and kept the hospital sandals for home. I wore the wraps for two days, taking sponge baths and sleeping in them.
I spend the first week hating the wraps. The bandages around the thighs would slip, along with the stocking, and the material would bunch up around my knee. One day the right leg would fall, the next it would be the left. I felt as if I was in the restroom at work every few minutes, redoing the wraps. I sat at my desk as much as possible as moving around made them fall faster. By the second week of wrapping, Jodi cut two pieces of stretchy material called Tubi-Grip (I called it Turbo Grip!) to place around the top of the wraps. The Tubi-Grip helped everything stay up the way it was supposed to and I spent less time fixing falling wraps. I wished she'd given me some earlier.
I noticed a change in how my legs felt by the third day when I removed them to shower. The skin was much softer to the touch, most likely due to the lotion used and the heat generated by the wraps. I enjoyed how my skin felt so much I've continued using a moisturizing lotion on my legs daily.
I had an issue with my legs itching where the wraps bunched around my knee. Jodi used hydrocortisone cream around my knees to help combat the itching.
We measured after the first week. By then I was asking her about getting my compression hose. I was more than ready to stop wearing the wraps, and it had only been a week. We discussed waiting at least one more week to see how the measurements worked out.
The first week's results were amazing! Based on her measurements, I lost almost two liters of fluid in one week. My calves didn't seem to have changed much visually, but the measurements showed they did lower. My skin was feeling better and there was a visible difference in my upper thighs.
Jodi compared my loss to a two-liter soda bottle, three-quarters full. I agreed to wait one more week before ordering the hose and we set up our next set of appointments.
Next week - Final Measurements, Getting the Hose, Dealing with Work, the Public, and Thoughts in my Head
Monday, November 12, 2012
My Experience - MLD (Manual Lymph Drainage) and Compression Therapy
By Christina Routon
Upon discovering I had lipedema I began researching treatment options. Even though most compression treatment is for lymphadema, most sources I found also recommended it for lipedema. It was worth a shot, and I discovered my local hospital had a lymphadema clinic attached.
My endocrinologist agreed to refer me to the clinic and I set up my consultation for the beginning of October.
During the consultation, I was uncomfortable at first as no one had seen my legs except my husband and me for years. The therapist was understanding and supportive and completely non-judgmental. She took measurements and photos of my legs so we could compare when therapy was over. We set up appointments for the following week, discussed some things I would need during therapy and discussed the cost and insurance coverage. She also confirmed my diagnosis and stated I have Stage One lipedema (although I think I may be more like Stage 1 1/2 or Stage 2).
Changes in Lifestyle and Dress
The biggest change I had to made was in my clothing choices, especially at work. I typically wore slacks. I hadn't worn a dress or skirt in years. With compression bandages from foot to thigh, there was no way I would be able to fit into my slacks. I'd also just bought a new pair of heeled sandals for work. Nope, wouldn't be able to wear them either. So that weekend I headed to my local thrift store where I bought three long skirts and a few tops.
Well, I had to have tops to match the skirts, right? :)
Fears and Concerns
I was concerned about wearing the wraps. I'd just gotten used to myself after a sixty pound weight loss and was feeling pretty good in my body. Now I was told in order to have the therapy I would have to wear skirts and tennis shoes or some type of medical boot since my feet would be wrapped. I was concerned about being out in public and feeling judged in some way. I do have issues with judgement, with wanting to be accepted by others. Since I'd finally lost a lot of weight I was getting compliments and comments, and it felt good. I didn't want to lose any of that. But I knew my health was more important and it would be temporary - about a month until I was measured for compression hose. I'm still working through the judgement issues. It takes time to work through belief systems, words and feelings from the past.
Insurance, Cost, Time
Compression therapy and MLD is expensive and time consuming. You can find a therapist to do the MLD, but most are out-of-pocket expenses and aren't covered by insurance. By using a therapist at the lymphadema clinic, the therapy was considered to be occupational therapy.
If you have insurance, read through your policy. My policy allows up to 30 visits a year for various types of therapy, including occupational therapy. If the policy isn't clear, ask your insurance company if the compression bandages are considered to be durable medical equipment (DME). If so, they may cover a portion of the cost of the bandages. Since I'm bandaged from foot to thigh, I have five compression wraps on each leg. The first visit was $200 with the cost of the wraps. Each successive visit has been $50-$60.
My job provides a flexible spending account as a benefit. This is money pre-taxed for medical use. At the beginning of my plan year, I can choose how much money to put into my flexible account. That money is immediately available for me to use for medical expenses. The amount I've elected is then deducted from each paycheck, pre-tax, and is paid back in this way over the year. The good part about having this account is I was able to use it to pay for the wraps and the visits.
When I started therapy, I went three days a week for two weeks. They do like to start out daily, but I needed to keep the cost down as well as arrange for the time to be gone from work. As therapy progressed and I learned to wrap myself, I was able to lower my visit time to once a week. The visits last about two hours and I'm at work by ten a.m. I was eligible for FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act), so I spoke to my supervisor regarding the appointments and what was needed, the time frame, and how my manner of dress would change, such as the shoes I would have to wear. I didn't have any issues with filing for FMLA, and was granted the time for the appointments. I use my accrued sick time to cover the two hours I'm not at work.
Part 2 coming Monday, 11/19
Upon discovering I had lipedema I began researching treatment options. Even though most compression treatment is for lymphadema, most sources I found also recommended it for lipedema. It was worth a shot, and I discovered my local hospital had a lymphadema clinic attached.
My endocrinologist agreed to refer me to the clinic and I set up my consultation for the beginning of October.
During the consultation, I was uncomfortable at first as no one had seen my legs except my husband and me for years. The therapist was understanding and supportive and completely non-judgmental. She took measurements and photos of my legs so we could compare when therapy was over. We set up appointments for the following week, discussed some things I would need during therapy and discussed the cost and insurance coverage. She also confirmed my diagnosis and stated I have Stage One lipedema (although I think I may be more like Stage 1 1/2 or Stage 2).
Changes in Lifestyle and Dress
The biggest change I had to made was in my clothing choices, especially at work. I typically wore slacks. I hadn't worn a dress or skirt in years. With compression bandages from foot to thigh, there was no way I would be able to fit into my slacks. I'd also just bought a new pair of heeled sandals for work. Nope, wouldn't be able to wear them either. So that weekend I headed to my local thrift store where I bought three long skirts and a few tops.
Well, I had to have tops to match the skirts, right? :)
Fears and Concerns
I was concerned about wearing the wraps. I'd just gotten used to myself after a sixty pound weight loss and was feeling pretty good in my body. Now I was told in order to have the therapy I would have to wear skirts and tennis shoes or some type of medical boot since my feet would be wrapped. I was concerned about being out in public and feeling judged in some way. I do have issues with judgement, with wanting to be accepted by others. Since I'd finally lost a lot of weight I was getting compliments and comments, and it felt good. I didn't want to lose any of that. But I knew my health was more important and it would be temporary - about a month until I was measured for compression hose. I'm still working through the judgement issues. It takes time to work through belief systems, words and feelings from the past.
Insurance, Cost, Time
Compression therapy and MLD is expensive and time consuming. You can find a therapist to do the MLD, but most are out-of-pocket expenses and aren't covered by insurance. By using a therapist at the lymphadema clinic, the therapy was considered to be occupational therapy.
If you have insurance, read through your policy. My policy allows up to 30 visits a year for various types of therapy, including occupational therapy. If the policy isn't clear, ask your insurance company if the compression bandages are considered to be durable medical equipment (DME). If so, they may cover a portion of the cost of the bandages. Since I'm bandaged from foot to thigh, I have five compression wraps on each leg. The first visit was $200 with the cost of the wraps. Each successive visit has been $50-$60.
My job provides a flexible spending account as a benefit. This is money pre-taxed for medical use. At the beginning of my plan year, I can choose how much money to put into my flexible account. That money is immediately available for me to use for medical expenses. The amount I've elected is then deducted from each paycheck, pre-tax, and is paid back in this way over the year. The good part about having this account is I was able to use it to pay for the wraps and the visits.
When I started therapy, I went three days a week for two weeks. They do like to start out daily, but I needed to keep the cost down as well as arrange for the time to be gone from work. As therapy progressed and I learned to wrap myself, I was able to lower my visit time to once a week. The visits last about two hours and I'm at work by ten a.m. I was eligible for FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act), so I spoke to my supervisor regarding the appointments and what was needed, the time frame, and how my manner of dress would change, such as the shoes I would have to wear. I didn't have any issues with filing for FMLA, and was granted the time for the appointments. I use my accrued sick time to cover the two hours I'm not at work.
Part 2 coming Monday, 11/19
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