My homemade KT tape video, and my voice is sleepy and tired. It’s the first time I’ve gone public with this video outside of my own closed group. This was originally recorded on June 14, 2016 in the middle of the night. I couldn’t sleep, as I was several weeks into caring for my Lymphie Dad who was battling metastatic adenocarcinoma at the time. He subsequently passed away on June 29.
I was just reduced from stage 1 the previous year and wearing my daytime garments but caring for him 24/7 and totally off my routine. Things were outside of my control like being 125 miles away from my house & gym (pool time), sleeping on the couch every night, had not had a full nights sleep. Diet wise away from my kitchen and normal groceries. Lots of fast food or casseroles and such that family had brought over in the essence of time or as a well meaning gesture. Most of my Lymphedema toolbox was at home. Not to mention my emotional state.
It was hot!! South Texas in the middle of summer with my Dad saying he was freezing all the time. Temp was 78F in the house, and I was sweating profusely in trunk and full compression 30-40 mmhg pantyhose for both legs. I don’t have a pump either. The 5 inches I reduced off my trunk came back with a vengeance. I started to swell back up and experiencing that familiar pain like a bad EX trying to come back into my life. I asked my husband to bring my KT tape.
All of the above affect Lymphedema- sleep, diet/food, heat, lack of exercise, lack of time to do self MLD and self care, STRESS, etc.
Life happens. We are not always in the ideal environment, but we have to do what we have to do. I would do it all over again infinite times in less than a heartbeat. I loved my Dad so much and miss him terribly. He was my Lymphedema coach besides my father. ❤
Sorry for the long post but felt I needed to explain the background.
Uses: I use it on my legs to help me mainly with my runs when I’m going to do a 5K. It has been a Godsend for my back and critical to my truncal LE management. Usually leave it on for about 5 days and just trim the edges as they start to peel. It’s rare that I’m without compression, so yes I use it underneath compression.
Disclaimer: This is my own personal way of taping. It’s not in any book or YouTube. I’m just a LE patient just like everyone else. I don’t claim to be an expert and definitely not a medical professional. It’s just what I feel works for me after months of trial and error. I’ll probably keep tweaking as I do more trial and error or try different tape brands. It’s just another tool in my LE toolbox. 😁😁
Consult your certified taping and/or Lymphedema therapist for more questions for your individual needs.
Here’s the You Tube link –
Happy New Year 2017!