The Knitting Group and the tattooed sleeve

Suzybelle · January 2011

I thought you lovely ladies would get a charge out of this. I went to a knitting group at a local church...it wasn't my church, and I didn't know any of the ladies when I got there. They were lovely and very kind, but just a little standoffish at first. I sat down by a lady and noticed her studying my arm and hand. She said, "Oh, you must have carpal tunnel." I told her it was LE, and lo and behold, she has it as well, and has had it for 15 years! But the funniest thing was how the ladies across the room reacted who were not close enough to see that I had on compression garments...they said, "Oh, I thought it was a tattoo!" I had on my dragon garments from Lymphedivas and they are the BOMB, but perhaps a little intimidating....

So I'm obviously a rebel tattooed knitter. Cool The best part (besides how nice they all were) was the lady who has had LE for 15 years. She said hers got much better after 5 years or so and she doesn't have to wear the garments...just the oven mitt/bandages at night. It gives me hope that one of these days I won't be struggling quite so much!

kira66715 · January 2011

Suzy, boy have you been missed!

Your posts just crack me up.

I saw a woman this morning who worked hard on her breast LE and arm LE and wears her garments when she needs to and it's SO much better: just made my day.

Before I fell flat on my hand and broke it, I had gotten to a place where I didn't need daytime compression--although I wrap at night--now, I need compression again, but it's finally getting better.

The tatooed knitter--spreading the word on LE--what an image.

Kira

Nordy · January 2011

Suzybelle - I just ordered my tattooed sleeve (the new one they did for the YSC) and can't wait to get it. Sometimes their sleeves have made my LE worse - but I think it was the silicone band as all the ones with silicone at the top make my arm worse - so this time I ordered it without. I am excited. Recently I was at the gym and some young girl came up to me and asked if I had on a compression sleeve. When I told her yes, she said, "Cool". And this is the plain old dreary beige one! I keep thinking, thanks to the NBA for making compression fashionable!

Suzybelle · January 2011

Hi, Nordy:

I have that sleeve in the beige and I love it! The one I was wearing at the knitting group is the dragon one. Did you see it? It's scary awesome! I feel like Bruce Lee when I wear it. Kai YA!

Kira, I did the methacholine challenge test and had a reduction of 24%. What does that mean? I thought I was going to pass out. It was horrid. Does that mean I have asthma?

kira66715 · January 2011

Yep--I didn't want to tell you that it's horrible--they blow that irritant into your lungs and see if they spasm:

A positive reaction is a 20% fall in FEV1, and the provocative concentration that causes a positive reaction (the PC20) is used to indicate the level of airway hyperresponsiveness. If the FEV1 does not fall by at least 20% with the highest concentration of methacholine, the test is interpreted as negative and the PC20 is reported as "more than 16 mg/mL" or "more than 25 mg/mL," depending on the highest dose give

http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/ccjm/January2008/swartz.htm

The lower the dose required to drop your forced expiratory volume, the more sensitive your airways.

My older daughter has had asthma since she was little, and moved into a moldy dorm room, and ended up in the ER--and the pulmonologist, Harvard affiliated, but a jerk, did a lousy methacholine challenge test and told her she didn't have asthma! So, the local allergist called up there and discovered he did it all wrong, and sent her to the hospital pulmonary lab here, and she was quite positive--as any one would have predicted.

They gave me albuterol after they put me into total bronchospasm when I had the test--so I was jittery and tight.

I always had a bit of asthma as a kid, but thought I out grew it, and flew to California to visit my parents, with a cold, and they used a wood stove, and I was up all night using my daughter's inhaler, and it still didn't dawn on me that it really was asthma until I got home and called the allergist and asked him! Dim, huh?

Sorry it was positive, but glad it gives you some answers.

Kira

Binney4 · January 2011

Oh shoot, Suzy! Sounds like a nasty test, not to mention a bummer diagnosis -- but I'm SO GLAD you have an answer to the hacking you've been putting up with and can now treat it and get better. Please do keep us posted. Smile

Your knitting story is a hoot -- sure gave them something to discuss! Nothing quite like a new subject to socialize about! How's your scarf-production coming? I'm really tickled that you've found this new skill to pursue. Onward!

Binney

Suzybelle · January 2011

Thanks, Kira. I have a strong, strong, suspicion that Tamox. is the culprit here. I have recently developed eczema as well as stupid asthma.

Having the full blown asthma attack was really scary...I don't want to have to go through that again.

Binney, I am now an expert on creating ugly, knitted scarves. Tongue out I'm tackling crochet next!!!!

kira66715 · January 2011

Suzy, I've been using pulmicort more...could very well be the tamoxifen. Estrogen has an effect on respiratory mucosa--women on the pill or with low estrogen get thick respiratory secretions.

And my skin is dry/eczema also.

And, I have to have a D&C next month--tamoxifen induced polyps--I've been dragging my heels and refusing all surgery dates and finally conceded to schedule it...

The full blown asthma attack is really terrifying.

Do you like David Sedaris--I find I laugh out loud at some of his stuff, and I sure laugh at your posts and just re-read them and admire them--the humor is so "fine" and the insights are so great.

Hope you're breathing easier today.

Kira

Suzybelle · January 2011

Kira, I absolutely adore David Sedaris. And his sister Amy is so fantastically twisted...I have both of her books and nearly all of his. If you haven't read her "I like you: Hospitality under the Influence", you are missing a thing of beauty. And the recipes are really good, too.

There is a story in one of D. Sedaris' books about a "Mrs. Peacock". Did you ever read it? She's the babysitter who chain smokes, has the son who she's always having to attend 'court dates' with, she has huge, blonde beehive hair, and says stuff like, "You think you're better than me?" The first time I read that essay I snorted. He is a comic genius.

kira66715 · January 2011

Suzy, he once wrote about taking a subway ride with Amy, and as she got off the train, a few stops before him, she yelled "Hope you beat that rape charge." And he was left on the train with everyone staring at him.

I've got to look through the books for Mrs. Peacock.

He has this whole story about hiding from his neighbors that had me roaring.

I was taking a writing course when I broke my hand--"Writing LIfe"--everyone else wrote memoirs about their childhood and I wrote furious stuff about bc (the instructor said "But you seem so mild-mannered...), and we read short stories, and we read one of his about the holidays that was hysterical.

There was a woman when I got radiation: I called the waiting room "the village of the damned" and she was reading a David Sedaris book and I admired her--both her composure and choice of literature.

Kira

Suzybelle · January 2011

ha!!!!!!!!!! I know exactly what you are talking about...I kept threatening to do that to my cousin on FB - she's a realtor. She was NOT amused.

Instead of the Village of the Damned I go to "The Island of Misfit Toys" for LE therapy. It never fails to crack me up...and I definitely belong.

The Knitting Group and the tattooed sleeve

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