Lymphedema flare up

I may have done too much cooking last week. Since Saturday my left hand has been puffy enough to warrant wearing my glove much of the past week. Yesterday I thought I'd take a break from the glove, and by nighttime my hand was so puffy that I couldn't grip anything, even the toothbrush handle. So I pulled out the trusty bandaging supplies and tried to remember how to wrap my hand and arm.

It's amazing how months can go by and I don't quite remember all the tricks the first time I bandage. Of course it all comes back in moments but that first second when I look at all the supplies and try to remember what goes first is a little disconcerting to experience after ten years of living with lymphedema.

I had hoped with the return of warmer weather I would be able to do more garden work but that may have contributed to this flare up. I can't fit a garden glove over my lymphedema glove and even if I somehow manage to squeeze my gloved hand into Rik's (larger) gloves, I have no fine motor control, needed even to pull weeds.

So today will be a lazy, do-nothing day, not by choice but because lymphedema prevents me from typing, holding a pen, doing anything that requires fine motor control. But I hope that one full day bandaged will bring my hand close enough to normal that I will be able to run errands and make Shabbat dinner on Friday.

Was it worth this price I have to pay for having cooked so many hours last week? Not sure. I enjoyed the cooking and the camaraderie a lot. If I'd thought about it, I might have chosen to wear my glove with a rubber glove over it while doing most of the repetitive work like chopping. I can't get my handmade, expensive lymphedema glove wet or dirty, but did wear it on Saturday for prepping the serving platters.

Evidently that was not enough and so I am paying the price anyway. At least I think I know why this flare up is happening.