I'm sure you're all wondering what a compression garment actually is, and how it's going to help me… well, luckily I'm here to answer those pressing questions & more.
*pics after the jump*
(i always wanted to say that, I'm such a legitimate blogger. did i even use that saying properly!? i just tried to look it up on urban dictionary and really not sure, but fck it. i wanted to use it, so i did.)
WTF is a compression garment?
I like to describe my compression garment as essentially just a fancy pair of Spanx. If you've never had the luxury of seeing it in person that's really the easiest way to imagine them. The only difference is mine were made custom to fit like a very tight glove (think OJ trying to pull on his glove - that's me trying to get this thing onto my body every morning) and made from a thick mesh-like material so there isn't as much give as a pair of Spanx.
So what does wearing this fancy garment do for me, you ask?
Basically it's so tight that it keeps my skin taught at all times, helping to flatten my scars and make them flush with my surrounding healthy skin - keeping the scars from getting raised, bumpy, or keloiding. The ultimate goal is that when my skin is done 'healing' in 1-2 years my scars may just be discolored or a bit of a different texture, but not raised or sunken in like a lot of burn victims you've likely seen on TV or in movies.
Sheesh, how long do you have to wear this thing?
1 YEAR. 1, long ass fcking year. Wahhhh.
Every day, 23 hours a day - i get to take it off for 1 hour while I shower. yay.
How bad does it suck?
Ok, well the truth is it didn't suck at all in the beginning. In fact I was actually excited about it. It was such a relief to go from doing my own wound care every single day (please refer to my 'Things that Suck' post) to just having to slip on one garment. It actually made me more mobile, I could get out and walk more, I wasn't having to worry about my ace bandage slipping down my leg and exposing my freshly closed wound throughout the day - you get a really awkward reaction from people when that happens - and I felt like a had something 'hugging' my skin at all times. It made me feel more secure.
Now it's been about 2 months of wearing it and yea ok, you know what...it kinda does suck. It was also cool outside when I first got in it and now it's slowly eased into full on summer in NY (aka it's hawt as hell). Speaking of….
I've also had to incorporate these nice silicon sheets into my garment which seem to be helping, but really blow to upkeep. I have to wash them every day, sometimes twice a day, and place them onto my scars before I pull my compression garment on, but after i apply lotion. It's a timely process every morning before work and every night before bed. The worst part is, the silicon doesn't stick to you.. it's just like thick rubbery sheets (think Dr. Scholls 'gellin' shoe inserts) that you place on you skin, then the compression garment wrinkles and rolls them all up, then you have to pull and prod at your garment once it's on to try and straighten them out. I have one for my leg, and one for my stomach. Exhausting.
& yes, yes it does suck VERY MUCH SO having to go to the bathroom with all this on.
I'm sure you were all wondering.
disclaimer: i feel obligated to say 'excuse the underboob', but really i've exposed you guys to 90% of my charred body at all levels of healing, so really a little underboob really shouldn't be that much of a *gasp* moment at this point. pshh. get over it, it's 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment