Style 1102: How To Make Your Compression Garment Look Good!

(if basic styling would be considered 'Styling 101', this is on a whole 'nother level - hence the course number '1102' in the title.. just in case you didn't get it. ;)

Most people think I've just completely embraced this compression garment and have been rocking it with pride. That's semi-true, but maybe the more factual answer is… I have no choice. So when the going gets tough, the tough puts on complementary ensembles!

There's really 2 main ways to make a compression garment look good:
       1. Cover it up. 
       2. Rock it like you own it!

Here's some examples of how I've been doing each….

1. Cover it up.
While this one can kinda suck in the summer time due to added layers and the sweat factor, it's also has its benefits - such as doubling as a body shaper and making your stomach look flat after devouring nachos & wings. #winning

Since the garment itself is already so tight and clingy, when I'm trying to camouflage it I opt for looser more flowy pieces.

2. Rock it like you own it!
Due to the rising temperatures in NYC I've probably been opting for this option a bit more lately. For the next few months if you see me around you'll likely see me in something closer to the following…

Also, sportswear seems to do the best job of blending in with the garment and lets be honest, that's like 95% of my wardrobe anyways. Now I just have a legitimate medical excuse to dress in stylish gym attire all the time. Take THAT casual friday!

I'll try to post more clothing options as the seasons change again.
If anyone who see's this has also been in a similar circumstance, I'd love to hear about how you styled yours & coped with the ordeal.

Xo,
L

WTF is a 'Compression Garment'?! (& more…)

Oh hay guys,

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.

3 MONTH UPDATE

Oh hay guyz!! Long time no see...
Sorry I haven't updated this blog in a while - I've been slowly getting back to work full time and trying to build myself back up mentally by hanging out with friends and attempting to regain my social life one outing at a time.  *insert long dramatic exhale here*

I've also gotten into my compression garment full time! (FINALLY) That was a bit of a struggle, and I'll be sure to detail that whole todo in my next post, entitled "WTF is a 'Compression Garment'".

Anywho back to the update.
Here's a few photos from the past few weeks…

Here's a couple from about 8 weeks in:

 





10 weeks in:

 





& finally, 12 weeks/3 months in (taken today):

 








The compression garment is helping SO MUCH, and I've finally found a moisturizing routine that works best for me. Lubriderm is great for when you're in a rush, but Palmer's Cocoa Butter in the jar is really ideal. It's a little greasier and takes a bit longer to absorb into your skin, but it really does wonders!


Pics & post of the compression garment to follow up soon….. :)

OMFG IT ITCHES.

Yea I never really got around to talking about this part much - but it's so effing important to mention. THE.ITCHING.

OH.
MY.
GAWD.

the worst.
I can not tell you how many times i laid in bed, propped up by a pillow, with tears just running down my face. The doctors will tell you 'this is good, because it means you're healing', but my god does it feel bad. I can't really describe it, but if you've ever had a scab that's healing you've probably felt it on a very minor level. It's like chicken pox, on crack. Or 1,000 red ant bites all in one area. And of course, you obviously can't scratch it. So you just have to lay there and take it.
You're helpless, and so is everyone around you.

The only thing that helps? Benadryl.
Thank the heavens above for Benadryl, because clearly angels themselves came down and made this stuff. It works legitimate miracles, with one drawback… you'll be in a coma within the hour. So yea, if you plan on functioning as a human being, don't take it. But, if you want to relieve the god forsaken itching and not cry, do it. Those are basically your only two options.

99% of the time i chose to put myself into a coma, and I don't regret it one bit.
sleep > tears.

6 weeks & counting...

It's been 6 weeks. 

Actually, it's been 6 weeks and 2 days to be exact - but hey, who's counting?

I know I haven't been blogging as often, but I've been busy trying to get back to real life, hunting for a new apartment, and focusing on my recovery. Also, my mom left about a week ago and I've been having to do a lot more on my own. (#thestuggle)

Anywho, on with the updates!

So, here's some more recent pics of the progress:

& I even got measured for my compression garment yesterday at my check-in with the hospital. Mine is going to be a bit like high waisted bike shorts that will stop right above my knee. Think 'custom made Spanx' - in black. The purpose of them is to keep pressure constantly on my skin, which will ultimately make my scars flatten out. It also acts as a protective layer while your skin underneath is healing up over the next year. Yes, a year. I have to wear this thing for, A YEAR. fml. Here's how they measure you so that it literally fit's every inch of your leg/body:

I can't technically wear the thing though until all my wounds have closed up 100%, and as you can see from the above photos… my thigh still has a little ways to go. Womp. I'm hoping by the time the garment is ready for me (in two weeks) my thigh will be ready as well. *fingers crossed*

In the meantime I have a temporary compression garment for my torso since my stomach is all closed up. OH MY GAWD, this thing is TIGHT. Here's hoping it doubles as a corset and makes my stomach flat and waist tiny! *fingers crossed again* I'm in no rush to get into the real thing!

Things that I learned from my doctor yesterday:

- no bikini waxes for at least 3 months (#fml)

- no direct sun exposure for 1 year (#fmlfmlfml)

- if i do go in the sun i need to layer on clothing + the strongest SPF sunscreen money can buy

- you can't get addicted to benadryl (even though i'm like 90% sure i am. i heart benadryl.)

- i can work part-time from home

- can't go back in the office full time until i'm physically able to get into a compression garment (evidently this is pretty standard, and truthfully if i had gotten the surgery/skin grafts i probably would be in one by now.)

until next time….

one month update.

Sunday made it officially 4 weeks since my incident.

I've come a LONG way in just 4 weeks, not only physically but mentally as well.
I've gotten completely off the pain meds in the past week, took public transportation for the first time today, and even spoke with a trainer about starting back in the gym soon. I can not wait to get back in the gym, I feel like a useless blob just sitting around and going for long walks. This must be what it's like to be an old person. I don't look forward to it.

Anywho, here are some pics from tonight's bandage change:
(it may look a little bloodier - sorry - but actually that's good! it means my nerve endings and blood flow has come back into that area, i just don't have as many layers of skin there to hold it all in yet. ew. soon though, soon.)

Oh, I also got a fancy new ace bandage yesterday when I went to the burn clinic for my check-in! It's so amazing, I wish I would have been given one sooner. Although I still have a couple of small open wounds I finally feel like I can get around a bit more. I walked over 5 miles yesterday. That's a lot for me even on a normal day! I think I was a bit over eager after getting the ace bandage, but I made it home none the less.

things that suck.

You may have noticed that I haven't really touched much on the negative aspects of this journey I'm on... well, there's a reason for it. And, as much as I would love to say it's because I'm a strong person and I've been optimistic and positive throughout the entire experience - that's simply not true.

The real reason I haven't blogged much about the dark side of things is that I hate reliving those moments. It's bad enough to go through them once first-hand, the last thing I want to do is sit down at my computer afterwards and write about them. So, I've been waiting for the right moment to address some of the things I simply couldn't handle along the way and now (at 3AM when I'm wide awake) seems like as good a time as any. 

Just a Couple of Things that Suck (I could write more, but I'll spare you):

1. Showers. 

Showers used to be one of my favorite things in the world. You come home after a long day, pull off all your clothes, and just stand there letting the warm water run down your neck and wash away all the tensions from your life. Then, you put on your jammies of choice and curl up under the covers with some trash tv until bedtime. Instead, here is my shower process these days:

• preparation. take approx. 15 mins beforehand to lay out supplies on your bed for bandaging post-shower.
• bandage removal. remove clothes, then carefully remove all 3 layers of bandages - oh, but be careful because sometimes your wound may stick to a bandage and if you mistakingly pull that off prepare for the worst pain you've felt in days. if this ever happens, it's smarter to just get in the actual shower with your bandages on and hope the water will soak in enough to allow the bandage to slide off instead of having to rip your skin off along with it. 
• run a lukewarm shower - not too hot, because you don't want to irritate the wounds. fml, i love hot showers.
• make a game plan. figure out your process, and then get everything besides wound cleaning out of the way. meaning, if you need to wash your hair, body, or shave - you need to hurry the fck up and get those things out of the way so you can get to the real reason you're showering...
• clean your wounds. ew ew ew. i can not even type this one without cringing. it is literally as gross as it sounds, and i have so much respect for anyone who has ever had to do this at home. i've found that a gauze pad works well, so i open a fresh gauze pad during each shower, squeeze a little mild soap (such as dove unscented, or ivory) onto it, then lightly wipe and pad down each of my wounds. 
• i feel it's important for anyone else going through this to mention that i HATE touching my wounds in the shower. even though I don't have to physically touch them with my hands, just the sensation of something gliding over it gives me the 'heebie-jeebies' (sp?). it is by far the worst part of my day and for the last month I've felt like my life revolves around bandage changes. I  can not wait until everything closes up and I just have to deal with keeping it moisturized. 
• dry your body - but not the wounds, you don't want to touch open wounds with a nasty towel that's probably been sitting on your toilet or sink while you shower. 
• get back to the supplies. mine are typically laid out on my bed, which means i have to get from the bathroom to my bedroom with a towel loosely draped over me while i hold the front out making sure nothing touches my wounds. it's awkward.
• bandaging - which leads me to my second thing that sucks….

2. Bandage Changes.

OMFG. You.have.no.idea. Literally the death of me. Once this is all over I will be so grateful to just put on clothing in the morning and walk out of my house. Experiences like these really make you appreciate being a normal healthy human. It's like when you're all sick and stuffy, and you appreciate being able to breathe regular - but only 100 times worse. Anywho, I won't walk you though the whole process of bandaging, that's not the shitty part. The shitty part is how you feel the entire time. 

Showers suck enough on their own, then once you're out bandaging takes another 15-20 mins. The entire time I'm cleaning my wounds and bandaging them I'm also using 95% of the energy in my body to keep myself from crying, clenching my teeth, and trying to convince myself this is almost over. My mom has learned to go in the other room during this time, because I've dubbed it my 'quiet time'. I can't speak, or listen to anyone. In fact I can't really do anything at all other than the task at hand. 

It itches.

It hurts.

It oozes.

It's sensitive.

It's ugly.

It's bleeding.

It's everything bad in the world and my skin is crawling the entire time.

Once it's over I literally have to lay down, exhale, and just unwind for a few moments. I'm completely drained, but it's over. And until the next bandage change (in 12 hours) I can try to take my mind off things.