skirts are the new lemonaid.

My skin has been feeling a bit raw for the past few months. Tired, over-used, abused by the pump. I was grumpy about it, but I tried some new sites on my legs, in the hope of giving my "favorite" spots a bit of a rest. It has worked to some degree, but the leg sites seem to get more irritated for some reason. Maybe it's the seams of the jeans rubbing against them or the inevitable tugging they endure from the snagged tubing as I'm getting dressed or undressed. Whatever the reason, it's meant a couple of infections at the site, which is a new delight to have to deal with. Great! Now my legs and my hips feel beaten up. The arms won't work, the stomach, not so much. So what to do?

Luckily I'm a girl so the answer, in a word, is skirts. I realized that less tight, heavy denim with seams and waistbands rubbing against my sites might reduce some of the irritation I've been feeling. So I tried wearing skirts to work the last couple of weeks and guess what, it helped. A lot! I hauled out some old skirts I've had in the closet for ages but rarely wore. I went shopping for some new sassy ones, which is always fun (I love new clothes, especially when I can justify them as a "necessity"). I figured out how to wear skirts in cool weather and still stay warm. It took some thought but it worked and I'm pretty excited about that. It sounds so simple, when you think about it, but it took ages for me to actually figure it out. Who knew that skirts would turn out to be the lemonaid from the lemons, of my tired, unhappy sites?

Comments

[Chrissie in Belgium]

I have had similar troubles when I put the insertion sites on my thighs. I kept pulling them out when I took off my jeans. I got lots of advice from other bloggers, so check out my posts about this in February 2007 at http://chrissieinbelgium.blogspot.com I discovered a fabulous film that I put on top of the insertion site and the loop of line that is formed between the insertion site and where the line can be disconnected. It is made by Smith & Nephew. My bxx has a French/Dutch text but it is called Op Site Flexifix. It is a transparent film. It comes in a roll that is 10cm, about 4 inches, wide. It is not at all as expensive as the Tegaderm patches. I am sure it exists in the US! Send me an email or check out my blog if you need more info. Skirts are fun but with this film that easily adheres to your skin you should be able to still wear your jeans. I had the exact same problem!

[Lili]

I got Opsite Flexifix here:
http://hebhomecare.com/SN_woundcare/SN_woundcare_postop_opsite_flexifix.htm

[artsweet]

I use IV3000 on my leg sites. Keeps them from pulling out and from getting irritated. I should use it on all of them, because I notice a lot less redness. And if you order your supplies from MMed, just ask them for it the next time you reorder.