2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back

The first time we went for therapy, I asked how long the initial, intensive phase of treatment would take.  Just trying to get a handle on what we were in for. The therapist was a little bit vague with her answer.  Now I know why!  The treatment phase is not a straight line from point A to point B, more like a wiggly, doodle-ish, curvy thing that has no set length.  The morning after the first bandaging, MA had lost three pounds (in 15 hours)!!  Three pounds of fluid pushed out of her leg.  No wonder bandaging is the gold standard of treatment - it really works.  Two steps forward.  Then came the cellulitis.  Since the lymph fluid is trapped in the tissue, it's the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, hence the infection called cellulitis.  It's apparently a common thing among lymphedema patients, and it's easily treatable with antibiotics if caught early.  Untreated it can rapidly spread throughout the body, causing all sorts of scary problems.  So, because MA's foot was pretty red, off to the doctor we went.  She was prescribed a round of antibiotics, and no bandaging for at least 48 hours.  One step back.  After a few days, bandaging resumed.  Moving forward again.  Then, the foot pain started happening and she had to remove the bandages in the middle of the night.  One step back.  Oh yeah, the infection didn't seem all the way cleared up, so back to the doctor to see what he thought.  The foot still looked inflamed, so another antibiotic was added, and once again, no bandaging for another couple of days. Another step back.  This time MA's foot cleared up nicely, and we again resumed the nightly bandaging.  Yay - two steps forward.  Next came the biggest setback yet - a rashy reaction to one of the antibiotics.  The rash, which started on her arms, eventually spread to cover almost her entire body.  Bendadryl helped the itching and kept us from going to the ER that night, but I came pretty close.  So, no more antibiotics and no bandaging for 48 hours.  One step back.  Holy cow, this is going to take forever!  In the week or so that's passed since the rash, we've started moving forward again.  I'm bandaging nightly, and every morning I peek my head into MA's room, looking for a pile of bandages, foam, and cotton on the floor.  If it's not there I know she was able to tolerate the bandage compression all night.  If I see a pile, the bandages are off.  But it's ok - just a small step backward.  I've found myself frustrated at the pace of progress but then I remember that we ARE making progress.  Since beginning therapy in late April, MA has lost a total of 10 pounds (!), and her leg measurements are slowly but surely going down.  While the intensive phase is taking longer than I first anticipated, the treatment is working and MA's leg will NEVER be as big as it was before the lymphedema diagnosis.