Puffy foot and politics

Battling the Puffies
Originally uploaded by Pockafwye

I spent an hour with the physical therapist learning what to do and not to do to manage my lymphedema.

Because I'd managed to bring the swelling down before the visit, my physical therapist was able to fit me for a compression stocking right away.

There are some rules to live by in addition to using compression. I'm not allowed to get any tattoos on that ankle, no soaking in a jacuzzi, no saunas, no sunburns. No IV lines or blood draws in that foot allowed. And I need to take good care of my skin, and promptly treat any scratches or bug bites.

I need to do breathing exercises, some basic self-massage, and otherwise do good stuff to take care of my lymphatic system so it can manage without the missing nodes. Including moderate exercise and stretching. I'll be going back to my Qigong and Tai Chi class now that I've got my mobility back.

I've got a plan, now. That helps my morale quite a bit.

Speaking of morale boosting, the Iowa caucus Democratic party results made me optimistic today. I'd love to see an Obama/Edwards ticket, myself. Kucinich has endorsed Obama as the preferred second choice for his own supporters, which speaks well of him (Obama) in my book.

I don't trust Hillary Rodham Clinton. She's too cozy with folks like Newt Gingrich for my comfort. Too ready to support certain questionable Bush foreign policies. Looks a little too much like she supports war on Iran, and doesn't satisfy me that she believes her vote for the resolution authorizing Bush to take military action in Iraq was a mistake. So while she rails against Bush on certain topics, I'm just not convinced she's really a force for change.

So the fact that Obama and Edwards both came out ahead of Clinton in Iowa makes me happy. I'm hopeful. If there's still a choice to be made by the time our time comes in Minnesota, I'll seriously consider showing up for the caucus after all.