I'm really sensitive

"Do you have an adhesive allergy?" "Um, kind of."

One of the worst bandage experiences I've had was after I had biopsies on both breasts 2.5 years ago. Don't freak out. I'm fine. Lucky, and fine. The bandages, however, liked my skin so much that one of them tore off some it to keep forever. That resulted in an infection. Not my favorite part of the whole shebang. Actually, when the anesthesia didn't work on the right side, and there was a second, internal infection a month later that verged on being an abscess, that wasn't so cool, either.

So, when my physical therapist asked if I had a problem with adhesives when he wanted to tape my shoulder/back/neck last week, I was honest. He said he did, too, but that there were two kinds of tape, and he'd put the one that works for him under the other on me.

That was okay the first time. Kind of tricky to remove it myself. He recommended pulling the skin from the bandage, which is hard to do when it is in the middle of your back and there is no one around to assist you. I did it anyway. No real damage. Coconut oil on the reddened skin seemed to soothe it. The next day, he re-taped me.

Two days later, I removed it again. I didn't have time to put on the coconut oil before heading to the physical therapy office and when I got there, the therapist who worked on me that day (a nice lady), said she wasn't going to tape me. I asked why, and she said she noticed some irritation. I looked at my right arm and saw what looked like a peeling sunburn. Um, I wasn't sunburned. Gross.

The redness lasted three more days, even with more oil on it.

I'm not saying the tape didn't help. It felt like a comfortable restraint, like a corset you don't have to wear all the time, or a bra. Like it was doing something important. Something necessary for support and strength.

That said, I may keep it on a little longer next time. Ripping off a giant band aid by yourself is no fun, but having to do it every other day is way, way worse. Looking forward to not needing it anymore.