need help with custom glove re painful pressure spot

dassi52

Does anyone have experience with custom gloves? I have a problem spot on my hand (knuckle area of pinkie and side) that can't tolerate pressure. I tried off-the shelf- gloves and the pain they caused me was very bad: it took several hours and lots of ibuprufin to have it subside. So in the meantime, I am bandaging 23/24 and it is a pain in the neck. Today I saw an orthpedic MD - he has no idea what causes the pain because an US doesn't show a thing, but suggested I get a custom glove with an empty area where the trouble spot is. So what do I do about swelling there? Do I have to put a bandage over the glove? That would give me double pressure where the bandage and glove overlap.

Next week I'll see the LPT and we'll finalize hopefully what I can do. But if there's anyone out there who had something similar, even if it's a different body part, where there were spots that couldn't have pressure, I would love to know how you solved the problem.

melmcbee

Dassi52, I dont have any answers for you but I just wanted to wish you well and bump your thread up for the experts. I send healing prayers your way.

dassi52

Thank you! That's what I like so much about the forum,  that there is always someone to share with, ask questions of and know that others understand you, being in the same boat etc. In my case, it's not that I don't trust my LPT, but I have no idea if she has ever come across a case like mine. Nice as she is, when I mentioned that my pinky often gets these lymph "pinpricks" or more like an electric current, she looks astonished. Yes, you got to have LE to understand what I am talking about. 

NaniAlice

I've had times off and on were I have had problems. My arm is small from the elbow down, and large from the elbow up. To get the correct pressure I have to have a custom sleeve and glove. My insurance covers one a year. I get it through my PT. Hope your able to fined what you need.



Hugs from Alice

hugz4u

Dassi, I think your MD is wrong because  if I you get a hole made in your glove where your pressure spot is wouldn't the fluid move to that unpressurized holey spot making things worse in the end?

The way they make off shelf gloves(not sure about custom)  always gives us more pressure around that pinky side area and lower, side index finger area.(this shouldn't be so) Until my gloves break in after about 2 months those areas are always squeezing me and it can hurt.

I also have 2 small hard pimples in between my web of my 3rd and 4th finger that I got from too much rubbing from my off shelf glove when I fist pump when I walk.  My MLD girl says they are ulcerated. They have been there for over a year and won't go away. I put a bandage between the finger web and it helps. Actually a girl here on the boards told me what it was before even my MLD girl did as she had a odd problem like this.  Thank goodness we have eachother here for help.

My post doesn't apply to you but maybe you can glean from my experience and it will trigger a new thought for you enabling a solution.

dassi52

hugz4u, thank you. The painful part around my pinky is not LE painful. There isn't any extra amount of swelling there, and actually my fingers and hand are pretty good when I bandage. (I don't bandage the palm tight at all!) The pain is apparently caused by some kind of internal damage which doesn't show up on an US, but is there nevertheless  when there is a lot of pressure on it. (glove or a too tight short-stretch). I hope I explained in well enough that you understand what I mean. Nevertheless, I agree with you that having an open area means fluid might just migrate there. I got to speak to the LPT, and hope for the best solution. If I get a glove that hurts as much as the ones I tried out, there is no way I can wear one. It was so painful I couldn't function! If I stay with bandages, it isn't great either but at least it doesn't hurt and it reduces the fingers very nicely. I am still hoping there is someone out there in the forum who knows a case like mine and can advise.

Binney4

Dassi, when you wrap your hand loosely, does it still control the swelling? I'm compression-sensitive and have to wrap with a very light hand, but the looser wrap actually does the job. When I order custom sleeves I have to have the fitter measure very loosely too, or my fingers turn all sorts of ugly colors and my whole hand hurts. So when I look at my gloves the fingers are a bit wrinkly like elephant skin, because they're not tight--but they WORK to keep the swelling in control. You might just have too much compression. We're all different in what we can tolerate and what our bodies need.

Keep us posted!
Binney

Kicks

I have never had off the shelf garments as my mesurements do not fit any of the pre-made ones.    Custom garments are made to your measurements so it is very important that the person who does the measuring gets it right.   Even with careful measurements they some times have to be sent back for modification(s).

We got the sleeve measurements down quite quick but are still tweekiwayng th gloves.  My hands are somewhat webbed (especially between middle fingers where the webbing goes a bit more than 1/2 way from hand to joint).  It has been quite an issue for my LE guy to get them to understand that I have webbing so it's weird.  It HURTS when the glove 'cuts in'.  With each new set ordered they are getting better and hopefully the 2 sets that are on order now it will be finally totally right.  My palm is also wider/broader than what would be expected with the length.  Anyway point is that custom are just that - made to your measurements not some ''average' 'fits all'.

 I get 2 new sets every 6 months as according to my guy, they are only going to keep proper elasticity for 3 months of wear so he orders me 2 sets every 6 months so I can alternate them.

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dassi52

Binney4 and Kicks, thanks for responding! 

Binney, I wrap my fingers with gauze quite snugly, including pinky, witout any problems. The shortstretch that goes on my hand, wrist and about 4 inches up the forearm, is pretty loose. In fact, when my previous as well as my current LPT wrapped it, I had to redo it within 20 minutes because it was way too tight and painful.And even when I do it myself, if I pull too tight because I don't pay attention, I have to redo. Nevertheless,even loosely it does take care of the swelling. The orthopedic MD didn't even see the LE, but then he didn't pay close attention to the difference between the LE and the non LE hand. All of us pros would see it right away that the "wrinkles" on my joints etc are almost not there, and that the hand looks much "younger" as opposed to my wrinkly healthy left hand. (Never thought that I'd miss those wrinkles!)

What I do know is that when I tried the first off-the-shelf glove with class II (European) compression and pretty much my size, the pain was awful on the sore spot. Then I tried one size larger which was way too big for the fingers, and compression class I (European) and that too was very painful on the same spot. Now what I don't know is if they can make a glove that has normal pressure everywhere except for the part on my hand that cannot bear it. I hadn't even realized I had that sore spot till I tried the gloves. On the whole, your suggestion, Binney, makes a lot of sense. 

While I get back 83% of the costs of the graments (2 per year), the extra postage costs such as mailing gloves back and forth are my responsibility and that adds up. The custom glove is made in Germany by Medi, but if it does need alterations, it'll cost me postage to the supplier and to Germany both ways. That becomes quite pricy! That's besides the waiting period for them to fix it and then send it back. Clearly, I really hope that it will fit properly at first try.

In January I hope to fly to the States for my nephew's barmitzvah. I'll be inauguarating the sleeve for the flights, and I am also concerned that the glove that I will then hopefully have, will do the trick even with low compression. My DH always says I worry too much beforehand, and should just see what will happen. One thing I do know, that I am definitely packing my gauze and shortstretch in my hand luggage just in case.

Kicks, what a pain in the neck that it took so long for you to get properly fitting loves. That really made me understand better how difficult it might be to get it "just so". But you are fortunate that your insurance allows for 2 garments every 6 months.

The othopedic MD had also a surprise for me when he claimed that my pinky has arthritis. As soon as I was diagnosed and bandaged up, one of the joints became red and swollen. He said it might have been dormant and the LE just brought it out. My left pinky is OK so far. In the end he just gave me some cream for pain (Voltarene) to use when exercising my fingers. (They need a lot of exercising because they were out of commission for more than 3 weeks and I am relearning to flex them) and I should also put on cream before I put on the short stretch. Don't see how that'll work exactly, but I'll try.

Will keep you posted. 

dassi52

Here' an update. After my PT finally measured me properly for a custom glove, saying she would give me something with minimal pressure in the problem area, she suddenly asked me if I had ever tried Farrow off the shelf. She didn't have my size in stock, so she ordered, but whatever was sent was either slightly too big or too small. So I am waiting again for the right size to come in. I was absolutely thrilled with the amazing fabric of Farrow. It's super easy to put on unlike Medi 95 which is a struggle, and it's very pleasant for the skin and very light and thin. Now is this going to do the trick and help my hand w/o hurting? I can only hope while I am waiting again for a try-out. This ordeal definitely requires lots of patience. I am also dreading that I may have to deal with the Medi95 man who just gave me credit, when I returned the glove, but didn't send back the money, because if I end up with a Farrow (from a different supplier) rather than the Medi 95 custom, I want my money back, and all this needs to be done soon so I can send in proper receipts to the insurance to request payment. (the medi 95 guy happens to be very congenial on the phone, but then, I haven't pressured him yet about refunds). In the meantime, bandages..... (sigh) 

LindaKR

dassi - I have a degenerated/arthritic thumb joint on my LE hand, if the compression is too tight it really hurts, I had to stretch my gauntlet out there, I'm thinking that it could be the same issue with your pinky, it's really arthritis pain.  If I go a little looser it helps with the pain.  But because of the arthritis, and no thumb joint now (why?) I have continuous swelling, which triggers a cycle of arthritis swelling, triggers LE swelling, triggers more pain, it just seems to go around and around. I had a steroid shot in that thumb joint and it's helped for about a year now - less swelling and pain.

dassi52

Linda, that's a real eye-opener. You might be right on target. See, the only place where I saw arthritis was a red swollen join in the middle of my pinky, so I never connected it to the pain I have on the palm /knuckle below the pinky. It makes a lot of sense that it's caused by arthritis, and I am going to keep in mind those steroid shots if necessary. Weren't you afraid that the shots would affect the LE issue?

I also noticed that my arthritic finger is the one that gets most of the unpleasant LE tingles (for want of a better derscription). The rest of the fingers and hand are only bothering when I over-exert myself. It also swells more easily. Altogether it does sound like your thumb. I'm so glad you wrote and shed light on this issue. If you have any more helpful info, please write! Impatiently waiting for that Farrow try out. 

LindaKR

I checked it out with my LE therapist before getting the injection, my LE was under control (more or less) and she felt the injection would do more good than harm, worth the risk.  She just had me watch for additional swelling, and if I ended up with problems to get right in to her.  She was right - the swelling and pain went away pretty quickly, and it's been good until just recently.  Now I did have a punch biopsy in my MX area, toward my sternum, that triggered a really "nice" LE event.  I guess you never know

dassi52

Thanks for your answer. By me both the swelling and the pain are still reasonable, so I wouldn't ask for a shot, but it's always good to know what to do if the need ever arises. It's really something how having LE changes our whole perspective. You have to think about LE all the time and be so super careful - something I really wasn't before. (All I did was not getting BP or blood done on that arm). Scratches and cuts didn't even register as LE risks. Boy, did that change! 

Leah_S

Dassi, another thought I had was, if the glove doesn't work, maybe try wrapping your fingers and using a guantlet. That way you can have more control over the finger part that's painful.

Leah

dassi52

Hi Leah, the problem is more the knuckle and part of the palm under the pinky, rather that the fingers themselves as far as pressure goes, so I'd think that a gauntlet would be just as painful. In the meantime,I am just waiting to try out the Farrow my size. 

Linda, I was by my OT today for my weekly treatment (nothing to do with LE  - just trying to get my right hand back to normal functioning) and I told her about our email re arthritis and the cortizone shot. She asked m how many shots you have had, and I said that I understood you've had only one. SHe warned me (and I am passing this on to you) that cortizone shots are very strong, and one should get NO more than 2 shots in any part of the hand during his lifetime. The cortizone can actually damage the softer tissues, ligaments etc, and too much of the stuff is going to do harm rather than help you. So be aware of that. My OT is a pro specializing in the hand and she knows what she is talking about, so I wanted to let you know right away to keep that in mind. (Getting shots in your shoulder for a frozen shoulder f.e. is less problematic because it is a big muscle. I asked her about it because I got at least 3 a year ago) 

We just had a siren here, but thank G-d the rockets fell in an open area. We have it easy. In the South people have rocket attacks around the clock more or less.

LindaKR

dassi - thanks for the info, I had heard that and  my OT and I talked about it some.  I was having so much pain that I couldn't use my hand, and nothing we tried was having any effect.  The orthopedic surgeon said because of the fact that the joint was filled with bone spurs and the joint was basically gone, the only other option would be surgery to rebuild the joint, I really wasn't up for that one, so chose the lesser of two evils.  Kind of why it scares me that it's starting to swell and hurt again.  Has your OT heard of other solutions?  I think that my next step would be to go to a hand specialist - Doctor and/or OT.  My OT is strictly LE therapist only, though she has been taking more classes on cancer rehab recently. 

Your last paragraph certainly caught my attention - I had no idea you were in Israel, and here I'm complaining about a winter storm.  Be safe - and God Bless you,

Linda

dassi52

Thanks for your good wishes. I'll ask my OT next week (will hopefully remember to do so) but I agree with you that a specialist is called for when you have to make such important decisions.

Binney4

Dassi, thanks for letting us know about your situation there with regard to sirens and rockets. So sad! Have been praying for you and Leah and Natalie (who's in Tel Aviv, for goodness sake!) as I watch the news. Be well!

I too have arthritis in my hand and have my fitter measure very loosely across my palm. When it's too tight across there your whole hand has to strain to keep the sides of your hand from "collapsing" toward the palm, and that really stresses both my arthritis and the LE. Looser's better. The Farrow glove is heavenly, though some women here report the different colors fit differently, so if you find a glove that works, don't switch colors!

Binney

LindaKR

Thanks Binney - I'm going next week to get measured and I'll be sure she measures a little looser there.  Also, going to check out the Farrow glove.

dassi52

Hi Binney, I didn't know about the colors so that's a useful pc of info. Actually, I depend on whatever my LPT gets when she orders, and it is very likely there isn't that much choice like in the US. At this point I am just waiting for a well-fitting painless glove. I do hope there is such a thing!

Does anyone know about the Magid Touchmaster inspection gloves? Some reviews said that the women's size runs tight and may even shrink in the laundry. I wanted to buy a dozen pairs to try out for dirt/stain  protection but ith has to fit properly. This is the link on Amazon                      

http://www.amazon.com/Magid-TouchMaster-Cotton-Inspection-Glove/product-reviews/B004THMRJM/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

There was something about inspection gloves on SUSO but the links didn't work well, so I just googled and came up with this one as well as the following:

http://www.saraglove.com/Womens-100-Cotton-Inspection-Glove-p/80-1300-p.htm

So if anyone has experience with either or has a different idea how I can protect the glove from stains and dirt besides latex gloves, I would love to hear.

Leah_S

Dassi, are you allergic to latex, or do you just dislike the feel?

There is a non-latex glove available here. On the box it says they are vinyl with no powder, and the brand is אריסטוקרט.

Leah

dassi52

Thanks, Leah. I think I know what you mean, and I bought them once, but haven't seen them in the store for a long time. I do like those better than latex which often causes itching. The reason I also wanted cotton is that I do want a breathable glove cover. The latex/vinyl is for cleaning and kitchen work (or as someone said on the forum, to take along when on the plane for bathroom use). If I can get cotton, I'd wear it most of the day over the compression glove, maybe cut off the top so my nails are free. I see how much I have to wash the gauze bandages, and I figure that the cotton gloves can help me keep the real glove clean longer. 

In any case, now you gave me the brand name, I am going to actively look for the vinyl ones. I hope you are up to meeting next week by Sophia Z. and look forward to seeing you then - with gauze or glove .

carol57

I went to an artisan bread baking school and was worried about five days of non-stop kneading with sleeve and gauntlet on. My solution was to cut the foot off some white athletic socks and use the tube part to cover my sleeve, and to wear a simple cotton glove over my gauntlet. I floured up the glove and the bottom of the sock and it worked beautifully--artisan bread dough is very wet, but the dough never stuck to the sock or glove at all, and my sleeve and gauntlet stayed perfectly clean underneath.  I was a bit astonished that the flour never worked its way into my sleeve or gauntlet.  I used a new sock/cotton glove each day and of course a clean sleeve/gauntlet, but any worries of a gummy mess on my sleeve simply did not materialize. If the cotton is woven tightly enough, it really does keep what's underneath clean (but not dry...wet work is another problem!)

LindaKR

Carol57 - what a great idea - thank you!

dassi52

Carol, what a smart idea. Just wondering if all that kneading didn't exhaust your arm? Do you remember which brand of cotton gloves you used? Were you happy with the sizing? Where did you buy them?

Leah_S

Dassi, if you can't find the vinyl ones, do you want me to get a box for you? They're usually available in my area so I can bring it on Tues.

Leah

carol57

Dassi, the kneading made my arm tired, for sure, but it was manageable (and I was highly motivated to keep kneading!).  The gloves were some that I bought in a drug store, meant to be worn with lotion to moisturize the hands overnight.  They are 100% cotton, and I think they came in small, medium, and large. I have small hands, and the small size works fine for me.

dassi52

Leah,

If it's not too much of an imposition, that would be great.Probably medium size. Heavy rain by you too? שבת שלום and see you soon!

Carol,

Thanks for info. Since I am in Israel and had been thinking of ordering something on line, and have it waiting for me when I get to the States in ab. 2 months (I like doing that. It saves me lots of shopping hours and is often cheaper) I will either have to wait till I get there and go to the store, or maybe someone will recognize the brandnames I looked at and can advise me. I could alsways take a risk and just order anyway. It's not expensive. (I am going to my sister in NY and she is going to have lots of packages waiting for me!!! At least she has where to store them:) unless I go overboard.

purple32

was absolutely thrilled with the amazing fabric of Farrow...

I told my fitter today that I would like to try a Farrow.  She said she does not have good success with them, but I asked if we could give it a try and see , and she is ordering for me Monday. I do like the way they look and hope they are effective ~

As an aside- I started a thread " ALL THINGS GLOVES and SLEEVES" if anyone would like to post there .

Thx

hugz4u

I got the farrow glove. I tried several sizes then showed my MLD girl. She didn't care for the compression, she thought it was too light. So a few months ago I ordered the gauntlet that velcros over it for more compression. I haven't tried it yet.

This dual set up would be more compressive than just the glove.

If you are compression sensitive then Farrow would be great. It is so silky feeling.

As per the color discussion. I talked someone from one of the sleeve companies and they said black always fits tighter due to the dying process.  Yah... they are bang on because... If I buy any black understuff it is always a tad bit tighter. Just enough to drive me crazy! Unfortunately I end of buying UGLY BEIGE!