CompreSleeve
Comments
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Re: TheLymphedeSleeveCo. sleeve : It's the only sleeve I've found that I can wear . I've been wearing it everyday since I got it in April. No exaggeration to say it gave me my normal life back. I find it totally comfortable and effective. I was going to post more about it on the Love Lymphedivas thread. (I posted a review on their website - my first online review of anything, ever!) The part that goes over/around the shoulder and around back is not meant to have any compression or therapeutic effect and it doesn't. But there is no constriction of the upper arm or under the axiila. The fabric is wonderful. And the elbow is a miracle of textile engineering. It only comes with one compression sleeve /side - but I can imagine a simple alteration to make 2 of them into a 2-sleeved version for those who wear compression on both sides. And yeah, it kills me how garments are always modeled by perky looking gals with arms like Audery Hepburn's. ;-) Ninja
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Kane, I'd guess NONE of them do........that's why they look so happy and comfortable in the garments!
I finally took the plunge and bought a CompreSleeve and I really was hoping to love it like Jane does, but not so. For me I have a tough time getting it on correctly, not being as flexible as I should be to tighten the velcro at the upper outside (or backside) of my arm. I think I would rather have the adjustments where they could be reached more comfortably from the front. Another thing I don't care for is the way the extended or angled top just sticks straight up in the air not doing anything. There is no way to tighten the sleeve past the axilla and unless I hold my arm in a certain position, that upper part doesn't even come in contact with the top of my arm. The very cute model wearing the CompreSleeve, also is wearing a black top or vest, so you can't actually see the top of the CompreSleeve and how it fits against the arm.
The material and padding of the CompreSleeve is quite comfy and doesn't feel terribly huge. If not for the adjustment issues, I think it would be pretty comfortable to sleep in.
I'm going to try it once more, but at this point will likely return the CompreSleeve and continue nightly bandaging for now.
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Ninja, thanks for the information on the LESleeveCo sleeve. Actually they do make a bilateral over-the-shoulder sleeve. It's here:
http://store.lymphedemasleeveco.com/index.php?dispatch=categories.view&category_id=93I'm toying with the idea of trying one this time, though I usually order custom sleeves. Hmmmmm....
Binney -
Binney, The bilateral sleeve is not a LE compression sleeve technically. It's quite different. But it is a fantastic sleeve IMO. I wear it often. It has sort of long cuffs, hard to describe, but it may not work if you have hand or wrist swelling (I don't). You should try both sleeves. I'm quite sure the company accepts returns.
I was wearing custom (Juzo healastic cotton) to the extent I could wear any day sleeve (4 hours in a row max) until I found TLSCo. On the other hand (so to speak) the Juzo dream sleeve -- such pretty colors, so soft to touch -- felt like a thousand burning razor blades on my arm and made my forearm swell. - Ninja
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I've seen the shoulder extended compression sleeves, but my LE therapist has not had a client use them. I've been doing pretty well with kinesiotaping my upper arm and carrying the tape on up over my shoulder. This does help to move fluid up and out. Kinesiotape is now available to buy at amazon.
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Sher I am so sorry you do not like your compresleeve.
What size did you get? When I first got the medium, that is how the upper arm fit on me--just kind out "out there" a few inches from my skin,
When I returned it and got the small, I can now adjust that portion of the sleeve, and tighten the top. Here are a couple pictures of the fit I took with my Blackberry--not great photos but they do show the fit:
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And a couple more:
I agree that the velcro fasteners are somewhat hard to get to being on the backside of your arm, but if they were in front or on the inside (very easy to reach) the vecro would probably irritate your skin.
By all means Sher, if you are not delighted with it, return it.
Bonnie, the CompreSleeve has foam padding on the palm and top of the hand, so it acts as a padded gauntlet. Since I don't have finger swelling, that ends up doing just fine for me and my situation.
He he--don't mind that my pj's are on inside-out, and don't match my breast binder!!
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Jane good picts with the compresleeve. I thought you were making a fashion statement mixing patterns and didn't notice the bottoms were wrong side out.
When we get a new therapist at my clinic (the one who evaluated me last year left this summer with no replacement
), I will try to get in and get re-evaluated. Since I just had hand swelling, he didn't teach me mld and said I didn't need a sleeve. If I do need a sleeve I will have them check out the compresleeve to see if it will work for me instead of wrapping since I am home by myself most of the week.Sheila
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HI Jane,
Yup, "out there" is exactly what I have with my sleeve. I have a large regular. Since I was right on the border for either the short or regular length, I spoke with Lymphedemaproducts who also called Biacare and was told I should go with the regular length. But looking at your pictures, mine definitely has more bunching which is another indication the sleeve is likely too long. Probably a custom would fit me better since my upper arm is out of proportion larger to my lower arm - bottom half = medium, upper arm = large, but I'm going to check with the manufacturer and possibly try a different size before giving up. Thank you for your pictures and all the great information!
Love your breast binder............what kind is it?
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Sher my first sleeve was a medium, long, and I had all of the problems you are describing.
Would it be possible for you to take a photo of the fit of your sleeve and send it to Bia-Care and get their advice on the best sizing for you, before you just dump the whole idea of a CompreSleeve?
Links to breast binders are here: http://www.stepup-speakout.org/breast_binders_lymphedema.htm I wear mine everynight with a full breast solaris swell spot, which really keep my "foob" LE in line!
The company makes them in all different fabrics, flowers, prints and plain.
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Jane, I just called Lymphedema Products to ask about a custom CompreSleeve, but Kelly the Sales Director, is out of the office until Monday. A photo is a good idea for me to work on over the weekend.
I'm bilateral mx, but with pockets to hold forms or padding sewn in - that would be my idea of the perfect bra!
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Jane, is the Compresleeve all one peice or is it an inner foam part (over your arm) and a separate outer "jacket" with the velcro fasteners (over the foam part)? If it's 2 pieces, do you put them on one at a time or together?Kchreve, do you anchor your kinesiotape over your shoulder or on your upper arm? I tape horizontally across my upper chest (sort of axilla to axilla but not quite under my arms. I do same across my back if I have a helper. (Is there a picture thread on kinesiotaping anywhere?) I've tried 3 ready-made day sleeves that extend over the shoulder - Juzo, Sigvaris,TLSco. All of them avoid any gripping on the upper arm (to hold them up). None of them provide compression over/around the shoulder (I though they did until I saw them in person) though it might go up a teeny but higher on the back/outside of your arm than it does on a regular sleeve.So much about about LE is so variable hour to hour and person to person. Adds to the frustration. - Ninja
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Ninja, the Compresleeve is all one piece--the foam channels are made right into the sleeve itself so you only have one garments to put on. No jacket needed, which was one of the things I liked.
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Sher, this company that makes the breast binders also makes a compression bra with the same material with prost pockets.
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Ninja, here's the StepUp-SpeakOut Kinesio-taping page. It has some illustrations of special techniques, but the pattern any person needs would be pretty individual. Some therapists get down-right creative about it!
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/kinsiotaping_for_lymphedema.htm
Hugs,
Binney -
Short question: Has anyone tried the Farrow Wrap? It cost a little more that the Compresleeve. Has anyone tried the Medifit by BiaCare? It costs quite a bit more than the Compresleeve.
Long question: I called Kelly at Lymphedema Products and she saisd she prefers "non-elastic" to "elastic" compression for therapeutic effectiveness. Hmmm. okay . . . I thought bandaging and all of the night sleeves and the bandage "alternatives" (like the Compresleeve) provide "mechanical" compression (for reduction), and that day sleeves provide elastic compression (for maintenance) Kelly considers Tribute and Compresleeve to be "elastic" since they have a good deal of stretch / give. She said the Medifit and Farrow Wrap (as well as some other products with D ring type straps) provide true "non elastic" compression. I think she was saying that non-elastic compression devices are more effective because they duplicate bandaging (the gold standard etc.) more closely than other foam channel sleeping sleeves.
In reality -- how you characterize a sleeve probably dosen't matter near as much as it's "usability" and effectiveness. Does anyone have more undertsanding of, or experience with, any of the other "alternative" compression garments????
I get the impression that each therapist / ffitter / DME shop has a few favorites they are familiar with and generally doesn't know much about the others.
Cross-eyed emoticon, Ninja
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Ninja, I have both a Solaris Tribute and a JoviPak--for me, the Solaris works better. My understanding of the Solaris/Jovipak/Telestco products are that they are made of chipped foam, sewn in a pattern that follows the lymphatic channels to the "alternate" path to the back of the arm.
Before there were these products, therapists made chipped foam bags, called Schneiderian packs--they were primarily to break up fibrosis.
The Solaris/JoviPak work to contain and reduce swelling and break up fibrosis.
Personally, I have no experience with Farrow Wrap or Reid Sleeve classic, or the Medifit.
Binney would know more.
I don't get this non-elastic idea. To me, the compresleeve is an inexpensive (relatively) channeled rather than chipped foam, with velcro to adjust the fit, and it seems like it provides little hand compression.
We have a section on the web site, I don't know if it has more information
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Lymphedema_garments.htm
I totally agree that therapists/fitters pick a brand and work with them and prefer them--I have met fitters that do Solaris or Jovipak, but not both.
Kira
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Ninja, I've never before heard of Solaris and Jovi and Telesto referred to as "elastic" compression garments. That term is generally reserved for our day garments. Solaris-type garments are usually considered "non-elastic," even though there is a bit of stretch to the covering material. (I doubt we could even get them on if they didn't have a bit of "give.")
There are therapists who believe that only wrapping should be used at night and everything else is worthless. And there are therapists and fitters who think only the classic Reid Sleeve should ever be used in place of wrapping. They're all entitled to their opinions, but we lymphers are all entitled to know what our options are and be able to choose what's best for us from everything that's available.
Yesterday I went to my fitter's for my twice-yearly garment spree
, and she said (as an aside), "I just hate to see patients come in here with a Classic Reid Sleeve prescription, because I just know they'll never wear it." Which certainly matches my own experience -- I know LOTS of lymphers with classic Reid Sleeves, but I don't know anyone who wears it. Reid Sleeves tend to live lonely lives in the backs of closets. Complaints include inflexibility, needing an entire queen-sized bed all to oneself, loss of sleep, difficulty packing it for travel, not being able to toss it into the washer and dryer, and complications of fitting and adjustment. I'm sure there are happy Classic Reid Sleeve users out there -- I just don't know any. BUT In all fairness, there are probably people for whom the CRS is the only thing that works for them, so I sure don't want to write it off. And for the record, TheReidSleevePeople make a sleeve similar to JoviPak and Solaris, called the Opera sleeve (or something musical like that: Symphony? Sonata?
), and I DO know lymphers who are happy with those.And let us not forget that TheReidSleevePeople provide us all with free LE alert bands, without which we'd be even more at the mercy of our uninformed medical pesonnel. (Geesh, do I ever sound cynical today -- sorry!
) I suspect fitters and therapists are in some cases bound by exclusionary contracts with various manufacturers. They also expect (and get) various perks from the suppliers, so that also encourages loyalty to one manufacturer or another. That's just standard businss practice, but it does interfere with our ability to get the range of products we need, since we're all so different.
I absolutely LOVE coming here and finding out about new products from women who try them and use them (or hate them). And I also love it that some of our LE product manufacturers read these boards in order to get the feedback they need to improve their garments. THANK YOU FOR CARING, ALL YOU GARMENT FOLKS!
Be well!
Binney -
Thanks Kira and Binney for clarifying and confirming. Completely agree: we have a right to know all of our options. Especially important because we are so different and need those options. It shouldn't have be so difficult (or so costly) to discover the things that work for us. (Preaching to the choir here!)
Thank goodness, my first therapist ordered the Solaris Tribute and I have been very happy with it from the start. I added the outer jacket after a couple months and the increased compression felt and worked even better for me. So I don't need to find a different night sleeve, but there are times when I want a little more compression than Tribute w OJ more conveniently than Tribute w bandages. (Flying would be an example of one of those times.) I'm thinking Compresleeve might filI the bill. I'll add my "review" if/when I ever try it.
Big smile - Ninja
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I think I'm confused as to how one determines the correct pressure for the Compresleeve. Can someone explain?
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Ninja - Regarding Kinesio taping - you can place it just about anywhere you need to move fluid. My biggest problem area is the back of my upper arm. The skin back there is so tender that I cannot put tape on it, but I can put tape on the outside of my upper arm and over my shoulder. It does diminish the edema in the back of my arm. I also run it from near my axila toward the midline of my chest to increase drainage into the lymph glands which run long that central rib area. My LE therapist has run them everywhere, but I can only reach so many places by myself. I also like to run them over my DIEP scars to help with the drainage there. There are books about this, which I'm sure are quite helpful, but the design itself stimulates fluid movement, so using it anywhere is a plus, if the skin can manage it. It'sjust one more way to help. For me, it works fairly well, but it's not remarkably amazing. Just one more way to maintain control.
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Kcshreve, Thanks for the tape info. I've been afraid to experiment w it too much - afraid I'll make things flow in the wrong direction or something. (And once I get it on, it's there for a week or 2, then I need to rest my skin . . . so it's not something I do all the time.) Similar experience: it works - but it's not a miracle. It feels best the first couple days -- I'm not convinced it does as much after that but I have to wait about 2 weeks before I can get it off. I have never taped my upper arm where I also have a problem. When you tape axilla to midline, you start (anchor) at midline and end at axilla - yes? I anchor in front of axilla on heathly side and go across to same area on affected side (where I have v sensitive pocket of swelling.) I cut the tape into 2 or 3 branches.
Compresleeve pressure: good question! I assume you do it by feel like bandaging. Not too tight, evenly graduated from wrist up, decreasing pressure as you go up. ???? Anyone?
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SleeveNinja - I can only wear my tape 3 days. I think if I kept it on for 2 weeks my skin would come off with it. I was told 3-5 days. I "anchor" my tape over near the axilla - no stretch, then i very slightly give it a stretch in the middle of the strip, I end the strip near the midline, again with no stretch on the ends. Sometimes I cut the side in the middle in half, lengthwise. When I do this, I keep the top leg going straight across, and the bottom leg pointing down a bit toward my cleavage. That works the best for me.
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A few months ago I was looking for a night time alternative to wrapping and learned about the compre sleeve from this forum. Is anyone still using their's?
Any comments about Compre sleeve?
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I've had the Compresleeve for about 2 months and love it. Much more comfortable than wrapping, so I use it more often and usually keep it on most of the night. With wrapping, I usually ended up tearing it off in the middle of the night because I felt so hot and uncomfortable.
Though there is some thickness to the Compresleeve, I really don't get hot during the night like I did with wrapping. (And I love in Louisiana where summer is brutal!)
I wear it with a cotton sleeve that came with it. Some nights I also wear on Isotoner glove as well to help with finger swelling.
The Compresleeve works well for me.
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Binney,
"For night I order a vest and sleeves that snap together and cover the whole stupid area. Not cool, mind you, but we installed a ceiling fan -- and DH sleeps with his head under the covers in the middle of summer, bless him! If only one arm in involved you may not need the snaps, but for bilateral it's impossible to get both sleeves on if they're attached to the jacket. (I know that doesn't make sense -- you have to be there to get why it doesn't work!) Also, if I have one arm wrapped for a flare it's a relief to be able to unsnap the sleeve and leave the bandages on over-night."
On this post from back in 2010, you mentioned a vest and sleeve that snap together. Can I ask more about this product? What manufacturer? I'm currently wearing a sleeve and using Swell spots but I'm not sure that I'm getting compression everywhere that I need, especially in the axilla area. I haven't found a compression shirt that works for me yet, they are either too big or too tight. So I was wondering about this combo that you mentioned.
Thanks, glennie
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Glennie, I've had them made (custom) by both JoviPak and Solaris. Like the fit of the Solaris better, but the Jovi fabric is very nice. It's hot (understatement!), but I can cram them into a plastic grocery bag and chill them in the refrigerator before bedtime, so they're nice to put on. Well, nicER, anyway…
Binney
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OK, thanks, Binney. I'll check with my LE therapist tomorrow and see what she thinks of the axilla puffiness. I think the Swell Spot is not quite getting it.
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