Hats off to any that wrap

Becky, every time I drag out my wrapping "kit" I'm staggered by the thought that I used to do that routinely. Me?!! Every day?!! The memory of it is enough to drive me to chocolate. Curious to know how it was for you after not doing it in a while. You'd think it'd be like riding a bike--you never forget how. Hasn't worked that way for me, though.

Just a thought: I do keep all my wrapping supplies in a large zip-lock bag. I hope this never happens, but should I ever find myself in the hospital in an emergency I want to be able to say to whoever's helping out, "Please bring me that big zip-lock bag in my bottom left-hand dresser drawer," and get everything I need without having to describe each item. It's a cinch the hospital wouldn't be able to come up with the supplies I need...

Am I LE paranoid or what?

Happy wrapping!
Binney

Hugz!! It's close to 11:30pm, and I am all set up and starting to wrap. Later than I wanted to begin. I'll let you know how I do.

Done! One hour!! I'm going to pretend I'm having that chocolate now. So, an honest eval of my handiwork is that it's a little too loose, but since I do better with less compression vs too much, I would rather err on this side. Struggled with the hand a bit, but only removed and started over once. The arm bandages went on great first time. This experience tonight starting with all new materials confirms that ratty finger bandages and hand and arm bandages that need washing to restore stretch are a recipe for a bad wrapping experience. Since I knew my night vest would have had me overheated, I didn't put it on before and need to do that now.

i just fractured my shoulder. Any advice? Can i use ice? And should i try to use the arm sleeve if it's tighter than usual?

Okay--I am rusty.  It took me 27 minutes.  Plus I need to clarify I do not wrap my fingers.  I have not had LE in my hand so my fingers have never been wrapped.  My biggest problem was getting the foam I put above the back of my elbow to stay in place.  I did have the directions out to follow.  Plus I only use four bandages now instead of five as I started out with.  After I put it on it felt like I had my jovipak on.  I can put my jovipak with its sleeve and two bandages on in 8 minutes so am happy to have it.  I also keep my "wrapping kit" in a large zip lock bag.  Any trip I take it goes with me.  I am so paranoid that I will suddenly start swelling and will need it.  Keep at it ladies!

Hugz, I think Binney can offer better advice to the person with the broken shoulder.  I believe Binney would caution against using ice if there is definitely LE, but I think this lady is wearing compression as precaution...so I'm not sure if ice is a no-no or not. 

MaryB56, I believe that wrapping is the first line of defense to get swelling down, because it literally conforms to the shape of the arm, and as the arm goes down, each new wrapping automatically configures to the new shape of the arm.  A sleeve applies gradient pressure but in a more uniform way--wrapping can be infinitely customized to the shape/need of the moment.  Also, wrapping is suited for nighttime, with no risk of an unplanned wrinkle, crease, or fold-over that might apply too much pressure during sleep, when you might not realize the problem.  My understanding is that a compression sleeve is a way to maintain the reduction in swelling achieved by wrapping and won't be as effective in reducing edema all by itself. 

If swelling is not very advanced, the sleeve may be all we need, but as Hugz points out, wrapping is a skill to know and practice 'just in case.'  I'm not quite there yet myself--my LE therapist has never proposed that for me.  I am benefiting immensely from this thread, so I know now to at least ask about it, and I'll know where to look for practical suggestions (here!!) if I need to follow through.

(Binney or Kira or others...if I did not get this right, please step in and correct me!)

Carol

Carol, you are correct about wrapping being the good standard for reducing swelling once it has progressed to a certain point. The only thing I would add is that a daytime compression garment isn't good to wear at night because it works with the movement of the muscles as they contract and help to push the fluid out of the arm. It is not suitable for sleep because the muscles are passive. Also, as you mention, there may be folds or creases in the compression garment that may constrict and cause fluid to pool in certain areas.

Hugz, go for it! Definitely joining you tomorrow for wrapping. My arm needs it, but I am opting for MLD tonight since I "can't" do both. LOL on the amnesia thing with wrapping. I am glad to hear it's not just me!! My therapist said the Transelast can be washed if it's not totally disgusting from wearing. Just like the regular short-stretch bandages (comprilon), they need to be washed after a couple of wearings because that restores the stretch. I assume since you have been wrapping and unwinding over and over while experimenting that it has become stretched out. Wash on gentle cycle in cold water and lay flat to dry. I bought delicate bags so the bandages don't get all tangled. You can find ones with small compartments, too.

Kira!!!! 10 minutes to wrap?  Good grief, even with help from DH I think it still takes us about 5.  Gosh, you should Utube your technique.  I'm impressed.........and a wee bit jealous of your skill. 

I agree with Kira that wrapping every night can be done even by a klutz like me.  I do it almost every night and it takes about 10 to 15 minutes.  Have been wrapping my hand recently and that is a bit trickier as I do not like the narrow cotton finger band material that I have now and need to go and find more of the short stretch gauze. 

 Oddly, I find the most irritating part to be removing the wraps in the morning as I am usually more impatient to get going and resent the time required to unwrap and roll the bandages.  The reward is that know my arm is much better when I wrap regularly. 

I agree with Kira and Ahew that unwrapping is more of a bother than wrapping.  I sit on the bed and use my knee as a "third arm".  The thing I dislike the most is rolling bandages. 

Tina, early on, quite literally as I developed LE three weeks post op, I went and ordered myself a jovipak, open fingered glove to the elbow.

Unfortunately, it didin't compress the fingers well and I wasn't getting good control, and when I went to see a PT at Mass General, she told me to "put it in my sock drawer" and devised a wrap to the elbow. It worked well, but then I got a pocket above the elbow.

She moronically wrote me that it was swelling, but not LE, as it wasn't 2 cm greater than the other side. Yeah right, it's LE.

So, I had to learn all over again how to wrap my whole arm, and I struggled, and cursed, and redid it, and had the rolls fly off the bed, and it wasn't pretty. DH was banned from the room.

Now, it's such a habit, I can put it on quickly--relatively, and the taking it off takes some time.

I do have a new Solaris, and it's not bad, just not as good, so I'll try and use it once or twice a week.

Wrapping is a pain, and psychologically hard, and I was thinking if my DH could tape it, without somehow showimg me in the frame, I'd post it on SUSO. 

I did appreciate the concept of wrapping as performance art: I have a great photo of my SIL in Central Park when Christo wrapped it. 

If wrapping didn't keep my LE under control, I wouldn't do it. Before I broke my hand, we were toying with using less bandages, but since then, no change. Sigh. 

I kneel next to the bed, per my LE therapist, and use the bed as the third arm. I do it for the last 3 bandages.

Wrapping as performance art.  It's a fresh take on it.

Kira

10 minutes for an entire arm! Wow -- it takes me about 10 minutes just to do my hand. [In my defense, my finger wraps are a complex "weaving" of 3 gauze bandages ....] 

My therapists and I have come up with solutions that just might work for some whose issuse are mainly hand. During the day, I wear a day sleeve (Juzo 2001) and wrap my hand. During the night, I wear an old Tribute (that the finger spacers have been removed from) with fingers wrapped in gauze.

On the topic of wrapping, I just learned that my insurance will cover my bandages. The silly part is that the in-network DME company I can get bandaging supplies from bills the insurance company the same amount per foot (about $1), regardless of the actual cost of the material material. So, my copay for the gauze is more than the cost of just buying gauze online. But, I am going to get the more expensive wrapping supplies through the DME company.
KS1