Ribp sleeve?

barb, I'm assuming you mean with BP and lymphedema? With shoulder swelling you probably need a custom garment, a vest with cap sleeve to cover the area not covered by your arm sleeve. I've had good experiences with Gottfried garments for fitting tricky things like that. (Also, the fabric they use is better than the others for me.) Be sure to tell your fitter to consider a zipper for the arm sleeve, because progressive loss of arm strength can make donning a sleeve almost impossible without a zipper.

Let us know what you come up with, please! Big hugs as you navigate yet another, uh, "adventure,"
Binney

P.S.--if you post these questions on the Radiation-Induced Brachial Plexopathy thread above you'll be more likely to get answers from the women who are dealing with this. Just a thought!

Barb, there are sleeves that have flaps that go over the shoulder and are tied under the opposite arm, the point being that it keeps the sleeve from slipping down without needing silicone "dots" or band on top. And there's the Solidea sleeve that crosses the shoulders, also as a means of keeping the sleeve in place. But neither of those offer actual compression to the shoulder area. (In fact, the Solidea can cause problems in the area just in front of the axilla by pushing fluid forward.) If you don't want a full vest you might work with one of the garment companies and see if they can design something you'd be comfortable with. Sadly, our options for shoulder compression are limited, but if enough of us let them know we need something they've been pretty good about developing things for us.

Hope your holidays have been bright and merry--anyway!
Binney

Hi, Barb, I do think that's just the flap I was telling you about that is secured under the opposite axilla (or under the opposite breast) to keep the sleeve in place. Further down on that page there's a "bolero, one arm, female style" (number 441 ML) that looks like it would actually give you compression on the shoulder--and it's not a whole vest, so definitely neither as hot or as claustrophobic as a vest.

http://www.gottfriedmedical.com/products/listing.p...

Note, though, that if you have trouble with swelling toward the center of your chest, that might push fluid in that direction, since it doesn't cover the center. Worth a try! Let us know what you discover!
Gentle hugs,
Binney

Barb, Gottfried only makes day garments--the fabric they're made of is like other day garments, with no double layers or foam stuffing. So the bolero material would be the same as a day sleeve. They come in a lot of colors too, including beige and white for wearing invisibly under your clothes. Your therapist or fitter can call Gottfried and ask for fabric samples and colors.

Hugs,
Binney

Merry Christmas, barb, and the very best New Year ever!

Hugs,
Binney

barb, any compression sleeve can be difficult to put on, particularly if you have pain or weakness in the arm. Two possible helps with that would be to use a good donner. (I use an ezy-as: http://www.ezyasabc.com )

Or ask them to put a zipper in it when you order it.

Hope that helps! Keep us posted,
Binney

Yes, there are a lot of conditions where people who need compression sleeves can't get them on because of paralysis or just arthritis, so zippers are a feature you can order with custom garments.
Binney