How often do you wear your sleeve/gauntlet?

Very basically - I eother have my day garmemts on or my night garmemt on 24/7.  I also run my FexiTouch daily (it's an hour program).  Occasionally (for a special event) I will go without for a few hoirs  ut not often.  For me the moremactive I aam themless issies I have so summer is much easier as wimters are brutal here so I can't get out and do muchmdurong the winter - just workout in the gym.  Will be so happy when/IF late Spring evermgetsmhere so I cam get and get back tto gmardenimg, mowing, riding ( my horses and my bicycle), flyfishing, boating and anything else that I think of.

Musical - "Reality" is not the same for all of us.  I have no problems at all with getting "consistancy of activities" at all during summer.  Winter is also consistant through out it - just not as varied, as much or as diverse, but it is consistant for the time frame.  What 'works' for me quite probably won't work for you or others but it does for me.  Just as what works for you or others might not work for me.   Our "reality' is ours with there not being only one version of it as a "One Size Fits All".

I had written my reply of what I do/how I handle MY LE which is MY REALITY.    In the next post you write/state that "but the reality is - - - "   Your 'reality' and perhaps some others but it is not anymore 'reality' than I live - not THE REALITY for all.

The written word is occasionally not what was intended but - ?  

I think that acknowledging that we are all different is always important when it comes to all things bc and lymphedema is certainly one of them. Now, on to the original question. My LE has been very mild. I am anxious to keep it that way. I always wear my sleeve when flying and whenever something feels like it might aggravate the condition. I do MLD daily, drink gallons of water and am physically active. With that in mind, I hope you figure out what works best for you.

No kicks thats not what I meant as Ive tried to explain.

Carol, what youve said is right.

dancermom, it would be so nice if we could all wean off our sleeves! I used to be able to get away with just wearing my BC side sleeve for a couple of hours when doing activities but the swelling slowly progressed even though I tried to stick to the exercises and other advice I was given. Ive had varied success with wrapping. Ive found raising the arms, and fist pumps beneficial especially for aching.

I am curious too.  I think everyone has some randomness to it, or at least not understandable to them.  I like the topic.

I think 'frustrating as hell' pretty much sums it up.  

I have arm LE with a side dose of minor truncal issues, and of late I realize that the sluggish lymphatic system ALSO means that injuries anywhere else in the body cause an out-of-bounds swelling reaction.  LE is systemic and I'm learning that it means I need to be on my toes from the toes on up.  And throw predictability right out the window. What worked last week doesn't do a thing this week, or at least the speed or degree of relief is not the least consistent.

I asked my PT that exact question.  He said there is a wide range of the symptoms for LE.  Told me a lot of people can get by with wearing a sleeve during activities and flying and things like that, but in my case, I needed to wear the sleeve constantly or my arm would swell.

I really am sleeve on, sleeve off constantly. It is on for working out, dancing, housework, travel, driving etc.

I do not wear it for formal events, or business meetings, interviews. Conventions are the hardest. I do wear it at work when I am not in public, or I can cover it with a winter coat or gloves.

I probably wear it about half of the workday, and 3/4 of my time at home. 

I do wear something most nights, though every so often I can't deal with it wake up and take it off.

Obviously I am somewhat lucky, not all women could get away with "cheating" as much as I do.

I wear my sleeve when my arm is sore or obviously swollen. I fly quite a bit for work so wear it about 2 to 3 hours before my flight and another 2 to 3 hours after landing. Thankfully my LE is mild however I have it in my trunk as well and pretty much wear a compression cami 24/7. If I don't my upper back and under arm hurt all the time from swelling.

jodi, look at the Solaris and Jovi links on this page to see what night garments are like: http://stepup-speakout.org/Lymphedema_garments.ht...

I have to either wear my sleeve, wrap or wear my Tribute night sleeve 24/7.  I can go an hour or so in the winter only without the sleeve, but that's it.  My arm begins to tingle and my shoulder hurts if I go any longer.  It's been two years and the LE is worsening - just a little bit - but it is worse.  

I'm always hopeful things will improve - but in the meantime, I try to be accepting of what is.

By the way - I was stage 1 and only lost 1 lymph node.

Amoc, I do what you do. Wear it when I ride my bike, if I lift weights, and when I fly, that's it. Seems to work just fine.

I wore compression religiously for 6 months after LE diagnosis, wrapping at night for the first three then donning a Solaris Tribute sleeve to sleep in. Pretty much gave up those modalities after weather warmed up in the spring, I got hot & sweaty, and the arm became infected. Rec'd oral antibiotics since we caught it at the "folliculitis" stage: little red dots all over, not full blown cellulitis.

Since I didn't notice additional extremity swelling during that treatment, I never really resumed wearing the garments except when on airplanes. I did experiment at times and found my preference was for athletic type shirts or shapewear to help with truncal edema. 

The best thing has been the daily use of the Flexitouch pump although I left it at home during our recent trip and was fine! Doing water exercise in the hotel pool was somewhat therapeutic. I put on my purple gauntlet when attending cancer meetings as a signal/badge but don't get too many people asking about it...