My first "voluntary" flight

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cookiegal
cookiegal Member Posts: 3,296
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

So since LE I have flown twice, both times cross-country, both for obligatory family events.

Neither time has been a total disaster, but my arm did feel more swollen than usual.

(Basically it got as bad as my LE gets, but not much worse than that.)

Any vacations have been car or train trips.

In 10 days I am getting on a plane of my own free will. 

The trip is much shorter, flight is scheduled for 2 hours, but I suspect that allows for runway time at JFK, it should be about 90 minutes in the air.

I am really hoping this is more comfortable than the cross country flights.

(Just the elevating, exercises, water, and bathroom trips get irritating on the long flight!)

Also I am getting much needed new garments inn a few days.

If it goes well, it open a lot of possibilities for making shorter trips.

Over and out!!!

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  • hugz4u
    hugz4u Member Posts: 2,781
    edited March 2014

    I am so excited for you to take the plunge and fly more. Me still a chicken to try but have been seriously thinking about it.

    My gloves were made below the first knuckle because the tips would swell a bit and go cold. I am wondering if I fly if the tips would swell because they are not covered. I think wrapping is the best bet.
    What would happen if they made you unwrap would everyone have to wait for you to rewrap before the flight takes off? Wrapping is at least 45 minutes for me.

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  • RMlulu
    RMlulu Member Posts: 1,989
    edited March 2014

    Hi y'all

    I'm flying tomorrow...2 legs 4 hours.  Finally got my trunk&arm LE under control.

    Going to wear my sleeve and gauntlet,  compression bra, and under armour men's compression tee.

    Hoping LE does not rear it's ugly swollen head.

    But I want to travel:)

    Here's to us!

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  • hugz4u
    hugz4u Member Posts: 2,781
    edited March 2014

    RMLulu, I am so excited for you.... Makes me happy when someone takes the flying plunge.

    I mentioned in my other post that I would wear a swell spot under the pit. Do you need to?

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  • RMlulu
    RMlulu Member Posts: 1,989
    edited March 2014

    I flew last year....round trip after surgery all okay...another round trip after rads trunk LE then in Sep LE moved into arm...so road trips...since.

    The last flight in Sep my LE PT gave me a swell spot oh my...TSA alarm...now I carry RX note...try and explain you can't take off and please don't poke...just brush your hands across m body...ha ha:)

    TSA screen lit up with 3 yellow boxes around my boob and under arm:) you would have thought I was a drug mule...they were so excited...I shamed them out of the full body search...hubby lol!

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  • cookiegal
    cookiegal Member Posts: 3,296
    edited March 2014

    Hugz4u I am not a wrapper, most of my le is upper arm, so it just seems to push things in the wrong direction. Fortunately I do well with glove and sleeve.

    I can not imagine they would make you unwrap through security. But you never know.

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  • cookiegal
    cookiegal Member Posts: 3,296
    edited March 2014

    hugs 4 you, you could maybe put an isotoner glove over your regular glove and get a little bit of compression

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  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 8,458
    edited March 2014

    The one time general ignorance of LE might help is with wrapping and TSA. I can't think of too many conditions where a person bandages him/herself - it's usually done by medical personel. So if you're asked to unwrap, ask if they have a doctor to redo your bandages.

    It might work. (I think what they usually do is run a detector over the bandages.)

    Leah

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  • kareenie
    kareenie Member Posts: 339
    edited March 2014

    i flew yesterday with wrapping no problem they just swabbed bandages withe the swab thing.

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  • LeanneF
    LeanneF Member Posts: 60
    edited March 2014

    Hi everyone. I need to fly to Germany for work just 5 days after my last radiation. No lymphedema yet. I plan to wear a sleeve, but is there anything else I should do for prevention? The ladies boutique is trying to sell me a compression bra. Should I buy it? Should I make the trip? 

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited March 2014

    Leanne - I made a trip to Munich in July, and have LE in my right arm.  I have had bi-lat nodes removed so I wear bi-lat sleeve and gauntlets.  I would recommend a compression shirt rather than bra - I found for such a long flight/airport time that a shirt was more comfy than compression layers on my torso.  I will warn you though - the security person in the airport in Munich coming back was not happy about my sleeves - I got a very thorough frisking and she was speaking rapid German to me the whole time with pretty stern look on her face.  I'm talking neck to toes frisking, not a light pat down, and I couldn't understand anything she was saying.  My 26 year old son was standing on the other side watching this with an incredulous look on his face - like "uh oh, mom is going to jail" and now what!!!  It was all fine, but if I had it to do over and had enough time before the flight I might have put the sleeves/gauntlets on after the security line, lol!  The only concern I would have with a shirt though is comfort over your skin in the area of rads. 

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  • cookiegal
    cookiegal Member Posts: 3,296
    edited March 2014

    Leanne I made a few trips after surgery before rads, and one right after rads. I have always wondered if it was too much too soon. On the other hand it is not like there was a clear cause and effect.

    However I swelled A LOT during rads, and my worst side effects were the week following rads. (That is not uncommon.) I blistered on the last day, and getting dressed was pretty tough for a few days. I was also tired and VERY spacey.

    NONE of these things may happen to you of course, we are all different. However if there is alternative, I might do that. An international flight 5 days after rads sounds problematic to me.

    On the other hand Martina played senior doubles in the French Open during rads...so I could be wrong.

    Also, I can not imagine at that point a compression bra will be comfy. I would get a three pack of fruit of the loom sports bras, you can double up if you want more compression.

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  • LeanneF
    LeanneF Member Posts: 60
    edited March 2014

    Thanks, ladies. I thought that compression bra looked uncomfortable! I've never heard of a compression shirt, but think it might feel better than the bra straps. I really wish I hadn't agreed to make this trip so soon. I was just so anxious to get back to my traveling and out of this house! 

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  • LeanneF
    LeanneF Member Posts: 60
    edited March 2014

    Cookiegal, 

    I had no idea Martina had been through this. Wow! She is one tough lady to play while going through this. I wonder how she scored?

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited March 2014

    Leanne - here is a link to the type of shirt I am talking about.  Some wear these inside out so the seams are on the outside.  Depending on what you want to compress you can also wear the tank style.

    http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/womens/apparel/tops/longsleeve/compression?noindex#products

    http://www.zappos.com/women-tank-tops/CKvXARDL1wEY6NcBOgKjBMABAeICBQEYAgcD.zso

    I think if you check some of the other lymphedema threads there are discussions of the specific tops people have used.


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  • LeanneF
    LeanneF Member Posts: 60
    edited March 2014

    Thank you, SpecialK. That's so nice of you to look that up for me! If I wear a long sleeve compression shirt, do I also need the compression sleeve at the same time? 

    I found some other threads about flying and prevention. Feeling better about this now. 

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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited April 2014

    Leanne,  don't put a compression shirt long sleeve over a medical compression sleeve--that would be too much. Most of us find that a men's UnderArmour shirt works better than women's sizing, when using a short-sleeved shirt.  The women's sizes have a cap sleeve that cuts right into the armpit.  The men's sleeves are a bit longer, but not so tight that they cinch on top of our compression sleeve.  Best to try the shirt on before buying; we tend to choose something very, very snug.  If you're petite, look for youth sizes.  Also, you should use a gauntlet on your hand when you're wearing a compression sleeve; other wise the sleeve might tend to push fluid into your hand, and when that happens, the swelling can be pretty hard to treat.

    You'll be fine...hope you can focus on enjoying the trip!

    Carol

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited April 2014

    Leanne - I wondered about that too, that is why I linked the tanks. 

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  • cookiegal
    cookiegal Member Posts: 3,296
    edited April 2014

    since you do not have LE, and you will be five days out from rads, you may be more comfy in loose clothing, but again everyone is different.

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  • kira66715
    kira66715 Member Posts: 4,681
    edited April 2014

    So, when I worked in rad onc, a number of women planned a vacation just after rads to celebrate the end of treatment, and I did warn them that they were in a vulnerable state as the quadrant was very inflammed. Rads causes LE through a couple of mechanisms: when you're inflammed or infected--it draws lymph flow and can overwhelm transport capacity, and later, as the tissues fibrose, lymph flow is impacted--via radiation fibrosis of the tissues and damaged lymph nodes.

    So, I remember one woman, I was really worried as she'd had breast cellulitis issues, and I sent her off with a script for antibiotics, and unfortunately, her breast cellulitis acted up in a small spanish speaking country, with little access to health care. She brought back the notes in Spanish, and they wanted to admit her, but she took her keflex and flew home.

    So, I just think that we should all live our lives, but we should do it with awareness of the risks and proper preparation.

    We don't want to limit ourselves, but we've seen women on these boards who got a sunburn and horrible cellulitis on vacation and another woman who had to take her antibiotic that made her sensitive to the sun.

    Be prepared, be aware, take reasonable precautions, and go enjoy your life.

    One last thing: radiated skin should not be exposed to the sun. It's very fragile.

    JMHO

    Kira

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  • mcgis
    mcgis Member Posts: 291
    edited April 2014

    http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/mens-heatgear-sonic-compression-short-sleeve/pid1236224-457

    Carol is this what you are suggesting? (i hope this link works)

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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited April 2014

    mcgis, that would work.  I have several of these: http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/mens-tactic...

    I find that the V neck is a tad easier to hide under clothing. 

    By the way, the nice people at Go Athletics are working on designing a compression shirt in women's sizes that will be wardrobe friendly--no beacon-like logo, scoop neck, and some other features.  Their clothing designer is in touch with me and right now we are waiting for a bunch of samples in a range of sizes, which they'll produce in the near future and quite a few members here have said they'll be willing to try on and evaluate.  I haven't had an update from Go in a while, but they're serious and I know we'll have the samples to send out all in due time.  That doesn't help your immediate need, mcgis, but I thought of the Go project when dropping in this link and that it might be nice to give an update.

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  • mcgis
    mcgis Member Posts: 291
    edited April 2014

    Thanks, Carol!!

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  • LeanneF
    LeanneF Member Posts: 60
    edited April 2014

    Thanks everyone. Great advice. I will see if I can find a retailer that carries them in store.

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