What fo you do when you have a flare up----need help!

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Amoc1973
Amoc1973 Member Posts: 158
edited July 2014 in Lymphedema

so. I kinda weaned off daily sleeve/gauntlet use for quite a while now (last 6 mo). Alls been the same as with compression: occasional mild flare up that calm down after a week or so. I swear these got less frequent when I dropped the sleeve. But then in the last week I've had a flare from hell. It's the worst it's ever been. So I've been doing the massage (which I already did), pumping, and wrapping in the evening. I prob need to wrap 24/7 for a while but I'm an anesthesia provider & it's very hard to do my job wrapped. I find I can use my arm better if I don't use padding when I wrap but not sure that's a good idea. Seems everything I read says padding. Anyway....I'd like to hear what works for people. Whatever it may be. I'm having surgery in August for lymph bypass which I'm hoping helps me have a bit more stability. But regardless, I need to know how to manage these major flares that a simple sleeve won't help. Thanks so much. I hope everyone is doing well. Oh, btw Ive had LE for a year. For those of you who've stabilized. What did you do? How long did it take? Thanks again!!

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited July 2014

    For me, I find that the more active I am, the better.  Winter is by far the worse.  (Winters are brutal here so I can be out doing mjch though I do go to the Base gym often.)  When I have minor issues (have never had a major one), I will use my FlexiTouch twice a day for a couple ofdays instead of once a day and/or do more tatting, fly tieing or rod building. (I do not wrap but use my night sleeve.)  Summers are much better/easier but then I'm out doing 'stuff' most of the time - mowing with my push mower (my yard and others to help ones who need help), I ride (my horses and bicycle), fly fishing, are some of what I do.

    So for me - doing more works for me.  However, that doesn't seem to be the best for all.  We are each unique and have to learn what works for us individually.  (I'm 4 1/2 yrs post LE DX.)

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  • Amoc1973
    Amoc1973 Member Posts: 158
    edited July 2014

    Hi kicks. Do u were a sleeve during the day too? I wore my night sleeve last night & I had maj pitting. Now that it's been off an hour the pitting is minimal. So I'm not sure it helps...? I work out a lot too....I've done crossfit for a few years.msometimes i will do crazy hard workout (pull ups, pushups, etc) and my arm will be awesome. The swelling to me seems random. And it doesn't seem compression helps much or even makes it worse. Usually if I pump & wait it out it subsides in a few days. But this time it's more swelling & longer time then my "normal". I'm frustrated. How long did it take for your LE to stabilize? I have a friend who after a year barely has trouble unless she tweaks it working out. She also does crossfit & is waaaaaay into it (instructer).

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