Careful donning LE sleeve

Wow, so sorry that happened, you must have one heck of a punch.

I hit myself in the face under my eye, lesson learned. I damaged my sleeve with an unfiled finger nail, lesson learned. I painted in my gauntlet, I have to wear it inside out now, lesson learned. My compression cami was so tight it may have caused some digestive issues, still seeing Doc about that, lesson learned.

If "they" can put a warning label on the dry cleaning plastic bag that says "this is not a toy" maybe they can put a warning label on the sleeve that says "this is going to hurt in ways you may never imagine".

I hope you get better soon!

Wow!  Thank you all very very much for the warnings!  I am due to get a sleeve very soon.  The physical therapy has already helped.  My therapist is amazing.

Oh, Jill, goodness! I think most of us have punched ourselves in the face at one time or another, but that's the first time I've heard of that kind of damage--I'm really sorry! I use a donner, and the one I like is called Ezy-As. It's here:

http://www.ezyasabc.com

It's light weight, extremely sturdy, easy to use, can be packed if you travel, doesn't damage garments, and doesn't have to be locked onto a desk or table like some of them do. When I first got it I thought it was just an extra bother, but it's saved be smacking myself and made my morning routine so much easier. (Geesh, I sound like an ad for it! No, I don't own any stock!)

Hoping healing continues well--please keep us posted!

Gentle hugs,
Binney

It is very important to get to a Specialist ASAP if there are bright/flashing lights ('bolts' or spots), sudden large amounts of black floaters or there is an area that appears as an 'oily spot' in vision. Also if 'lines' that should be straight, (utility poles, door/window frames/etc) get a 'curve' or 'bends' in them, colors change from what they really are - get care ASAP. Especially if you are 'older', have had cataract surgery or done Chemo. Do not have to 'bop' self in eye for detachments to happen an the ultimate outcome came depend on immediate proper TX - not waiting days.

Unfortunately - I've had 3 (yes 3) retina detachments in the last 2 1/2 yrs. No -I did not 'bop' myself or have any injury to start the detachemnets. The first one, I was ride with Hubby in his tow truck on a Sat. afternoon when he went on a call. Alll of a sudden I had several hundred big black floater 'jump up'. 1/2 hr to an hr later, they 'exploded' into 1,000s of pinpoints. A couple of yrs later, they went away. Sunday - no issues. Mon. an 'oily spot' developed vision in inner/lower sight. I called my Dr and was given an appt for a few days away but was impressed that if it progressed to go to UC and they would get an appt with a Specialist quickly. Well, did progress during the day so when Hubby got home from work, he took me to UC (I didn't want to drive 'just in case'), saw the Dr there and he got me an appt. at the local 'eye institute' the next morning. Won't go into all I was told by the 'specialist' other than retina was indeed detaching and surgery would be done on Fri afternoon. Wed was much worse, called them and was told nothing could be done til Fri as 'Speciaist' was out of town and it didn't matter time wise (I had done my research and knew it does) so I got 'hot with them on the phone and was finally told to come in and 'some Dr' would see me. Again was told 'time doesn't matter' - I raised 'all Hades' with them. Finally, they did get me an appt with a Fantastic Dr in private practice for the next morning. The detachment had progressed and within a very short time I was getting a procedure done (gas put in to push the retina back to where it should be attached and getting the vitrious fluid pushed from between the retina and macula). Seemed to be doing very 'good', not perfect though, but considering how long it had taken to get TX. I had an appt with him 4 weeks (had had several other appts in that time) after I first saw him. Well, it decided to re-detache that morning, so the next day it was to surgery. Vision never did return to what was before - still have minor curves on straight lines and some colors are bizarre - some yellows are bright pink, some blues are green and visa versa and a lot of other colors/shades that are 'different', BUT I can SEE and the 'inconviences' are 'handleable'.

The 3rd detachment was about 13 months later and in other eye. I had gone to town shopping and on the way home, I realized that there was an 'oily spot', so when I got home, I called and talked to his PA (who talked to him) and was told to get in as fast as I could safely. YUP - it was detaching and that afternoon again gas procedure done and then the weeks of maintaining the correct position to keep the gas properly placed for where the detachment occured. Eventually the gas dissolves. Thanks to a Fantastic Dr and the rapid TX - much better results.

I know - this is the LE Forum but as long as someone else brought it up thought it might be a good time to remind all that our vision is so IMPORTANT, very delicate, and not to ignored when there seems to be a possible problem. Definitely have to educate ourselves and demand answers and TX sooner rather than later. Black floaters and light flashes (or anything else 'strange') should not be ignored - but checked out sooner rather than later.

I've punched myself in the face before too. This shows how serious it could be. Makes me consider getting one of those aides for putting it on. Think I have some thumb weakness from the carpal tunnel or something too,,,, hmmmmm,,

Hope it is getting better, Jill.

I think we all smack ourselves at one time or another. I've been doing this over five years and have managed to avoid my eye. I don't see the thing fighting back as a sign of weakness but a sign of the strength of the helpful compression inside that thing. And I do use a rubber glove to pull it up and distribute the thing after I've folded it in half and pulled it over my hand. The benefits of managing LE are great. My Dad had unmanaged LE and I can't describe what a horror that was. Kept in check, LE is not that. Maybe an annoyance. The best advice is that if you notice swelling or heaviness, get to a licensed lymphedema therapist. He or she will show you what to do to manage it and keep it in line. Even reduce it and keep it looking and feeling normal. Do Not get on an airplane without a sleeve, ever, if one is prescribed. But you can go about your life and wear that keeper or retainer or whatever you like to call it whenever you aren't on the Red Carpet and no one will say a word unless they think it will help their tennis game.

Hey girls.... The question is ...Who hasn't punched themselves in the eye?

Jill47, do order the ARION easy slide for the arm if you don't like other products. Better known as a slippie.This brand wears well and my last one lasted me a few years. Rolls up for storage like a rolled up sock.

25 bucks from brightlifedirect.com.Looks like a giant sock made from sail material. Just glides that sleeve on and your compression doesn't go on uneven like pulling up by hand. I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THIS PRODUCT!! I use to punch myself all the time, not anymore.

Also the Sigvaris ridged donning glove is what I use to smooth out the compression once on the arm. The ridged bumps on it help grip your sleeve so you can go up from wrist to axilla smoothing out any uneven tight spots. You want your compression put on evenly, not tight in one spot. This one doesn't wear out like others. worth every penny and no I don't work for these companies either.

Next saviour is Body Glide anti blister and chafing stick balm for inner elbows and irritated web spaces if you are senstive like me.

I can't live without these 3 products and would become depressed without them. They have made donning so much easier....oh and I use IT STAYS by Jobst to keep sleeve from slipping down.that 4 products

Wish you success in this swell endeavour. Hope everyone's eyes, cheeks,jaw bones heal.

I will try to post a picture

I went to Dr. Feldman (top LE doc in Chicago area) this morning and it was certainly an eye-opener. The good news is that my mammary seroma is just that, and not truncal LE. He says to keep on wearing the bras & camis I already wear, as long as they’re comfortable; and to NEVER go braless because of both the seroma and the fact that doing so with the size of my rack can further wreck my posture. He didn’t see any cording or axillary webbing, but measurements, water displacement, and my reports of swelling at high altitude (with compression in-flight and without compression in the mountains of Sicily) led him to a diagnosis of borderline LE (not even stage 0). He hit the ceiling when I showed him my sleeve and gauntlet--says he never prescribes compression to asymptomatic patients who’ve had only 4 nodes removed in a SNLB; neither does he advocate wearing a sleeve prophylactically for flight or exercise (provided weight or resistance training is gradual) And when I told him I had some finger-swelling in flight, he replied it was probably due to double compression of the gauntlet over the sleeve. He is not a fan of gauntlets--and prescribed a fingerless glove for me to wear ONLY if I’m noticing onset of symptoms. He asked me when I was prescribed the sleeve & gauntlet, and I replied my bs’ nurse-pract. had done so at my pre-op teaching session and urged me to fill it sufficiently in advance of my flight to make sure it was the right size. He shook his head and said he wished surgeons and their PAs/NPs wouldn’t do that pre-op.

I’ll be starting OT/PT next week to learn LE and posture exercises and MLD massage techniques. At my followup he wants to test me using bioimpedence to determine how much of the difference in measurements between R & L is due to the fact I’m a righty and how much may be retained fluid. Medicare won’t pay for it, but I can afford it. He didn’t do it today because the equipment was at a different office. He also urged me to try to lose as much weight as I can via diet & exercise, or at least not gain weight from the AI. The less fatty tissue I have, the fewer interstices there are for fluid to pool. So treadmill & bike, here I come. (He is skeptical of OsteoStrong, saying if they were that good there’d be more centers near Chicago, including in the city, instead of just way out in Schaumburg--IKEA-land).

Jill, glad to hear that eye is better. sorry about needing knee surgery,, but pain getting off the toilet,, OUCH,,, it's time to do something then. Wishing you speedy healing.

Sandy: yes,, adding those things little by little is not a bad idea. Last year, I converted my bathtub to a stall shower. No more climbing over the tub for me. Still have tub in other bathroom. Things to grab onto are handy since we never know what will happen in the future,, like knee surgery. Sorry for the loss of your FIL, but 91,,, wow,,,,