Sleeve but no glove?

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Manuella
Manuella Member Posts: 50
edited March 2019 in Lymphedema

Hey everyone, I have very mild swelling in my inner forearm and trunk (back and sides, no breast). I have a sleeve, glove, night sleeve, underarmour shirt and getting a LE bra for flying. I wear my sleeve/glove for traveling (which I do a lot), for exercising and whenever my arm feels funny. I had managed to keep swelling at bay for over a year this way, but have very light pitting now in inner forearm (it indents after 10-15 secs of pressing and stays that way for maybe 45 secs?). Anywho, I told my LE therapist (I see one at MSK) that I hate wearing both glove and sleeve in summerand she suggested I try with just the sleeve since I don’t have hand swelling but that scares me! Wondering if some (a lot?) of you go around with just a sleeve on regular days and wear both sleeve and glove mostly when traveling/excercising? I’m afraid my hand will swell and that the LE will “spread” there. Thoughts?

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  • mittmott
    mittmott Member Posts: 409
    edited June 2018

    I once slept in my sleeve with no glove and woke up with a hand that looked like a balloon.. I had a custom sleeve made for me it looks like a giant potholder. I also saw, don't need to anymore, the lymphedema person at MSK but in Commack I have a very very mild case, so I can't compare it to anyone else, but they told me to never use just the sleeve.



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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited June 2018

    Manuella, I agree with mittmott--never the sleeve without the glove, especially if you already have swelling in the forearm. My first LE therapist sent me on an airplane flight with just a sleeve and my fingers looked like sausages. Then I had to fly home again and sat on my hand all the way back (4 hours). Here's an article about it written by Andrea Cheville, an MD and medical researcher who specializes in LE:

    https://lymphedivas.com/blog/use-of-hand-compressi...

    As for dealing with the summer heat, it really is the pits. Here are some summer-time tips:

    http://www.stepup-speakout.org/How_You_Can_Cope_wi...

    Hope some of that helps! Hugs,
    Binney

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  • Outfield
    Outfield Member Posts: 1,109
    edited June 2018

    I pretty much never wear my glove - I just couldn't function that way - BUT my lymphedema is usually very mild and I keep an eye on my hand. If it's at all swollen, I go straight to something that includes my hand. I've been doing this about 7 years, so far so good. The thing is, this is just me and my lymphedema. You do have to know that you're taking a risk if you do it, and that even if some of us are out here doing OK with that risk, it's no guarantee.

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  • Denise-G
    Denise-G Member Posts: 1,777
    edited June 2018

    Manuella - I used to have severe hand swelling, but it toned down completely and is now all in my arm. For the past 4 years I have only had to wear a sleeve with no gauntlet or glove. If I am doing something really vigorous like gardening I wear the gauntlet while doing it. Everyone is different and by trial and error you will find what works for you with the help of your LE Therapist.

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  • Katiejane
    Katiejane Member Posts: 789
    edited June 2018

    Manuella, I am 11 years out and have always worn just the sleeve on both arms. I have never worn a glove or gauntlet. I do wear a Jovi PAC sleeve at night but I do wrap my fingers and hand before I put on the sleeve. I have never had any hand swelling

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  • Fitz33
    Fitz33 Member Posts: 243
    edited June 2018

    My Lymphadema Doctor told me to only wear the sleeve, no glove so that's what I do. My hands have always been a bit swollen since chemo (7 years ago) and I tried a glove but it didn't do any good. I really hate wearing the sleeve in the summer as it seems by body temp goes up about 5 degrees. My doctor tells me not to,think about it. Yeah, right.

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  • Morwenna
    Morwenna Member Posts: 1,063
    edited June 2018

    It's ok to experiment so long as you are vigilant. General advice is always not to wear the sleeve alone but many people are fine with a gauntlet, less cumbersome than the full glove, and I've met quite a few ladies with mild lymphedema who claim to never wear anything on their hand and who insist their hand never swells.

    Once you have lymphedema it is not "curable" but the goal is always to push it back to the "latency" stage, ie no swelling.

    If you try a short period without your glove and your hand swells then stick your glove back on pronto. Even more important on situations that tend to make you swell.

    NB elastic compression garments are designed for dynamic use with the arm in motion. If you wear them for sleeping the resting pressure becomes too high and a circular knit garment I'm particular is liable to pull tight here and there and has a tourniquet effect, which can exacerbate the problem.

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  • joannnc
    joannnc Member Posts: 119
    edited March 2019

    I got LE in 2004.  I only wore the sleeve.  I did have a glove but only wore it for flying (about 2x a year).  I do not even know it was the right size. 

    Anyway, in 2014 by hand blew up terribly.  I went to a therapist and needed to be wrapped for several weeks.  Now I wear a Juzo compression glove expert in size 4.  I had a very hard time adjusting to the glove.  I felt like I had LE all over again.  Every case is different.  I see women who only wear sleeve.  However, I do live in a small town and do not see people very often with LE.  Good luck to you whatever you decide.  Sometimes I do not wear compression; however, I never wear sleeve without glove.  

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