Still bandaging

I got a new gizmo last week from the physical therapist. It's an under-sleeve, designed to be worn under a new type of compression garment. This under-sleeve is apparently made with lots of lycra. The PT asked me to try sleeping with it, so I did on Monday night. Unfortunately the thumb hole was too tight and the swelling backed up into my hand again, after it had measurably moved up my arm to my shoulder. Aargh!

I tried it a second night without putting my thumb through the hole and although it was awkward, it was more comfortable for sleeping than the bandages. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be providing enough compression. So I bandaged last night and drugged myself to sleep, will do so again tonight.

I see the PT again on Friday and hope that this lymphedema flare up will be more under control after another session of manual lymphatic drainage.

What is lymphedema?

My friend Claire posted a comment and it makes sense to reply to it here.

"Dumb question--would holding your arm up in the air help in the same way the compression sleeve does? Obviously you can't do that all the time, but maybe when you're sitting down & reading or whatever the arm could be propped up, then it would at least be unwrapped & available for use every so often.

(I really don't know how this drainage system works.)"

I just have to say that there are no dumb comments or questions, and I'm glad Claire asked.

Unfortunately, holding my arm up in the air wouldn't make any difference. Lymphedema is blockage of the lymphatic flow, resulting in swelling (edema) of the affected area. The lymph system parallels the blood vessels but has not been as well studied, so everyday people don't know as much about it (neither do the doctors or I wouldn't be stuck with it).


The goal of the massage (MLD or manual lymphatic drainage) is to move the cached lymph fluid from the affected area and to encourage the other lymph nodes to pick it up and recirculate it. First you stimulate the other parts of the body, to raise the bar, so to speak, of the rest of the lymph nodes. That means gentle massage around the neck, at the hip, under the arms, THEN across the chest and back and down the affected side, LAST up the affected arm.

Hope this helps!

After the wrapping

I just woke up after being bandaged since 2 PM Saturday. Could hardly wait to tear off the wrappings! My skin is kind of pebbly from the compression (typical) and this will disappear in a few minutes as my arm comes back to normal. It feels so good to be able to scratch an itch, type on the keyboard, hold a pen, prepare and eat breakfast and basically use my left hand as much as I want to.

I have a home improvement project today so will need both hands but I promised to bandage as much as possible while Rik was home so after we are through, I will wrap again. Oy!

First round of MLD

I had my first physical therapy appointment to treat this current lymphedema flare-up. Manual lymphatic drainage is the most gentle massage imaginable -- if I was even remotely ticklish, it might be unbearable. The idea behind it is that since the lymphatic vessels are so close to the surface of the skin, anything more than the most delicate touch would blow right past them into underlying muscle and defeat the purpose of moving the blocked flow of lymph fluid.

My new therapist is about half my age. She really listened to me when I told her that I had been avoiding bandaging for 23 hours since it interfered so much with my ability to write, type, drive, cook, and generally do anything more than sit on the couch reading or watching TV. However, she also reminded me that bandaging for that long is the most effective treatment. So we agreed that I would increase my self-massage to twice a day and bandage over the weekend when RIk is around to be hands for me. I'll see her two or three times a week for several weeks.

I plan to start wrapping Saturday afternoon and be wrapped all of Sunday until Monday morning (with a short break for a shower on Sunday). If I'm cranky, you'll know why!