ALL THINGS Gloves and sleeves
Comments
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Hi Ella,
I would call someone on your BC team - RO or BS and ask for a referral to a PT. ( Try to get one who is Lana certified or at least ask if they are knowledgable about LE). Perhaps even your BS or RO could give you the advice on sleeve and hand protection.
I only had 2 nodes removed and NO RADS so anyone can get LE, so you are very wise to take this precaution. Hopefully, it is some thing you will never develop , but I will tell you personally that knowing what I do now, I would want a sleeve and hand protection if I had 15 nodes out and was planning a flight. IMHO, I really think it is prudent. Not all med. prof. may agree. That doesn't necessarily mean they are correct! Many of us have had to advocate for ourselves (and others!) when it comes to LE. It is your body, and it is wise to take precautions .
You said you need to understand about the sleeve and flying.
Check this out : http://www.breastcanceranswers.com/should-i-wear-a-compression-sleeve-when-flying/
Better safe than sorry - please make the phone call and let us know you make out.
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I finally had a chance to look at the Icon Plus site that dassi wrote about in an earlier post ( white cotton inspection gloves- a doz. for just $6.59) These look like great protection for our pricey RX gloves when doing a dirty job, and with NO shipping fees, I like the price. Just be sure to chk off UPS and NOT USPS for free S&H.
Thanks, Dassi!
I am providing a link to the gloves in case others want to look: http://www.icondisposableglovesplus.com/inspcotton.html
(*pls correct me if this is not the right pg)0 -
Ella~you might find this site useful. The information is compiled by some very knowledgable people who are themselves dealing with lymphedema.
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Re Farrow policy - for Binney
Inside the package that Brightlife sent me was a note that while most of their products can be returned, Farrow can't. I wrote Farrow directly, but so far no answer. Waiting for Monday and will keep you guys posted. Likewise waiting for Monday to call Brightlife to see what we can do.
Purple, it would be great to see if we can have an impact on Farrow re uniform sizing of all gloves and refund/exchange policies, so I'm with you that I think the more people write them to request it, the more chance there is they will be persuaded. It can be done in a polite and positive way. I really do love their fabric, but who wants to risk getting stuck with an expensive garment, glove or stocking etc that doesn't fit?
Ella - I am also flying in January although much longer than you.(11-12 hours) I'll be wearing a sleeve (even though the LE is limited to my hand) as well as my glove. I decided not to put on anything on the other arm and hand even though I had sentinel done on the non-LE side, because pre-LE I flew a lot of times and it was always fine. (This was before I had ever heard of protective measures and was pretty much LE ignorant) This is in no way to say you should do likewise. I'll let the pros on the forum answer this, and if you have a really knowledgeable onc he/she may have something to say as well (although most MDs know less than the ladies on the forum...)
My question to the pros - what happens if I take off the glove for a few minutes during the flight, if I want to wash my hands f.e.??? Is this very risky?
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The problem with different colored Farrow gloves fitting differently has been going on for at least a couple of years, and Farrow has known about it since then. (I emailed Farrow VP Barry Creighton with the lot #s in January 2011, and he said he would into it.) Here's my post from Feb 2011:
Feb 1, 2011 04:14 PM KS1 wrote:
Hi Dawn-Hope, When I ordered my Farrow gloves from BrightLife.com, I spoke to a person to ensure that I got the longer fingered ones, and not the older, shorter-fingered ones. I ordered 3 extra small gloves -- 2 in copper and 1 in beige (sand). The BEIGE extra small pair was much bigger than the copper extra small pairs. The beige glove was much too loose, but the copper one fits just right. PM me and I can give you the lot # for the copper gloves and the beige gloves. KS1
If you do a search for "Farrow," many others report the same thing. KS1
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"the more chance there is they will be persuaded. It can be done in a polite and positive way."
I wouldn't have it any other way, dassi!
I hope someone comes to answer your Q about the removal of the glove during flying. I know Carol57 does a lot of flying . If you dont get any direct info, you may want to PM her (?)
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Thanks for that info KS.
I sure appreciate it , and I know many others will as well. I wont bother you with the PM since my copper order is already on its way. I will hope for a good fit and report here as you did in the hopes of helping others if the sizing compared to the blk is much different and how.
thx
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Dassi - I wouldn't take my glove off in flight, but then I've had some really minor things trigger my LE. Ask your LE T, if it's just the glove, not the sleeve, it might be ok? I'm new at this one piece thing and have had trouble figuring out how to wash my hands - I've found that I can use hand sanitizer and it dries really fast on the glove.
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Thanks to all for your comments about removing the glove during the flight. Maybe this is really an individual thing. There aren't any studies out, and even if there were, each one of us has a unique set of reactions when it comes to LE so there probably isn't any standard answer. I can be wearing my glove, and all of the sudden some of my fingers or part of the hand starts hurting, and then it disappears again, and I don't always know what has caused it. I am sure this happens to about everyone with LE. I think it will probably try to play it safe, but if I do decide to take the glove off, it will be for a VERY short time. I actually wonder if my hand will feel like it needs extra pressure. I could always throw a bandage over it... I can imagine the looks of other passengers.
One more thing about the Farrow sizing. One thing was good for me, because the sand which you say is the widest, is just right for me, and that means the copper and black one are too tight. That's just to say that there is something positive about it
On the other HAND, it is HANDier if an x small is an x small exactly w/o variations. I guess I am getting corny with all those hand words. Chalk it up to a pile of tests I have to mark ASAP.0 -
Dassi, I do fly very often for work, and I wear compression without fail. I'm in a sleeve and gauntlet, not a glove, so it's quite simple for me to peel the gauntlet back enough to wash my hands--takes just 20 seconds or so. BeckySharp keeps plastic food-service gloves with her, so she can put one over her gauntlet and then just toss it on the way out of the bathroom. I've done that too, sometimes, which makes it easy to wash the non-gauntleted hand without getting the gauntleted hand wet. I haven't found cheap food-service gloves that are small enough to stay on my hand easily, which is why I don't use them often, although I do have a stash of them in my travel briefcase all the time.
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Thanks, Carol, for your reply. I have these vinyl disposable gloves that I put on top of the glove when I work in the kitchen. They're meant for anyone to protect hands and I like them better than latex which causes an itch. The problem with them over a glove is that they make you sweat and the glove ends up wet. Now I just got cotton inspection gloves (see above postings) and if I wear that over the Farrow and on top of all that Vinyl, it's OK, just a lot of layering. I can also get these plastic gloves that are real cheapos. Their problem is that they are huge and they fit best over a huge wrapped hand, but when worn just so or over a glove, they tend to fall right off. (I use them for peeling potatoes or zucchine or carrots which stain your hands). It's one time use. So yes, I am planning to take my vinyl and cotton and what not, so I can feel "safe". It's not enough that all these anti-terrorist measures take all the fun out of traveling, but combined with our preps because of the LE it is just a pain. (Maybe I should post that on GRGRGR...)
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Ella you probably should have a Talk with a Certified LE Therapist and have them measure you and then get some OTC sleeves ordered.. She/he will measure and talk to you and that way you have a baseline measurement. You will need compression for your hand and arm. You can find further information here:
http://www.stepup-speakout.org/riskreduction_for_lymphedema.htm
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Dassi, what we need is gloves, available in S, M, and L, made of something like Gore-tex, which is waterproof but nonetheless breathes (and I have no clue how they manage that miracle!). Imagine being able to put a glove like that on over our LE gloves or gauntlets, for short-term wear, and with some kind of clasp or closure at the wrist to help it stay put, but not be too tight. Hmmm...I never thought of searching for Gore-tex gloves, so I'll spend a few minutes to see what might be out there.
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I wonder if something like this would be helpful: http://www.rei.com/product/828666/sealskinz-waterproof-gloves,-black,-small?preferredSku=8286660001&cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-pla-_-product-_-8286660001&mr:referralID=fef19c55-52e5-11e2-b779-001b2166c62d
It's waterproof, but not insulated, and looks like it is thin and flexible. And it breathes.
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Carol - what a great idea, I like those REI gloves, now maybe we need to start a trade where, since my issue is on the left I want additional left gloves, and maybe you need right gloves, we could switch
I've heard of that fabric before and it's supposed to be great, but has anyone on here actually used anything made out of that before?
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Looks great. If anyone trys them, report back!
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I bought the stretch nylon inspectors gloves
http://www.gallawayb2b.com/Products/Inspection-Gloves/Stretch-Nylon-Inspectors-Gloves
(Hopefully the link works.) I actually cut the tips off the fingers and dyed some of them them dark brown and they work well to keep my gloves clean. I wear the ladies size and they fit fine over my elvarex glove. I might try ordering cotton, but I was worries it will be too thick-the nylon is a really lightweight fabric. The only issue for me is they are short at the wrist, but I have been wearing tights legs as sleeve covers and I cut a thumb hole, so it covers my hand. They're not waterproof though, so I still have to wear medical or rubber gloves when I do things that are wet or might stain.
If someone tries the gore-tex ones, let us know. I teach for a living, so unless I'm doing something messy, the nylon is fine for daily wear, but it's nice to have options.0 -
I was considering tights too... do you serge them to keep them from raveling?
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Thanks so much for a reply and link! Very much helpful.
Happy New Year!!!
~E
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I might just give the sealskinz gloves a try and will report back soon!
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So like Dassi, I have the conern about wearing my disposable gloves over my compression glove and having my compression glove get wet with sweat when I wash dishes or when I am cooking in the kitchen. Someone suggested to take my glove off when I cook but when I cook in large batches I would have to have my glove off for an hour or so to cut, wash, chop vegs. This might be counterproductive for LE as I am working with my hand and a LE glove would be the best for it.
So today, I washed a big batch of dishes with a playtex glove over my compression glove and after about 10 min I had a completely wet glove. I am thinking that this would make a great breeding ground for bacteria. What to do? what to do? what to do?
The Rei gloves sound like a solution,I will phone them tomorrow and quiz them. Hopefully it is not seasonal item because I would order these if they solved my sweating problem. I am sure there are some lefty's out there that would love to trade with me.0 -
Hugz, my LE is lefty. I'm a bit reluctant to order the glove online, because it's so hard to predict what size would work best over a gauntlet. So I need to investigate where I can find a seller where I can try them on. Hugz, I'm looking forward to what you learn from REI.
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Googled rei and they don't have all sizes. I will still investigate in the morn by phone and if they have them In the store then I will pop over to the states and have a gander at them. Just wait and we will see what these gloves are about.
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Hugz
Perhaps you should put James on kitchen duty for a while !
LindaKR
I think your lefty / righty swap is a great idea actually and could easily be co-ordinated on this thread if people do start ordering. Makes sense !
BTW, I still have the cheap allegro sleeve ( size small) NEVER WORN of course. I tried it on for 1 min and took it right off because it bothered my wrist , but mind you- the wrist is my trouble area. If anyone would like it rather than using a sticking to fill the gap between their glove and sleeve this 'wristband' might just do the trick. I dunno.
Just PM me if anyone wants this sleeve and I will be happy to snail mail .
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Cindy, I have found with most of the types of tights they just roll back on themselves and form a natural cuff, but I recently tried a girls large pair (usually I use a women's small size) and the girls tights were a heavier cotton knit so they frayed and would need to be bound in some way. Someone more particular than me might want to finish the ends or thumb holes. I've been very lucky to find various colors and patterns on clearance, so I have quite a stockpile. If they run or fray, I pitch them and start over with new ones.
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I thought to check the sealskinz website, and it turns out that they make many varieties of waterproof gloves. Here's one that looks interesting. On this page, there is a sizing guide, too. (Whether they sell all of the glove varieties in the US/Canada is not certain; the company is in the UK). http://www.sealskinz.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=23
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Re the waterproof gloves - Who says that the combination of a compression glove with that doesn't make me sweat? I would think that it is most likely. So I would love to hear from people who tried it out. In the meantime, my solution of compr. glove, cotton jersey and then vinyl, is still the best solution (other than taking everything off...) and certainly the cheapest. If everyone gives glowing reports about the sealskinz glove, I might be persuaded.
Now for exciting news about the Farrow and Brightlife. I just finished speaking to a customer rep, by the name of Nancy, who was amazing. She heard my stroy about the black Farrow and commiserated with me. She told me that Brightlife actually donates all items whose return they do accept, or that companies they work with take abck and then donate or reprocess etc, but as we know, Farrow doesn't. She fully understood that $86 is a steep price to pay for a glove that doesn't fit and will end up unused. She then called her rep at Farrow (Valeria) while I was on hold and she was able to do the following for me. She will send me a new glove in sand (what I have right now), charge me but as soon as she receives the returned black one, the money will be credited back to my account. She also discovered that Farrow makes the sand and copper by one manufacturer while the black one is made by a different one. So not only may the dye affect sizing, the fact that it's made on a different machine causes all these issues.
Nancy agreed 100 % that Farrow must allow either for returns or have uniform sizing or have a place where one can try them out. I suggested to her that Brightlife should accept Farrow items (if the Board of Health allows it). refund with a slight deduction, and then resell to us ladies at a discount. I assume most of us don't care if an item has been worn for a few hours. We'll just wash it. No different from buying a bra in a department store that others have tried on. That way, we could get extra gloves etc with a discount, in case the insurance doesn't cover. She said she'd mention it to her boss. Therefore, thank you, Purple, for recommending I'd talk to Brightlife, and 3 cheers for Brightlife personel and, in this case, the Farrow rep who agreed to the return.
I was also thinking that just like we might be able to set up some kind of exchange idea, pairing the lefties and righties, we could exchange gently-tried on garments with people that want them and are willing to apy for them, maybe with some discount. Don't look in my direction, because living in Israel makes that idea very complicated. I already told the Brightlife rep that I'd return the glove when I fly in towards the end of January. Last time I sent a check to the US (registered) it took TWO weeks! Expensive items I'd rather send from the States and insured.
So with this happy news I sign off.
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Dassi, great news (except I'm sorry you still have the hassle of returning, etc.--sure wish this fitting business was a whole lot easier!)
Just wanted to add on the subject of what to do in the kitchen, that the one thing we can say for LE being chronic is that we do end up with "old" gloves that still have a bit of life left in them. I use them for wet or messy jobs, then dry my hands well, lotion, and put the newer dry ones back on when I'm done. My hands get wet, of course, but they're not steaming in the plastic and they don't stay wet for long.
I'm trying out a Juzo OTC glove called "Cool Vent" that has air vents on palm and back of hand. It's comfortable, but I haven't had a really hot day since I got it to see how it works. I'll try it out today with a plastic glove and see if it cuts down on the sweat factor (my regular gloves are soaked in minutes if I use plastic over them). Here's a picture of the Cool-vent (I've never used this company--just posting it for the picture):
http://www.recoveryelements.com/juzoglovewiththumbandfingerstubswithcoolingvent.aspxBe well!
Binney0 -
OK I know the talk was here but can't seem to find it.. I have isotoners right now because of not being able to afford gloves... What was the other inexpensive gloves that were mentioned??? Need a second pair as my hands seem to be swollen in the morning... Any suggestions are greatly appreciated...
Dassi, Awesome news on the glove return :-)
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Binney, I just sent off a thank you email to the Farrow sales rep, and also passed on very politely that even though their fabric is great, they are going to lose a lot of potential customers as long as their sizing issues and return policy stay the way they are. I assure you that it was very polite, and really do love the microfiber and told them everyone would be thrilled if they make more things with it, and maybe various classes of pressure. The hassle of returning is a small price to pay considering the $86 that I thought had gone down the drain. (Of course, I hope the line in the post office is reasonable! My sister lives in Washington Heights in NY and sometimes you could read and finish War and Peace while waiting your turn.)
I looked at the glove you suggested. Interesting to know how good it is. I don't have that much experience with gloves, having gotten my first one only recently, but after comparing Medi95 with Farrow, I can only say that the microfiber is so superior that I doubt anything else is as comfortable. Your idea of wearing old ones (in half a year when I get a new one from the insurance) is definitely something to keep in mind.
So we are waiting for a report by whoever wears this Cool Vent. We could make a separate thread about our experiences with various new items as an easy reference before we buy something. That way we don't have to go through all those postings just to read up on things.
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