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advice re: flat knit sleeves and gloves

mzg
mzg Member Posts: 7
edited February 2022 in Lymphedema

Hi, all, I've mainly been lurking, but have been finding this group so helpful. Thanks for all the great info and support everyone gives each other. My lymphedema has been fairly mild but I've been dealing with a flareup, and my PT think I may need to move to a garment that's more containing than my Medi Harmony, which I've ben using for 3 years.Besides, the glove has been giving me trouble

My issue: I'm very petite, and have short arms, and very sensitive skin, especially in the webbing area between my thumb and index finger. This has been a problem with the Medi, though it's worked well otherwise until now. I've been wondering if anyone else has had those issues and found a custom flat knit sleeve and glove that works for you? (fortunately, my new insurance covers one set!) I know some brands offer a silk lining in their sleeves and gloves. Might those work for me? One Juzo glove mentions a "comfort patch" for the thumb area, but I'm not sure what that is.

Any thoughts, comments, experiences, suggestions would be most welcome!

Thanks.

mzg


Comments

  • threetree
    threetree Member Posts: 1,217

    Helllo mzg - I have Juzo glove and sleeve. The glove really bothers the webbing in my fingers and makes my thumb ache. I just pretty much don't wear the glove, because of that, and because I have to take it off every 5 minutes to do something in the kitchen or bathroom, etc. So far, so good. My hand gets slightly swollen every once in awhile, but I'm pretty much OK without the glove, as long as I wear the sleeve regularly. I have thought of asking for a gauntlet rather than glove to see if that makes any difference. I guess that's my experience and "solution" if you will. Good luck - these sleeves and gloves are a real pain!

  • navy1305
    navy1305 Member Posts: 6

    Hi mzg,

    I've used Medi Harmony products, both the very old kind where the gloves had seams as well as the seamless gloves, and also Juzo. I greatly prefer the Juzo.

    I currently use a custom Juzo glove and an off-the-shelf Juzo soft (not flat knit) for the sleeve. Both my glove and sleeve are class II compression since the class I was not doing it for me. I also get irritation in the webbing between my thumb and index finger, but you can use A+D ointment (I think it is usually used as some kind of diaper rash cream since I found it in the baby aisle, but I found it also works really well on chapped lips) to put on the irritated area. My lymphedema specialist is the one who recommended the A+D.

    My custom Juzo glove has seams and the "comfort patch", which is like a smooth material sewn in the inside of the glove in the webbing area to cover the seams so the seams don't rub. The Juzo seams are not like the Medi seams; the Medi seams were pretty terrible and seemed to get snagged on every little thing. The construction quality of the Juzo products far exceeds the quality of the Medi products, and the Juzo soft sleeve is much softer and less coarse/rough of a material than the Medi Harmony products. Plus, you can just toss the Juzo stuff in the washer and dryer so it is a lot less time consuming than needing to wash it by hand. The Juzo sleeve does not have the elbow thingy that the Medi has, but TBH, this is actually better because you don't need to worry about lining things up in a certain way like you do with the Medi.

    Overall, I would definitely recommend the Juzo products, but in order to get Juzo stuff, you need to go through a DME provider because unlike other brands, Juzo does not sell direct to consumers.

  • mzg
    mzg Member Posts: 7

    Thanks so much, ThreeTree. I couldn't agree with you more. A real pain. And they've only been working on LE treatments for almost 100 years! You'd think they could have come up with a more user-friendly system by now. ;)



  • mzg
    mzg Member Posts: 7

    Thanks so much, Navy1305, this is really helpful! I'll mention it to my PT.


  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,044

    The seams of my gauntlets are on the outside. It looks like they're turned inside out, but they're not. Wonder if you would try turning your gloves inside out?

  • mzg
    mzg Member Posts: 7

    Thanks, MinusTwo. That's a smart way to make them. My Medi glove is actually seamless. But my skin is so sensitive that the spot where all the pieces meet—which is in the thumb webbing area—gets very irritated just from the weight of the compression. I've tried all types of padding, but, if I don't get it exactly right, the padding gets smushed by the glove and just makes matters worse. I'm hoping the comfort patch that navy1305 has might take care of that problem. Fingers crossed!


  • rah2464
    rah2464 Member Posts: 1,192

    I am so glad you mentioned this issue mzg because I have the same problem and though I was just a little nuts or too delicate. I will also be trying that patch to see if it helps me. This community is such a source of great information.

  • Tulipsfordayz
    Tulipsfordayz Member Posts: 1

    Jobst/essity offers a custom seamless glove you should look into.

  • binney4
    binney4 Member Posts: 1,466

    mzg, have you tried applying a bit of cornstarch to the affected area before donning your glove? It can help ease the chafing. To avoid a mess I put some in the toe of a clean cotton sock, tie it closed, and just dap it in the area. Might help, anyway, until you can find a better glove.

    Hugs,
    Binney

  • moneeme
    moneeme Member Posts: 10

    Friends, I had level 1 and 2 lymph nodes removed 22 years ago on left and 12 years on right. Just a few weeks ago I developed lymphedema on the left side after 22 years. I can't believe it. I've moved since all that surgery and only have a pcp where I live now. Can or should I just buy a sleeve myself from Amazon or do I need to consult a doctor? My husband wants me to address it but I don't know where to turn. Any advice appreciated. Thank you. ~m

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,044

    Moneeme - In my opinion, you should see a doctor first. Depending on your insurance, maybe you could go for an Gyn doc and tney could refer? And you should see a trained & certified LE physical therapist. This site will give you some names wherever you live. http://www.stepup-speakout.org/

    Don't let it go. I could get worse. good luck.

  • parakeetsrule
    parakeetsrule Member Posts: 605

    You'll want to have a trained lymphedema specialist measure your arm in order to get a sleeve in the correct size. Once you know what size you need, then you can buy them. But buying them without knowing what you need can either not help or it can make your lymphedema worse, or cause other problems. In addition to the site MinusTwo shared, you can check https://clt-lana.org. That's where I found my therapist!

    Your husband is right, you should seek help with this. Lymphedema isn't curable but it's definitely manageable, especially if you seek treatment early. I rarely even wear my sleeve anymore because regular exercise keeps the swelling down in my arm and it's actually stopped my hand from getting puffy at all.

  • moneeme
    moneeme Member Posts: 10

    Thank you for the information. Very helpful. Thought I was done with all this breast cancer stuff. Ill check in with my pcp today.

  • runnergirl26
    runnergirl26 Member Posts: 66

    What exercises are you doing? I am having a terrible flare up and nothing I do is helping. Currently seeing lymphedema therapist for massage ani I just got measured for new garnets. I use class II compression custom sleeve and gloves and jovipak at night.

  • parakeetsrule
    parakeetsrule Member Posts: 605
    I don't do specific ones. Until the pandemic I was going to Crossfit, and after that a friend of mine who is a personal trainer started creating workouts for me. I'm not creative enough to come up with a plan on my own. I just show up and do what they tell me! Everything from running to weightlifting.
  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,044

    runnergirl - your LEPT should have given you a list/sheet of exercises that are good for your particular condition & level. Here's a link to a trusted site and you can check exercises here. http://www.stepup-speakout.org/


  • runnergirl26
    runnergirl26 Member Posts: 66

    Thank you for the link. I will ask my therapist for a list/sheet of exercises. She seems to be stumped by my flare and it is continuing to get worse everyday. I’m so discouraged.

  • runnergirl26
    runnergirl26 Member Posts: 66

    Thank you for the link. I will ask my therapist for a list/sheet of exercises. She seems to be stumped by my flare and it is continuing to get worse everyday. I'm so discouraged.

  • rah2464
    rah2464 Member Posts: 1,192

    Runnergirl - do you qualify at all for a pump? I qualified for a flexitouch pump at the end of last year. It is a 60 minute daily massage and it is life altering. It was my LPT that worked with the insurance company to get it arranged.

  • runnergirl26
    runnergirl26 Member Posts: 66

    Yes I already have one but it isn't doing anything for this flare up. My PT is at a loss as am I.

  • binney4
    binney4 Member Posts: 1,466

    runner, how long have you had lymphedema, and how long have you been dealing with the flare-up? Do you know what triggered it? Sometimes it can take awhile to get a flare under control, but it does help to remove the precipitating factor if you can figure out what it is.

    I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this. Lymphedema is a constant, and it's so hard to adjust to having to live with this! Gentle hugs,
    Binney

  • runnergirl26
    runnergirl26 Member Posts: 66

    it has been over a month now that I have been dealing with it. I have no idea what precipitated it. It seemed like one day I was gone and the next I wasn’t….

  • rah2464
    rah2464 Member Posts: 1,192

    Ugh sorry to hear this flare up is being stubborn. My LT did something very different yesterday. She focused massage along my spine focusing a lot from my skull down to about mid back. She had a name for the type of massage. It wasn't a standard lymph clearing for sure, but I believe it has helped. I will try and find out the name and let you know runner perhaps it is something to add to your arsenal

  • runnergirl26
    runnergirl26 Member Posts: 66

    Rah2464:

    That would be great! I’ll try anything.

  • mzg
    mzg Member Posts: 7

    Thanks so much, Binney4. I'll try it.


    best,

    mzg

  • mzg
    mzg Member Posts: 7

    Hi, Moneeme,

    I agree with everyone else that you should see trained LE therapist. Most likely, they'd do manual lymph drainage, or possibly complete decongestive therapy, and recommend the correct compression garments.

    Exercises that I've found helpful are tai chi, gentle qi gong, and the Lebed method, which now has a different nam; you can learn about it here: https://www.gohealthysteps.com/

    Good luck! It's a pain in the butt, so to speak, and can feel unmanageable in the beginning—we've all been there—but you're not alone. And this site is a great resource.

    best, mzg

  • rah2464
    rah2464 Member Posts: 1,192

    Runnergirl2 she did cranio sacral massage as a complement to her lymphatic massage. I think it helped as i am building up fluid underneath my (cancer side) shoulder blade area. Its all so complicated we just try anything that gets lymph and blood moving. Hope you are able to find a really good LT - they are worth their weight in gold for sure.