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Farrow Wraps? Any advice?

Posted , 2 users are following.

caroline70725
caroline70725

Hi, I have been prescribed Farrow Wraps for my swollen feet and lower legs - I am finding them difficult to walk in, the foot part makes any type of footwear almost impossible! And I cannot put them on myself with any kind of tension. Anyone out there with experience of these Wraps with advice?

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • patty42962
    patty42962 caroline70725

    Posted

    Caroline I wear wraps on my feet and legs and what I do is wear soft footie socks with rubber bumps on the bottom around the house. If I have to wear them outside I only have my legs wrapped and not my feet because your right you cant put a shoe on. Sometimes I wear mens slippers that are wider than womens and I get a size bigger and I can slip my foot into them. I have been wearing wraps for about a year now and my calf when really  swollen is about 23 inches and after about 6 to 8 hours of wraps then go down to 19 inches. The ones I have start to loosen up after the legs go down and we just tighten them back up again. I also cannot put them on myself. I have to have my husband do them for me. I wish I could wear them to work so my legs didnt hurt so much , but my husband isnt up as early as I have to go to work. They work great , but only stay down for a while. I sit all day at work and that really makes my legs swell. Sometimes I wear the cotton sock that goes up to the knee and just wrap my feet and legs with ace bandages that have velcrove. That also works and might be easier for you to put on yourself, they also dont loosen up as fast either. I just saw my doctor yesterday and he said there isnt much they can do about this problem other than to wrap them alot. When I go to work I wear support stockings that go up to the knee and that seems to help some.
  • caroline70725
    caroline70725

    Posted

    Patty - that was really helpful, thank you. Yes, I am getting some reduction in size/swelling in my lower legs, ankles and feet, but when I take them off, they swell up again within 12 hours but they are not nearly as hard and bumpy as they were.  What type of Ace bandaging do you use - I just looked on their website and the range is large and confusing. Also what support stockings have you found to be ok?
    • patty42962
      patty42962 caroline70725

      Posted

      I just bought the 3 inch for my feet and the 4 inch for my legs. One for each leg. I got them on Amazon. They are ace bandages with the velcrove so  you dont have to deal with the little metal clips. The compression stockings I get from a website. I get the 15 or 18 strength because the next one up are so tight I cant get them on. They are tan and I get the closed toe ones. They come in short if you have short legs like I do, otherwise they are too long and go over my knees. You order by your calf measurment. I get the ones that go from 23 to 26 inches because my legs swell up to 23 inches when they are real bad. I dont know what size you are but they come in plus sizes. they call it queen I think. Yes I dont know why they keep swelling up so soon again, after I take off the wraps I dont even want to put my feet on the floor because I know they will swell up again. Do you find that your legs ache when they are swollen? Mine do. Keep in touch. How long have you had this problem? I have had it about 1 year . Patty

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    • caroline70725
      caroline70725 patty42962

      Posted

      Hi Patty, after three years of regularly showing my GP my ever expanding lower legs and feet to the extent that some of the lumps were weeping and I couldn't wear proper shoes, I was finally referred to a Lymphoedema Therapist at our local NHS hospital - I didn't even know there was such a thing! All the GP used to say was lose weight, moisturise the skin and sit with the legs up as much as possible. Anyway, when I saw the Therapist in March this year, I sat through ten minutes of being told off for not coming earlier as she said there was no need for my legs and feet to have got this bad and it will now be more expensive for the NHS to apply palliative care. I had to explain to her that the GPs refer patients to her – patients can’t refer themselves, especially if they don’t even know such a clinic exists.  She only does massage for people with oedema in the body so I won’t get any of that.

       

      She told me that as I would not be able to put the Wraps on myself, then my partner would have to do it. I told her that he was disabled with arthritis in his hands and cannot do much, can’t grip and so on, so she said I would have to pay for someone to come in and put them on for me. Got really depressed at that point as we are pensioners and pretty broke. Anyway, a friend who is a retired social worker found out that as it was a medical treatment, that I COULD get some help from the GP surgery.

       

      At the moment with some knee and hip problems I can’t walk much or drive, so the District nurses are coming in twice a week to do the wraps – the therapist prescribed just the one set so they are getting pretty minging! The night before the nurse comes, I take the wraps off and wash and moisturise my legs, using epaderm and E45. The skin IS improving, and the dead feel in my legs is much diminished. ;I can’t wait to get mobile again!! Although I am retired, I am involved with a couple of voluntary organisations and there is lots to do – also do a lot of pc stuff – so sitting down – not good for the legs. I am trying to do the exercises she gave me in the booklet regularly through the day – and yes, my legs and ankles ache a lot when they are swollen.

    • patty42962
      patty42962 caroline70725

      Posted

      What kind of exercised are you doing? I need some to keep my legs moving while I am at work. I know of another lady that was put out on disability because of this situation. My doctor keeps telling me he can put me out but the amount of money I would loose would hurt me financially. I still have 11 years before I can get full retirement and I dont see myself working that many more years.

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  • caroline70725
    caroline70725

    Posted

    Well, isn't that interesting. From the lack of responses in this Discussion, it would seem that Farrow Wraps are not used very much. I did wonder as I had found when googling that there was very little in discussion forums about them.  Suprising then that Farrow are still in business. I have found them quite helpful.
  • patty42962
    patty42962 caroline70725

    Posted

    I FIND THE WRAPS GREAT FOR THE LEG SWELLING. ALSO WHEN MY LEGS ARE WRAPPED THEY DONT HURT LIKE THEY DO WHEN I HAVE NOTHING ON THEM. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THEY ARE HARD TO PUT ON BY YOURSELF. BUT IN ORDER FOR MY LEGS NOT TO SWELL I HAVE TO WEAR THE WRAPS MOST OF THE TIME.
  • caroline70725
    caroline70725

    Posted

    Exercises - standing, bend knees slowly and straighten up again. ankle rotations and foot stretches. Sitting lower leg lifts.

    Patty - I sent you an e-mail on 1 May and today - did you get them?

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