Graduation - Farrow Wraps to Haddenham Compression stockings !!

I'm so sorry Caroline. Hate to be a "Debbie Downer" but now the fluid collects at my knee...just above where the last Farrow strap would go. And I am truly just juggling this disease every day. I do also have a Farrow wrap for the knees and thigh and when it bulges out I put it on in addition to the lower leg wrap. And then I am reminded that I have to lay down so I can get my legs to drain properly. But who wants to lay down all the time??? It's got me kind of depressed lately.

I can sympathise - I am having a hard time coming to terms that this IS a life-changing condition. I have lived with asthma as a condition since my teens, and am now facing the fact that I have to pay attention to this condition as well, and change my life style too. For example, I had to go out on Friday to do various chores in the local town, driving, in and out f the car, walking. The next day, had to rest, with legs up. So I have to learn to pace myself, and the discipline of the wash, cream, wrap, and so on - well it's boring!! My therapist really wants me in thigh high wraps - I am seeing her again at the end of July. Watch this space for expletives!!

Lol....well, I can tell you that adding the thigh or knee wrap (bc it includes the thigh) is a lot more constricting and will have you walking like Frankenstein. But...it works pretty fast. It's just so disheartening when I keep filling up over and over. Getting ready to go somewhere used to take an hour but now I have to allow myself 2 to 3 hours. I have 2 sets of wraps for when I have to wash a set. But then they still wear out...I use a fabric shaver and a velcro cleaner to get the most life that I can out of them. I think I'm just tired of it all lately. I'm sorry.

Hi Joe,

You said you have lymphphedema so please understand that the fluid in your legs is lymphatic fluid from your lymphatic system in your body. It's thicker and contains things we usually dispose of from our bodies. I call it trash fluid. So when it pools in your legs it can get thicker and harder like gel and then you really need lymphatic massage to loosen it up. But tight compression is the only thing to push it out of your legs...sometimes they have to do a lymphatic wrap which is several layers of padding and wrap, almost like a semi cast and put your legs up and your huge legs will go down literally overnight. Usually a certified therapist only does this. Then after that hopefully you can manage it with Farrow Wraps. It is an every day thing....that's for sure. Hope this helps! Ladyjack51

To start off, my legs and feet were very very big - I had to wear the Farrow Wraps 24/7 with nurses coming in twice a week to re-do them tighter. They were so big and the Farrow Wraps so big and unwieldy too that I couldn't do them myself. I slept in them too apart from the night before the nurse was due to come - so I took them off to wash and cream my legs and feet before going to bed the evening before. Fitting - the therapist measured my "elephant legs and feet" and ordered the size to fit - they are not made to measure as it comprises on lycra strips with velcro on them to fasten. They are supposed to be tightened daily but neither I nor my partner could manage it so it did take longer than it should for the legs to decrease in size enough for me to manage it myself [and a smaller size of wrap too]. The weight I lost through the stuff in my legs being squeezed out by the wraps was nearly a stone - no wonder I had problems walking. It took about 10 weeks but I think if the wraps were tightened daily then it would not be so long. I was then started on a smaller size of Farrow Wrap plus compression stockings [which I can now manage myself]. BUT certainly with my left and worst leg - I wear the wraps all day about three days per week [alternately] and I have recently been given a second set that I use on my right leg around once a week [more if the weather is hot - yes folks it DOES sometimes get hot in the UK but usually a humid hot so sweaty!!]. I am finding that I am now getting a bulge ABOVE the top of the wrap and stocking, it goes down overnight but I really don't think I could manage this myself if they give me thigh wraps - I have heard they can be v awkward to walk in. I am trying to walk more [in the wraps] but my knees let me know about it- ouch! Will try swimming again once the children are back in school next week so the pool is quiet and child-free - but bit shy of being seen but I havn't had any weepers since I went into the wraps. I DO RELAPSE - there are some days when I just can't bear the feeling of something on my skin, but then I have to catch up by wrapping agressively another day. :-)

Bless your heart Caroline,

I can tell that you have really been through it just like I have. However I got to tell you and this is just a suggestion.... I kind of think you're doing it the hard way which will truly make you miserable and wear you down because just like you said it is too much for you to do by yourself. You said you had nurses coming in and that's good. In fact I would expect them to do this but maybe they're not certified. My suggestion is you might need to go to the lymphedema Department at your hosp. or go into the hospital overnight and let them do that heavy wrap on your leg it literally takes your leg down overnight. Sounds like you are a definite candidate but it takes a certified lymphphedema therapist. Do your hospitals have an apartment just for Lymphedema? They are very very limited over here in the United States as well but most of them do have at least something small. This process really can wear you out and to know that you have to do with the rest of your life is very daunting.

Ladyjack51

Well,things are a bit different over her. The district nurses only came whilst I could not put the wraps on by myself - and it took the intervention of a friend who is a retired social worker to argue with our GP that putting the wraps on could be classed as "treatment"  - so reluctantly he ok'd the nurse/s coming but only until I could put the wraps on myself. FYI district nurses are fully qualified nurses. The lymphoedema service under our Local Health Authority will not put wraps on for you, nor will they admit you to hospital to do it - only if you are an emergency with cellulitis or something dire. The Lumphoedema therapist will advise, sort out wraps and stockings and get them supplied to you, they will only do MLD for people with it in their trunk, not extremities. You can get a social worker to get Home Carers in to put the wraps on but again you have to pay for it, and my meagre pension income is not low enough to get Benefit Paymets to pay for Carers.There are some private masseurs with suitable qualifications but it is v expensive. At the moment I can manage it myself - on Monday I went wrap/stocking free, yesterday I did a tight wrap on my left leg and stocking on the right, today stockings on each leg. Will assess them tomorrow morning to see how left leg is doing, maybe wrap again. Ho hum .........

You are right about the leg having to have cellulitis before they will admit you...and I did have it at the time. But I'm glad I had it that time bc if I hadnt, I would've never found the therapist and lymphphedema depth that this hosp.had. My hosp where I had been going to for wound care told me there was nothing else they could do for me. I almost ended my life that night.