Sharing Advice, Comfort & Positive Thinking
Battling lymphedema is all about arming yourself with the right weapons to fight the disease.
Watch this video to find out how many butterflies toe caps earn on Lymphedema Diary’s five-butterfly rating system (The butterfly is the international symbol of lymphedema).
Continue reading “VIDEO: Battle Your Lymphedema with Toe Caps”
While prying the latest dump of holiday catalogs out of my mailbox, a bright red postcard escaped onto the cold pavement. As I knelt down to pick it up, I could hardly believe my eyes – “Storewide Sale!” on all compression stocking brands. The postcard was from my stocking provider, BrightLife Direct. It was a Christmas miracle!
I have been purchasing compression stockings for nearly 20 years. And never in that time have I been offered a holiday discount.
Behold, it is true. This week only – BrightLife Direct is offering 10-20% off discounts plus free shipping on all of their brands. There are no kickbacks coming my way – promise. Just sharing the joy of the season with fellow lymphies.
THIS is the week to: Continue reading “Behold! Cyber Week Stocking Sale!”
Although June 21st is the calendar start of summer, Memorial Day (in America) marks the unofficial start. For the average person, the season means fun, sun and sandals. For those of us with lymphedema, it can mean swelling, sweat, and praying for September to come early.
When you are a lymphie, heat is a four letter word.
Putting on and then wearing thick, tight compression stockings all day, every day is challenging enough. Add eighty-plus-degree-heat and a bucket of humidity, and we are ready to volunteer for the crew of ‘Ultimate Survival Alaska.’
For women (like me) who must wear full-pantyhose compression stockings, the most unpleasant hazard of the summer heat can be yeast infections.
Yeast infections are not listed as a side-effect on stocking product materials. Neither is your regular doctor likely to warn you about them, because (GROAN) the medical profession lacks focus and funding on our field of study.
Yet I assure you, yeast infections and pantyhose compression stockings go hand-in-hand. Yeast thrives in warm, moist places, causing a fungal infection resulting in itching, redness, swelling, burning and a discharge that looks like cottage cheese. Summer fun, it is not.
So what can you do to avoid developing this uncomfortable medical condition on top of an already uncomfortable medical condition?
Victoria isn’t the only one who knows this secret. Some manufacturers, for an extra fee, can remove the crotch from stockings. Juzo offers this as a regular option in their Soft product line. Unless Dr. Ruth is on the board of Juzo, one would surmise there was a medical function to this design.
An open crotch promotes a cool, dry and airy — how shall we say….”environment.” Don’t negate these positive effects by wearing tight pants or synthetic panties. In hot and humid weather, skirts and cotton panties (or none!) are the way to go. In addition, be sure to change out of wet swimsuits and gym clothes immediately after a workout.
Continue reading “Compression Stocking Tip #6: For Women Only — Lymphedema and Yeast Infections”
If you have been following my recent tips, then you know where to buy compression stockings, what to look for in a stocking dealer and which kind of stockings are right for you. Once you are ready to make the purchase, it is time to decide how many stockings to buy.
If you are like me and come from the shopping school of “When you find something that works, buy it in every color,” you may have to adjust your purchasing habits. Compression stockings are expensive and they do not last forever.
Stockings are meant to be worn, washed and worn again. If they linger too long in your dirty clothes basket, the fibers begin to deteriorate. But a life of coming home from work and doing laundry every day is pretty depressing – and not always possible.
So the number of stockings you purchase depends on your budget limitations as well as your lifestyle preferences.
Here are five stocking lifestyle profiles. See which one fits your budget and lifestyle the best.
#1 The Optimist
If you have the time (and inclination) to wash stockings every night, then potentially you could buy just one pair. But I wouldn’t recommend it. Having only one pair of stockings leaves little drying time after washing – and zero room for error should your stockings get damaged.
#2 The Obsessive Compulsive
The minimum number of stockings I recommend is three. Two of the three pairs are for regular wear (interchangeably every other day). The third is to be kept as a spare and worn only in case of emergency. An emergency is when one of the first two have been damaged and are no longer wearable. An emergency is not when you are too tired to launder the other two pairs. Beware that having only two pairs of stockings in the rotation means you have to stick to a daily or every-other-day washing routine.
#3 The Athlete
If you are very physically active, consider buying four pairs. Two for regular wear, one for exercising and one for emergency use only. With the exception of swimming, all exercise should be performed while wearing compression stockings. If you can afford the expense, then you will enjoy the convenience of having a fresh pair of stockings to change into after going for a run or taking in a yoga class.
#4 The Fashionista
Beige can get old real fast. Luckily, stocking vendors have caught on and now offer garments in a variety of shades. If you want to add color to your legs, then factor that into your budget. I get a lot of use out of black stockings during the winter, in addition to beige-colored stockings. That means I order about twice as many stockings in the cold months as I do in the warmer weather.
#5 The Hoarder: Ordering in Bulk
I’ve had a recurring nightmare about my favorite compression stockings being discontinued. I wake up in a cold sweat, refreshing Juzo’s product website until I fall back asleep. If you win the lottery, you might be tempted to stock up on your stockings. Resist. For two reasons.
One, stocking return policies usually extend only 30-to-90 days from the date of purchase. If you crack open a pair that you have been hoarding for six months and discover an issue with the fit or have some other issue, you may have difficulty securing a replacement or refund.
Two, compression stocking technology is constantly improving. The style you are in love with now might be even better in a year’s time. The stockings I first donned in 1998 feel like sandpaper compared to the updated version I wear today. Over time, improvements are made to just about every aspect of the garment.
Earlier this year, Juzo made a change to the waistband of the Soft garment I wear. No more bulky elastic to thread through the waistband. Now it’s smooth and fitting. More comfortable and less conspicuous under clothing. If I loaded up on Softs, I’d be kicking myself for not being able to enjoy the new model.
For those of us with lymphedema, compression shopping lacks the fun and spontaneity of regular shopping. Our choices involve more than color and style; our choices directly affect our comfort and health. Making informed purchases of compression stockings should help to eliminate financial or emotional “buyer’s remorse.”
Continue reading “Compression Stocking Tip #5: How Many Should You Purchase?”
This stocking’s too tight. This one’s too loose. This one’s juuust right. Sometimes searching for the right compression stocking can make me feel like Goldilocks. But finding a stocking that fits well, looks decent and prevents swelling is no fairy tale. It is possible.
First, you have to learn how to recognize the feel of a good compression stocking fit. Compression stockings are designed to improve the way the body feels (and operates). They should make you feel better, not worse. My happiest days of the year are the days I crack open a new pair of compression stockings.
So what do I feel, when I pull on a pair of stockings that are juuust right?
Relief. Lighter-weight. Energized.
Over the years, I have ordered plenty of stockings that are not right for one reason or other. These are some of the feelings I experienced, when trying on stockings that were not the right match for me: Continue reading “Compression Stocking Tip #4: Which Stockings are Juuust Right for You”
What if I told you that your purchase of compression garments could help the fight to end lymphatic disease and lymphedema? Well, THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF MARCH, it will.
When you buy your garments from BrightLife Direct during March 2015, one percent of the total purchase price (on all orders that include the coupon code DONATE) will be donated to the Lymphatic Education and Research Network (LE&ARN).
Why during the month of March?
March is Lymphedema Awareness month. That means it’s our time to shine — all 100 million of us worldwide who suffer from lymphedema. It is our moment to collectively raise our voices and demand funding for research to find a cure, adequate insurance coverage for medical treatment (including for compression garments) and full engagement from the medical community to increase prevention and early detection rates. Continue reading “Treatment Funds the Cure: BrightLife Direct and Lymphedema Diary Team Up for LE&RN in Celebration of Lymphedema Awareness Month”
Compression stockings squeeze you enough. Your stocking dealer shouldn’t squeeze you as well. So, how do you choose a business that will provide you with products at a fair price with good service that you can count on?
When choosing a compression stocking dealer, always remember -you are a consumer, not a patient. Stockings are a product – an expensive product – and you are a consumer paying money (usually a lot of money) for goods. You deserve courtesy and satisfaction in your purchasing experience.
I encourage you, as a consumer, to look for the “Four P’s,” when checking out a new compression stocking dealer. Continue reading “Compression Stocking Tip #3: The “Four P’s” of Choosing a Compression Stocking Dealer”
Where do you buy compression stockings? Not at the mall. And not at your local drug store either. Sure, just about every CVS and Rite Aid pharmacy carry compression garments of some kind, but the support hose offered there is the compression equivalent of a gentle breeze caressing your leg. Lymphedema legs require sustained, gale force support.
Only a handful of companies manufacture stockings globally that support our limbs with enough pressure to be effective. I have tried just about all of the major brands, including Juzo, Jobst, Sigvaris, Solidea, Medi and Therafirm. Allegro and Solaris are the only major brands I have yet to try.
However (as an industry norm), these stockings cannot be purchased directly from these manufacturers – only from authorized dealers.
While the term “dealer” may conjure images of shady characters in dark alleys peddling illicit product in ziploc baggies, compression stocking dealers range from mom-and-pop retail pharmacies to online-only providers.
Continue reading “Compression Stocking Tip #2: Where to Buy Compression Stockings”
Like many people with lymphedema, when I was first diagnosed, I was told to wear compression stockings every waking hour for the rest of my life. But I wasn’t told anything else about compression stockings. This video kicks off a featured blog series of compression stocking survival tips called, “A Leg Up: Compression Stocking Tips – What the Doctors Don’t Tell You.” Throughout the series, I will share information that I wish I had been told the day I was diagnosed.
Get a leg up on your lymphedema – click below to watch or read the transcript that follows. Please share, comment and sign up for email alerts, so you don’t miss any future tips. My next tip will be on “Where to Buy Compression Stockings.”
Continue reading “VIDEO: LD Compression Stocking Tip #1: Use the Floor”
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