What is the allowance on sleeves?

Public Archive
1

Hi

I have only recently been DX with lymphoedema and been given 2 sleeves with mittens. My problem is that the mitten part gets quite grubby during the course of a normal day. At the moment I hand wash one every evening but can see that over a short space of time they will look quite tatty.

Has anybody any suggestions and how often will I be allowed new ones.

Thanks again - what would I do without you all

Andie

2

post deleted

3

Hi Andie

I’d been wondering the same and saw my lymphodema nurse yesterday. In our area it’s two sleeves every six months.

(Norberte - I’m so shocked about your corset, that’s totally unreasonable of the PCT.)

I have the all in one sleeve/glove and I agree keeping it clean is very difficult. As Norberte says it’s a case of using gloves when doing anything too grubby. My skin reacts to wearing plastic or rubber gloves so I always put on a pair of white cotton gloves first. That could also be another (cooler) option if you were doing something that was dry/dusty and grubby. You can get them in some chemists.

When I cook, I usually remove my sleeve as I find it impossible to keep clean or wear an extra glove when I do that.

I hand wash mine every night. If it gets extra grubby for some reason I might put it in the washing machine but rarely.

One thing the lymphodema nurse suggested was keeping one for ‘best’. I found this helpful although ideally you’d want three pairs to do that.

Elinda x

4

I also have 2 sleeves and 2 gloves. I have to say I take the glove off when at home and cooking or cleaning but it’s not ideal. I put mine in the washing machine on a 40 degree wash. I have told I can have replacements every 6 months. By the time the months go by the glove looks awful and really tatty.

5

Girls in Wales it seems to be different. I’ve had four sleeves in 5 months and have just been prescribed two gloves. It seems to differ wherever you are. I’m in between two areas I.e. I live in one area with my GP in another. The hospital where I was treated give me sleeves but the hospital I get lymphodoema treatment expect my GP to prescribe on FP10.