Lymphoedema......help needed please

Well after being paranoid about getting lymphoedema it looks like I may well have developed it a year after my Mx and axillary clearance.
I have been referred to the lymphoedema nurses and am waiting for an appointment, it seems to be my hand and forearm that feel most affected with my hand being puffy and swollen… my concern is what will happen if I need to wear a glove? I am a community nurse and if I need to wear a glove I don’t know how I will be able to continue with my job as I won’t be able to practise efficinet hand hygiene.
Is anyone on here had experience of lymphoedema whilst nursing and how did you manage at work?
Hope to hear from you soon,
Tigs xx

Hi Tigs,
I am a specialist cardiac nurse, I have to wear a sleeve and glove. Occi Health and Infection control were particularly unhelpful over this matter! My GP issues me with 3 sets of garments at a time so that I can wear a clean one each day. I Take them off when I am carrying out ANTT whichis not ideal. If I am going on a ward I put on a glove and gel the glove and my other hand.Luckily for me ANTT is a small part of my role.
However I struggle with touch, I feel that my glove gets in the way of theraputic touch and often end up taking it off and shoving it in my pocket. I was recently with some bereaved parents and I felt mum recoil as she took my hand. It is a difficult issue.
Good Luck
Jano x

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Thanks for your replies, I don’t know what I’m going to do workwise yet. My managers don’t seem to be very interested at all, they just shrug! Surely it’s down to them to help me find ways to be able to do my job? I am waiting for my union rep to come back from holiday next week and I will contact her for advice.

Tigs x

What a shame you’re not getting more support from work. Hygiene will be the issue as you and others have said. It will probably depend on how your hand responds to treatment and may well be worth you getting some manual lymph drainage to get it under control - although if your area is like mine the NHS won’t pay for it so I’ve gone privately. (where I live it £45 per session).

The options compression wise will probably be a sleeve and separate gauntlett or an all in one sleeve/glove.

If it works for you to have the sleeve and separate gauntlett. Perhaps then you could take off the gauntlett at each visit and just wear it between patients or when you’re doing paperwork.

I have found that getting the sleeve/glove bit right has been trial and error and taken a few months to get sorted out - so worth bearing that in mind too.

I do hope your union rep will provide you with plenty of support. I’m sure the lymphodema nurses will give you a lot of help.

take care, Elinda x