I'm wondering if anyone has bought their own version of this machine, and if so, have you been happy with it? Has it made a difference to your lymphoedema?
I have lymphoedema in my affected side following breast cancer surgery in 2014. I've been having a fortnightly mld with the hivamat, and it's been suggested that I get my own. But, it's a lot of money and I'd be ingested to get some feedback before I make the £2000 investment!!!
Thanks
Try a lymphapress too!
I have only had mld with hivamat through a professional therapist,it makes a difference for the fibrosed tissues, not necessarily much of a difference for simply recent pooling lymphatic fluid. It broke down my portacath scaring and fat necrosis as well. You can try some sessions with a therapist and compare with and without sessions. Best of luck.
Is this the machine which allows a current to go through your body? There are other machines which immitate the human touch. Why don't you try them before you go for something about which not many people know a lot. I for one, if it's the one in which you hold one end and the nurse, the othet, wouldn't invest in it. The other two machines costabout the same but they massage your arm or leg. If you need to have massage over the breast as well, or the back too, there is only one that does it. I'm not at home now so can't provide it with the names but if you are interested I will later on.
The Hivamat Personal Unit is held and controlled just by the patient. The bigger version involves two people - patient and therapist. I use the larger Hivamat 200 unit every day, and love it. I use it on clients and on myself and my family ( and have also used it on the dog, and a couple of horses over the years!!!). Yes, there are plenty of devices on the market, and it would be a good idea to try as many as possible to find one that suits personal needs the best. A few of my clients have invested in Personal Units, and use it 3 or more times a week, for about 20 minutes.
I have clients who have invested in other devices, but didn't follow instructions and ended up with some really nasty results, which took months to resolve, and the devices have been discarded. Always read the instructions or see a therapist first!!
I have had treatment with the Hivamat, but now I have recurrence, im a little reluctant, because im not sure if it might spread the disease...in fact my therapist was told to get me to sign a discaimer
Hello
I have been using the Physiopod machine since January 2015 , this similar to the Hivmat , but is for home use .
I have experienced a huge positive difference since using this machine . I have lower leg and trunk swelling caused by secondary lymphoedema. My leg was so swollen and heavy I could not bend it and it was very painfull.
Since using the machine the swelling in my trunk has gone , and my leg has reduced considerably . I still have some swelling that progresses during the day , but it does not impact on my life as before . I have no swelling related pain .
I used the machine for 30 minutes every day on a program set specifically for me ,for around 4 months .I now use the machine every other day.
I originally had a machine on loan from my NHS lymphoedema clinic , but then bought my own one. The machine cost is expensive ,but for me,it's been worth it .
If you could loan a machine from your NHS provider , then you should be able to make an informed decision on its suitability after 8 to 12 weeks
Hi, I bought my own machine a couple of years ago. I have LD of the legs, abdomen and genital area. It has definitely helped and I use it at least every second day. It helps to move the lymph fluid towards areas where it can be properly drained. However it was expensive at approx £2000. If you can afford it I would say it's worth the money. I bought mine from a company called Physiopod.
Hope this helps. If you need any more info just ask.
Regards,
Marianne
MLD
Cellulitis - waiting for surgery
