Holiday

[Kazdoheny]

Hi all

I have just got my first pair of tights I have been told to wear them everyday .I'm going on my holiday in a couple of weeks how do people cope in the heat abroad with them on .

[ofcourse]

First,

The ache that one can get from not wearing them might be worse than feeling hot.

You can get them toeless. You can get them with cotton feet. If yours are very uncomfortable it maybe that other makes are lighter and have more comfort features .

It's worth discussing with 'daylong' , see internet,which specialises in compression hosiery and ismore likely to know the features of different makes than the hospital,

Most of us get 2 pairs every six months

so to change the prescription for a different make you'd have to wait or pay for a third pair.

But who knows - you may already have the best possible prescription.

Have a good holiday

X ofcourse

[CCT67]

It's not fun wearing garments in the heat but essential you do! I will be in 35-40 degree temps next week and will absolutley be wearing my garments (toe caps and full leg on both legs). Without garments your lymphatics will further deteriorate which is what all of us with LE are trying diligently to avoid! It's takes determination especially in hot or humid weather

A couple of cooling tips for your legs: Take an empty water spray bottle with you - fill it with water and spray your legs as this will cool them. Water won't hurt your compression garments. Put your garments in the fridge or freezer overnight or for 30 minutes before putting them on (don't worry this won't hurt the fabric). Make use of air conditioning if it's available. Expect your legs to swell more than usual in the heat which can be depressing but don't fret they will return to their usual swelling when you've been out of the heat for a few days. Enjoy your hols 😊 X

[Hidden in reply to CCT67]

Some great tips there! Thanks. xx

[Weefishwife]

Hi there. I have been to Bali with my stockings. I bought the thinnest material trousers from Primark and loose maxi dresses for comfort. I kept the stockings NHS on at beach/ poolside and wore a sarong until I hit the water. Some days I didn't care and went without the sarong. Best advice I could give is wear the comfiest shoes- I can only wear lightweight sports sandals which have air vents when in a hot climate. Follow all the LSN advice and enjoy yourself.

[Lynora]

Have you had compression before? What sort of lymphoedema do you have?

If you have not had compression before, gradually build up the 'wear time' - wear for a couple of hours a day for a few days, increasing to all day.

Are you going somewhere exotic for your holiday? Some people find it difficult to cope with garments in hot weather, so I get them to keep their garments in the fridge (if there is one in the hotel room or self catering accommodation) and put them on first thing for a couple of hours, then in the evening until bedtime. If you have aircon it will make life easier. Don't beat yourself up if you simply can't get it on.

If you have access to a pool, use it. Swimming is not essential but walking in it, or bouncing about in water that reaches your neck is brilliant hydrotherapy!

Take some spare antibiotics - just in case of infection. Good bug repellent. High SPV protection.

Go and have a brilliant time. Have fun and make memories.

[Libmeg]

Hi,I wear my garment as normal when abroad on holiday now as in the early days I thought it was too uncomfortable and left it off,in doing so I ended up with more problems.Like others I now realise water does not harm my garment and I swim with it on and enjoy the sea and pool. I now have the mindset if people stare it is their problem not mine.Hope you have a fab holiday xx

[greens42]

try and cool down in a pool a couple of times a day but for the rest of the time kerp them on. They do breath and are not as bot as you would think

[Woodden]

Ive just been to Spain Idident want to wear my shorts thinking people would be looking at me my wife said sod them you are still alive I did and had a fantastic time you go and enjoy yourself

[Kazdoheny]

Thanks for all your advice xxx

[Mel1313]

I have to say .I love my tights they are so comfortable and i don't care what anyone thinks they are just another part of me like and extra skin . You will adapt to the hot weather and be thankful in the cold. enjoy your holiday 😎🌞🍹

[Kazdoheny in reply to Mel1313]

Thanks for that

I have only just been diagnosed and had my tights for 5 days I need to get my head round that I will always have to wear them .I worry about what people say .

[Mel1313 in reply to Kazdoheny]

I can understand that . Hopefully it will come second nature to you and not even think about it . I'm a hairdresser and have worked in night clubs meet all walks of life and I have to say if never given it a second thought . Be confident in yourself and put a big smile on your face and get out there . I'm sure I can speak for everyone on here and say if your having a down day send a message were all here for each other xoxo

[Kazdoheny in reply to Mel1313]

Thanks xx

[Hidden in reply to Kazdoheny]

I know exactly how you feel. I was diagnosed in January, and have to wear my stockings for at least 8 hours a day. If others stare - it's their problem, not yours! They don't stare at people who have to wear a plaster cast, or glasses? If they do stare at us, it's only their ignorance shining through! We have enough problems without having those of others to worry about?

[Juliawoods in reply to Mel1313]

Well said! I don't have a problem with my stockings either. I wear them every day regardless of where I go or what I do. I don't care what people say if they ask they get a lesson in lymphoedema which can only help awareness!

[Hidden]

It's okay and quite natural to feel self conscious about wearing compression hose and having Lymphoedema.

We are all different and take our time to cope and adjust with what life throws at us.

It's good to know some people cope so very well with their compression hose !

I still grieve for what I have lost as my secondary LE diagnosis hit me hard after treatments for breast cancer in 2004.

I count my blessings for surviving this long, of course.

I wear kimonos to help me feel better about the hose and swelling in the summer. I wear lightweight trousers as I have Lipoedema too to hide my legs a little but cannot cope with compression hose on 3 limbs.

I am under the care of the team at St George's so I am very lucky but they have all acknowledged that hose is not the solution for my particular case.

Please ask LSN for their leaflet about travel and Lymphoedema. There is some good advice written above.

[Kazdoheny in reply to Hidden]

Thank you very much for your reply .Xx

[CarolineBae]

I have primary lymphoedema in my left leg. I wear an open-toe stocking with a bandage on top to ankle to knee and lesser compression stocking in the evenings. A darker beige rather than sand is closer to my skin colour. I wear wide leg cotton or linen trousers or maxi dresses. Any amount of synthetic fabric is hot to wear. It is so important to protect your feet from injuries, which could lead to infection. I always carry antibiotics, which I’ve needed. I wear light trainers or sandals, and plastic shoes on the beach and in the sea. I am sensitive about the stocking showing. I find mule sandals are a good disguise just showing toes looking like normal feet. I find TK Maxx great for shoes, trousers, jumpsuits and maxi dresses. My biggest problem is the beach. I’d rather be on my own and not have to explain. When I was first diagnosed in 1989 at The Marsden Hospital, Dr Mortimer wrote a letter for me for my travel insurance which said ‘This condition [lymphoedema] does not result in a health risk or a threat to her life and shouldn’t limit her freedom to travel’. Since then I spent five seasons living on board a sailing boat in Greece. It would have been much easier without lymphoedema but awful not to have had the experience because of it. Other people have given you useful tips. Enjoy your holiday.

[Kazdoheny in reply to CarolineBae]

Thanks for your advice it's all very helpfull to me .I have only had my tights for 1 week and going on holiday in 2 weeks it's just all new to me but have had lots of advice which is all good .xx

[Hidden]

I received my first pairs of knee-high compression socks - the extra thick passion-killers that all wardrobes want to be without - just a few days before a cruise around New Zealand this February (their Summer). I was told they had to be worn for at least 8 hours a day!! My Doc would have probably advised me not to go, so I didn't tell him!

The flights to/from the UK were almost non-stop, and turned into a nightmare when I muddled my long-term Opiate meds (for other non-related problems) because of the different time zones on the way out! Going into withdrawal is NOT a good idea on a 'plane, and I recommend keeping to UK time until you can gradually change...? However, the knee-highs worked as my flight-socks, but whilst there, I just had to suffer and wear trousers all the time.

I've now found this LSN site, where there are all sorts of tips like keeping the socks in a 'fridge - wise words - which I will be heeding on a trip to the South of France in September. Hope you have a great holiday, and don't let your tights bother you. xx

[Mel1313]

Hello kazdoheny how are you getting y with your tights x