Leg Bandaging

[Dylan674]

Hi,

Has anyone had their leg bandaged? I’m having 5 days of bandaging in May and wondered what people’s experiences were.

Thanks

Dylan

[Lynora]

You’ll feel and look like The Michelin Man, but should notice a huge difference once the regime has finished. You will need to move around - walking etc - as they are called ‘working bandages’ - so no lying around asking for grapes to be peeled!!!

Daily bandaging over 5 days? Some clinics now only offer twice a week over 3 weeks.

[GabbiD in reply to Lynora]

I agree with the Michelin Tire comment. But your legs will feel great. I had to wrap for 3 weeks. I could only wear one pair of shoes while my legs were wrapped. And on very active days it was annoying because the wraps would slip. But I sometimes still wrap my legs at night if I have been sitting a lot.

[valc18]

Bandaging is great and goes with the limb being measured and then mine is followed by an order for a compression garment. I wear this every day. I take it off each evening and wash carefully. You need to have at least two garments so there is one to wear and one to dry after washing. In Queensland , Australia, we are allowed to have a set of garments each 6 months as they begin to lose their elasticity after all that washing. ... good luck

[morganite]

i had 9 months in badages but it was well worth it, legs will feel huge and heavier but it will do wonders. I did have issues with shoes etc. The immediate comfort of support whilst it helped to alieviate the problem was immense. I now wear support socks but if I get an issue I bandage my own legs for days at a time, Good luck

[CCT67]

A course of bandaging can feel very unpleasant during treatment for some people and you may have difficulty sleeping due to the awkwardness and possible discomfort (sometimes intense) but it’s worth it as your legs will reduce in circumference. You should be fitted with new garments to wear afterward in order to maintain the reduction. Good luck

[PenelopeW]

After bandaging over a period of two weeks, my legs looked like two thin sticks and so comfortable. Took the pain and sores away. Main problem is that you can't get shoes on while wrapped.

[Pcure]

I am in the USA...bandaging is still considered the Gold Standard. Typical treatment is two weeks bandaged with visits to the CLT every two days to be unwrapped (to check for progress/problems) then re-wrap. Shoes are indeed a problem and being wrapped takes getting used to as it is bulky. I still wrap my leg at night and wear compression stockings during the day. Although I have never been able to reduce my leg size to its pre-LE size, wrapping helps keep it to its "new normal". I do not use a pneumatic compression pump by choice. I gave been living with LE for close to 3 years. Unless you have an unusual circumstance, I cannot imagine what the down side would be to trying the wrapping process. The wrapping bandages in USA are expensive, ($120.00USD, approx) last 6 months, need two pairs, one in wash, one to wear, but then again everything associated with this debilitating disease is expensive. Good luck with the process!

[CarolineBae]

In 2015 I had 3 weeks of treatment at The Hampshire Clinic, which reduced the size of my lymphoedema left leg from 45% to 17% larger than the right. Very successful treatment that enabled me to maintain the leg at that reduced size until quite recently. I had new made-to-measure hosiery made afterwards that I wear every day. I wore wide-legged trousers, pair of fabric shoes (Kerrapeds, the least glamorous shoes I have ever worn) and a Limbo waterproof protector to shower. I could drive my automatic car. The treatment was only uncomfortable, keeping active helped. I had some difficulty sleeping. Otherwise life continued as normal. I’d thoroughly recommend the treatment; it has always worked for me. Incidentally the opportunity to relax and talk during the treatment was a real bonus. Dawn and Sue at The Hampshire Clinic in Basingstoke are lovely. I am due for another session soon. Good luck. It will be worth it.

[CarolineBae]

There is an excellent explanation of how multi-layer bandaging works in Let's Talk Lymphoedema: the essential guide to everything you need to know by Professor Peter Mortimer & Gemma Levine, published in 2017.