Disclaimer: CircAid Medical Products provides no warranty as to the accuracy of the information presented within this site. This site
 is provided to educate about CircAid products and the conditions they are used to treat. The information on this site should not be 
used to diagnose or advise on the treatment of any medical condition. You should consult with a physician regarding appropriate 
treatment for your condition, or if you suspect there is a problem with your health.

CIrcAid Products are used for the treatment of lymphedema, venous disease, and certain other conditions requiring compression therapy.

Lymphedema and Me 
Pamela Gordon, RN, BSN
Lymphedema patient for 27 years.

Lymphedema occurs when the lymphatic system does not work properly. This creates a condition of persistent swelling in an arm, leg or other body part.

There are many reasons why the lymphatic system fails. There are two types of lymphedema, primary (present at birth) and secondary (acquired). In primary lymphedema, there are simply not enough lymphatics or they do not pump properly. We see symptoms at either birth, during puberty, or later in life (30-40 years).

Secondary lymphedema occurs when there is a blockage or cutting of the lymphatic vessels, usually caused by infection, surgery, radiation, injury or complications of poor blood flow.

I am a 36 year old mother of two who has a B.S. degree in Nursing. I have had primary lymphedema of my right leg since the age of 9 years. Since that time, I have been very active in my care to stop the progression of the condition and maintain my quality of life. For a while, I was able to do so with a lymph pump machine, elevating the end of my bed, and using compression garments.

After graduating from college and working on my feet as a nurse, I began running into more problems of swelling, pain, and pressure not relieved by the above mentioned treatments. I knew I needed more treatment options or I would not be able to continue as a nurse.

I flew to San Francisco to take a bandaging class from the National Lymphedema Network. Some may call it chance, but I "happened" to sit next to a special lady, Sandra Shaw, President of CircAidÒ Medical Products. It was then that I learned of CircAid products. Sandra and her company happened to be located in San Diego, where I lived. I started wearing the CircAid legging seven years ago - I love it and it gave me back my quality of life. I still wear my CircAid legging everyday. I also want to say that Sandra Shaw and CircAid Medical are not just a "business" - they have a heart, soul, and passion to help lymphedema patients live better lives. The CircAid garment helps reduce my leg, keeps my leg from swelling after being on it all day, and therefore there is less pain.

As we know lymphedema creates increased pressure and neither our skin nor the surrounding tissue offers sufficient resistance against this pressure - thus swelling occurs. That is why all lymphedema patients should wear elastic compression garments, but for me those became ineffective against the pressure. The CircAid legging is not elastic like regular compression garments, so when walking in your CircAid garment (or using your arm) your muscles are "pumping" (working) against the non-elastic material to push out the extra fluid. With bandaging, when there is a reduction in fluid the bandages become loose and you have to unwrap and then re-wrap, while with the CircAid garment, you just re-VelcroÒ which takes less than a minute.

The CircAid legging is one piece of the whole treatment that no lymphedema patient should be without. Once you wear one, you will never go back.

The other lymphedema treatments I use along with my CircAid legging include:

1. MLD (Manual Lymph Drainage), a special form of massage used to remove excess fluid and stimulate lymph flow.
2. Bandaging, which involves using special bandages to reduce swelling. This is very time consuming and I only use bandages as a tune-up. The CircAid legging takes the place of daily bandaging and is great for people on the go.
3. I do daily skin care to prevent infections and improve skin condition.
4. I exercise to promote lymph flow.
5. I wear elastic compression garments daily under my CircAid legging.
6. I take vitamins and Horse Chestnut (shown to increase circulation by making vessel walls stronger).
7. I still keep the foot of my bed elevated but no longer use a lymph pump machine.

It is so important to care for your lymphedema because once it starts it gets progressively worse. If patients are proactive they can slow down the progression as well as decrease the likelihood of infections and fibrous tissue (scarring) developing.

Lymphedema is a complex condition in which there is no one treatment or simple solution. It can be mentally and physically exhausting. The good news is there are currently several treatment options that if used together can stop or delay the progressive nature of lymphedema.

The best advice I can give patients suffering with lymphedema is to be proactive and use all the effective tools available to us to stop the progression of our lymphedema and to maintain our quality of life.

Pamela Gordon, RN, BSN
Lymphedema patient for 27

Home    Products    Lymphedema Products    Venous Disease Products    Ordering Info   About    Contact
About Lymphedema    About Venous Disease    Videos    Insurance    Clinical Studies    Case Studies
Resellers    Newsletter    Certification    Testimonials    FAQ