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
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