A small hint that can help with that. Use friction to get it off first, like with a rough paper towel. Then try to wash it.
Maybe that’s obvious to most people, but it never occurred to me to try that before. I stuck with the usual order of wash, then towel. Don’t get me wrong, I’d wipe off a huge excess, but I wouldn’t really scrub the thin layer before putting water and soap on it. But it seems to me that it takes advantage of how gel is often stickier on the drier parts (which I think is why it wants to stick to your skin more).
Don’t know if it will work for this particular gel, but it’s worth a shot to see if it makes it easier, right?
DVT is the first thing that came to mind when you mentioned severe calf pain and tightness in post #33. I routinely screened with Homan’s sign test in my lower extremity physical exams (especially with geriatric patients complaining of calf pain). It’s a quick and easy test that can save lives. All docs should do so.
If you’re concerned about creating trash, wash your hands while they’re still IN the gloves, then hang the gloves up to dry and re-use them. Wiping the goop off with paper towels creates trash, too.
I use a steroid cream on a small area of my face. I apply it with a Q-tip, not my fingers. Works fine.
Okay, I got fitted for compression socks this morning. You guys were right about them being difficult to get into. The super nice grey-haired lady who helped me at the pharmacy that specializes in these things had tips and showed me some tricks to get them on. Including a special pair of gloves with a rough finish that eased grabbing and pulling them into place.
My doc had specified 30-40s, which elicited a “seriously?” from the lady assisting me. I’d already decided to do this: get a less-strong pair in case I had trouble tolerating the prescription pair sometimes, now I knew that plan was a good one, and pharmacy lady agreed, and recommended the 20-30s I bought (the next strength down) for my upcoming long flight to SE Asia in December.
So $160 later I have a pair of 30-40’s, a pair of 20-30’s, and magic get-the-damned-things-on gloves. I’ve been wearing the right compression stocking on my clot leg for a couple of hours now, and it’s… tolerable, but I can see this may wear thin (ba-dum) day after day. I’ll try to do it the way the hematologist wants as much as I can.
The problem I have with the compression stockings is length and getting them to fit smooth. These are related.
The nice lady at the pharmacy who fitted me told me these knee-high stockings should only come up to two inches below the rear bend of the knee, to not restrict flow in an important vein behind the knee. So I have to get then on, stretching them enough that there are no creases, and that they don’t come up too high on my leg. This is doable but very difficult, and the technique changes daily as the stocking stretches out over several wearings.
I tried some open toed stockings, those were easier to manage and hit the right height, but the brand I tried inevitably would get creases at the top of my ankle, which pinched my skin and hurt. I also tried zipper stockings, but they were too tall; the zipper ended behind my kneecap and so bunched.
I guess I just need to keep trying different brands.
Yes, and that can get expensive. I ordered a brand for “large calves” and found that, though they claimed to be knee high, they were only calf high on me (I’m a tall lady). I’ve been ordering large calves to get them to be tall enough for me. This latest bunch are pretty good. I was able to order by calf circumference and height. They are a bit too tall, but I just fold the knee hem down once and they are perfect. The brand is Levsox, purchased through Amazon. They can be ordered in different compressions.
I was doing that, which doubled the compression at the top of my knee and would seriously indent my leg, and probably do the opposite of what you’d want the compression sock to do: push the blood upward, escaping the foreleg.
