First Long Haul Trip

5 months after my surgery I took my first long haul flight.  The flight was approx 11.5 hours and was travelling to West Coast USA so to a hotter country than the UK.  

For the actual flight itself I wore: Solidea Arm Sleeves., some Marks & Spencer firm compression thigh shorts/pants and Sigvaris Comfort tights.

I took a bag with me to put on the floor as a footrest, so I could get some more comfortable elevation of my feet, rather than trying to keep them on the little footrest from the seat infront.  

I made sure I was in my compression from early in the day before I flew, so I was starting off with very little swelling - other than the arm sleeves which I forgot to put on and had to pull them on in the airplane loo!  I also kept the compression on at the other end until I got to my hotel when I removed my arm sleeves.  

In flight I did some walking and stretching but nothing exceptional, and just checked my compression for wrinkles/ensured it was staying in place from time to time.  

On arrival at my hotel I found my ankles were around 1-1.5 cms larger than normal.  This took a few days to go back down.  Do bear in mind that I did not have liposuction below the knees, so this could be a normal part of my lymphatic circulation and so doesn't mean this will happen to anyone else.  

I didn't have all my measurements with me so can't be quite sure if I was bigger all the way up my legs or not.  

I had no pain or discomfort.

I wore my compression garments daily, wearing a combination of the Sigvaris Comfort Class  2, Sigvaris Diaphane Class 3 (so the same mmHg as different class system) and Mediven Ellegance Class 2.  The Comfort were the coolest and most comfortable in the heat but the ellegance were OK too.  

The main thing I did that I think got my leg swelling down after 3-4 days was a daily pool session. I either went to an actual aqua class or did a session in the hotel pool so was doing around 45 mins to 1 hour a day.  I went to Walmart and purchased a couple of pool noodles for less than £5 and a childs inflatable ball to help me get a good solo workout.

I had travelled on business so in the office I elevated my lower legs on a chair wherever possible.  

Flying back to the UK again my lowers swelled up and took several days to reduce - again I was going to the pool as much as I could but not as easily as in the US.  

    

Marks & Spencers Control Pants as a top-up

Despite wearing class 2 compression, I have wanted more panty support (to be honest I felt like capris with my tights would have been great as they would have covered all my surgery areas with extra support).  Now that I am in month 5 I feel less need of the extra support other than for sport.  

As I didn't enjoy wearing full compression leggings over my tights, I went for compression type shorts under my tights.  If you like the idea you could try the Solidea range or the Haddenham Veni capris.  Solidea have a wide range of lengths which runs from pants at around £20 through to shorts and capris at around £40 and then the full leggings.  They are generally only light compression of around 12mmHg so I wouldn't wear them on their own. 

I wanted something that would go under dresses and skirts without poking out as I moved, and I was a bit impatient so I went into M&S to try control underwear.  This does not have a compression rating but the first set you see here, which was labelled firm control, felt quite similar in fabric style to my comfy ETO compression.  



The only problem with these shorts was that they have a seam which is stuck down on the front.  As you can see on the right it came apart.  I returned the first pair, but then seemed to have the same effect happening with the replacement, but not as badly.  








I liked the feeling of support and the lack of overheating groin, so I invested in some extra pairs in a different style, which might be a little less compressive as the tummy is slightly less firm.  You can get previous seasons cheap on ebay so I got two pairs for around £5 each!  They are a little shorter and are made of the same fabric all round so don't have the front seam problem.  They feel a little less compressive and I have to be careful when getting my tights over them not to roll up the bottoms of the legs, but they are very comfy for all day wear.  

  

I have been wearing these nearly every day under my compression (unless I wear the Sigvaris Comfort Bodyform tights I got recently, which have compression to the waist and which are now, at six months post surgery, supportive enough on their own for daily living and badminton!).  

I find these are easy to put on without gloves.  I pull the bottom of the legs down and ensure they are smooth before putting my tights over the top.  Once I've got my tights up I slide my hand down inside and again pull the legs flat or run my hands over them if needed, to ensure they are smooth. That can need repeating as you take your tights down and up when visiting the loo!

I think if you want some extra support to supplement your garments as you heal, or for sports, then this can be an economical option that my husband says looks nice on!  

Haddenham Veini - like Goldilocks but not finding the "just right"

Great customer service.  Haddenham were the best firm I have dealt with so far with a faulty item.  My tights had a small hole in the heel when they arrived and Haddenham sent another pair straight away and told me I could mend and keep the first pair.  Fabulous super fast response within hours of my email.  I really want to love their tights as I loved their service. 

 The Haddenham Veni tights come in a range of colours. I was able to have a chocolate brown on NHS prescription which is a very welcome change from black and beige.  You can see the shade better in the pictures below. 

The colour made me very happy as I felt I could pass for someone wearing a pair of ordinary brown opaque tights.  These would be a good choice if you want to avoid black and "granny beige". 

 My skin against the tights to show that they are a nice deep, rich brown shade, and how dense the colour/texture is as it is hard to see that in the full leg images above.  








Why would you spoil this nice colour by sewing the seams in black thread?  Not what I want my husband to see, big black seams :(  This was not a sexy look.  

They also have the waistband style which is a turned over fabric to form a channel through which a piece of elastic is threaded (unsurprisingly it is black elastic).  I found the elastic would do the usual turning over and folding in the wash trick so I needed to fiddle around getting it flat before wearing.   


In the photo you can see that I am wearing under shorts and they are creased on my left leg and riding up. You can also see on my left leg that, despite wearing shorts, the tights were giving me a terrible little bulge right in my inner thighs below the groin.  Not a nice look, nor what you want after liposuction on that area.  Without the shorts the bulge was really obvious and I had a terrible under bum shelf.  I've never seen a pair of tights give me that almost sharp line where the compression stopped.  

I would say the panty section on these tights had no compression.  On me the size I was measured to fit was too baggy (the legs fitted but even without undershorts the top was loose over my tummy) and had no compression to my hips and stomach.  That might be great if you hate the feeling of compression on your abdomen (so great for eating out!) but my thighs want strong compression for support so these tights looked bad and felt bad on me.  On the left you can see the first size I was given - if you enlarge the photo you can see it was wrinkling around my ankle and how there was no stretch in the panty area. 


I rang the clinic and explained they felt really loose at the top and unsupportive on my thighs, so she arranged for me to be sent the next size down.  Yellow top is the smaller size and red top was me in the larger size.  The "knickers" you can see are my knickers, the tights are that more transparent shade all the way up.  So good if you don't like a very dark panty section.

As you can see the under bum crease was terrible in the smaller size.  I have never seen anything like it and I blame it on the lack of any compression in the panty area.    
 

 Here you can see that the problem I had was not the seam of the panty section starting; the tights were cutting in about 1cm below that, forming that crease under my bum.  You can see the effect happened on the front too, but not as badly.







Overall, I really wanted to like these tights as they were not beige and the customer service was really good.  However, I don't think I am a good match for their sizing charts as it was like Goldilocks and the 3 Bears' beds, going from too big to too small, but in my case with nothing "just right".  

Personally I want tights that make my thighs feel supported when I run up stairs or take any exercise - these gave me nothing.  No support, just aching thighs.  

If you like the texture options and colours that their website has, and would like a loose and comfortable panty section then these may be your ideal tights.  Sadly I had to give in and buy alternatives to wear as even with added shorts they would give me the funny little creases and I was concerned that this was not good for me.  

 

Mediven Forte

As I've been looking for a stronger compression to wear for exercise, the Mediven rep at the Lipoedema UK conference suggested I try their Forte line which is still round knit but firmer than their other round knits.  She kindly sent me a pair of their petite socks in this fabric so I could feel and try them to see if I would like to order a pair of the tights. 

You can see the normal "medi" writing on them in pink and the nice purpose made elastic areas at the calf top and the open toe end.  I like the robust and comfortable stretch in the finishing of these open ends.  I think they would be comfortable for longer wear and they did feel firm.   

I really liked their texture, they did indeed feel very firm but supportive and had a nice comfortable foot band.  I would like to try running around with them as I imagine they would be very comfortable.  The colour is the predictable "too dark for pale celtic skin" as you can see - these would not be at all discrete unless you could get a better colour match. 

You can see that the sample I was sent was a petite and I am not a petite, as you would not normally stop that far below your knee!   
 

 
You get the usual device with them for putting on open toed garments.  It is really big so be careful it doesn't go right round the back of your heel as it will be hard to pull out through the toe.  I have size 4 feet so had a bit of a tug of war when I realised I had got it up behind my ankle inside the sock!



So overall these are an interesting texture which do feel more firm than the Mediven Elegance and I think they are worth trying for sport or active lifestyles.  I would need to find out about the compressive panty section to decide if I wanted to buy these as tights for my sports.  

Mediven Elegance Compression Review

I must admit I was very keen to try Mediven Elegance.  They have quite a following and they make some fabulous "Trend Colours".  I haven't seen such a variety in any other make, with the exception of the colours and batik prints that Juzo offer.  

 I really miss wearing my coloured tights as this was my old tights drawer pre-diagnosis - almost Marie Kondo but not quite :)

NHS prescriptions generally come in black or beige, with very few other colour options.  If I want the exciting Mediven colours I'll need to pay privately I think but I'm happy to treat myself as I think two pairs of tights doesn't work well for me for six months. 

These tights are in the shade called Beige.  It is a little dark for my skin tone.  Not horribly so but if I had them again I would see if the NHS prescribe the paler shade to be more discrete.  The word Medi is in pink on the sole of each foot and you can just see it in the photo.  

The change between the panty and the leg section is quite comfortable in wear.   They are moderately firm to get into and do wrinkle a little behind the knees if you sit around all day, but the knee crease is fairly soft. They feel quite a decent strong elastic inside so you can pull them up and pull them around by sliding your hand inside them and pushing against the surface then sliding your hand up or down to ease out a crease if you don't have gloves with you.    

I recommend that you ensure you give them a good smooth out with gloves after putting them on as I find it easy to get small folds that I don't feel, eg hiding behind my ankle.  

Personally I like a compressive panty section.  These tights have some panty compression but I prefer to wear undershorts with them for exercise or busy days as it is distinctly less compressive than the main leg section.  

They have a prominent pattern on the panty section, consisting of lines forming almost Ws.  It looks OK, but I don't personally feel it improves the look.  

Disconcertingly the tights have a deliberate opening in the waistband, which you can just see as a raised area by the centre seam (the label is not in the centre back but sits on your right hip).  That isn't an error but is to allow you to insert extra elastic if needed (I emailed Medi to report the error so I think they should say that in the pack!).  I personally quite like the stretchy waistband, it is very comfortable and so nice not to have a length of elastic turning around against the skin!

They have quite a nice smooth texture but not as soft as the Sigvaris Comfort tights.  They are quite dense in texture but you can still see moles etc up close.  They give your legs a generally even airbrushed textured look.  

I find that personally I would prefer stronger lower leg compression as they are allowing a small "bubble" of fluid to collect on the inside of my lower legs around 1 inch above the ankle and then going up for say 2 inches.  The effect goes away when the tights come off and the fluid does disperse.  You can almost see the edge of it on my left leg where there is a small indentation into my lower leg.  It is very slight and may not occur after the summer heat eases?  I will try them in the autumn and add an update.  

I do feel that my legs ache a bit after a long day sitting or on my feet in these, but again I would need to check in cooler weather to be sure if these tights are OK for me then but just not as good in summer.  

Overall I like their robustness and general comfort but find them less soft and less compressive in the panty area than Sigvaris Comfort so the only way these tights are ahead of Sigvaris is their colour range.  A good "number 2" choice for me, but I can see why they are so popular.  

I wear these in the Class 2 but I think Class 1 are likely to be the same in the areas of my review. 

Solidea Night Wellness

Solidea make wonderfully soft compression, the texture is delightful and so comfortable against the skin.  

As I had been advised to keep wearing compression after surgery, I decided to try these "Night Wellness" stockings for wearing at night, to give me a rest from constantly being in tights. They cost £28.90 a pair and you can purchase them from Solidea or via Pebble UK.    They come in black or pale pink.  They are very light compression, 12-15 mmHg.  

They look attractive on, so are a good confidence boost if you don't like wearing ordinary compression at night but do feel you need some support sometimes.  

They definitely keep my legs a little warmer at night.  It is a comfortable warmth and I have enjoyed wearing them on spring nights, but I don't fancy trying them on a hot summer night!  

They are quite a dense opaque black, with the word solidea in white at the top and a grey foot/heel section.  They have a nice purpose made edge on the foot and I find they don't move too much in the night.  The foot band is quite elastic so you will be able to move and place it easily.  It looks nice as it has been woven to be open toed so has no loose threads.

They stay up very well overnight.  You can see I do get the elastic squashing in a little but I don't find it uncomfortable.  You can see below that the marks where I've turned the top over are not red or sore.  You can also see the way they are held up, loads of little elastic threads.  These little elastic threads did seem to break easily so I had to go up a size (I was near a size boundary as you buy these based on weight and height) after breaking quite a few threads in my first pair!  I am concerned about how long they will last before I break too many threads to keep them up!  

I would suggest that if you are near a size boundary you go up a size like I did in the end.  They should last longer and the word "Solidea" will look less stretched out on your thigh.  

Overall these are a nice addition for wearing if you are perhaps having an active holiday and feel like you need some night compression, or feel your legs would benefit from a little extra warmth or support at night.  

Sigvaris Diaphane CCL 3 & CCL 2

Sigvaris Diaphane are a range of tights designed for the French market I think.  Their compression strength is measured using the French AFNOR standard (as opposed to the German RAL standard).  AFNOR is a lower mmHg than RAL so a class 3 Diaphane is 20-36 mmHg and a class 2 is 15-20 mmHg.    

The Diaphane are very easy to put on and take off.  They are very light and thin and have an actual waistband rather than a slot where a length of elastic is threaded.  That is a real benefit as it makes them look and feel more like normal tights.  These would genuinely pass for ordinary tights, albeit ones with somewhat of a coarse weave.

They are very easy to put on as they are quite thin and light fabric.  You must still wear gloves as because these are quite an open weave, they are easy to ladder or tear.  I have managed to snag them on the inside of my shoe, the trim on my other slipper when putting my feet together, on my bracelet etc.  They are the flimsiest compression I've had so far.    

Because they are so open and easy to put on and off they are great for busy days and make you feel very comfortable in wear.  They do not crease in the back of your knees or form any uncomfortable folds because they are not as dense a fabric as some more "medical" looking compression.  These feel a little harsh/dry textured - the texture makes me think of nylon rather than the soft feeling of a thicker pair of tights like the Sigvaris Comfort.  

They are quite good for comfort in the heat - especially around the groin as they do not have thick seams anywhere.  

The compression is very mild in the panty section so in the months since surgery I have gone from CCL2 to 3 and still needed some M&S thigh control pants under them.  On their own they are not enough for me to do sports without some aching, but they were OK for that pre-surgery. 

These are the class 3 closed toe Diaphane tights.  Class 3 only come in "Dune" or black on prescription.  

This is a shame if you are pale skinned like me as the "Natural" shade they have in class 2 on prescription is a paler shade and looks more natural if you don't have a tan.  The shot with my shoes included a notepad to help show how warm "Dune" is.  

 These are the class 2 "Natural" shade in open toe.  You can see it looks a little less tanned.  The close up is of the same pair of open toed tights, and shows the shade a little better.  

You can see the wisps of threads where the open toe tights are made by effectively removing the end and seaming the foot section.  I found the wispy bits looked annoying and the tights moved up under my foot and would cut in a bit so personally I wasn't impressed as there was no grip at all to keep the open toes in place.   

The Diaphane in class 3 (right) have a v shaped panel inserted in the centre of the area over your stomach, whereas the class 2 just have a single centre seam (left).  The panel perhaps reduces the effect of the compression/seam on your tummy as they are very comfortable and light to wear, even after eating a large meal!

Compression - the dating game

I am still wearing compression after my surgery, and intend to keep wearing it, because my lymphatics are sluggish and I want to look after my lipoedema as best as I can for my future health.  As so many of us are wearing compression I thought I would branch out into reviews of the different compression I'm trying. 

I'm currently in the dating game where I haven't given my heart to any one make or model, as I keep hunting for tights that are a bit softer or a bit smarter or have some comfy open toes, or are in funky colours etc etc.  

I decided that in no other area of our lives would we wear the same thing all the time so it seems to me that the NHS approach of two pairs of compression to last six months is not only a real nuisance for daily washing and drying, but is also unrealistic for my lifestyle - how would the same tights look good in a work meeting, dress down casual and be breathable and extra supportive for exercise classes?  

I do understand that the NHS has limited resources so I understand that the NHS can't provide me with an unlimited amount of compression garments.  I'm lucky that I can afford to treat myself to some extra pairs, so I'm going on a journey over the next few months to try and find:

• everyday thigh support: I can't stand to have too little compression and support on my thighs, I want to support their healing/preserve my surgery results.  
• comfy tights that don't feel scratchy and itchy in wear.  
• tights I can get back into fairly easily after being in the swimming pool. 
• the perfect solution for exercise: this will be covering my foot and offering strong support around my thighs and knees whilst still having a breathable groin/not being too hot.  I may need to achieve this with layering or something in made to measure
• smart work tights: a neutral/natural and modern or inoffensive pair of tights that aren't in a shade that evokes 1980s American Tan or unnatural beige, nor gives me Nora Batty ankles!
• funky coloured tights.  Pre lipodema I had a drawer of patterned and coloured tights.  I did flirt briefly with wearing a pair of funky tights over my compression but it seems too much of a faff to adjust both and wear two pairs so I have not worn any fun ones for months :(
• open toed weekend tights: something for relaxing in which doesn't have open toes that vanish up my foot towards my ankle and be difficult to wear in all my shoes

As I've got a large wishlist, I might not be able to have a spread of pairs that meet these wishes all the time, but now I know what I'm aiming for!  I'm going to the Lipoedema UK conference at the end of the month so I'm hoping there will be a spread of suppliers there to feel the texture of their tights and get some ideas on what to try.  

Almost in love with a wonder model

I'm continuing my hunt for the holy grail - comfortable compression tights that offer support and look good.  I'm finding I still want some thigh support on my wobbly bits so I'm looking at tights which are around the 25-32 mmHg, which is class 2 or class 3 depending on which classification system is used.  

As Daylong and Pebble both had special offers on last week I splashed out on two new pairs, and this is my review of the Solidea Wonder Model CCL 2.  

   

How they looked just out of the packet 

Wonder model comes in a range of colours; I went for Natur which is their palest skin tone as I have naturally fair skin, no hint of a tan.  The colour looks more natural on than it does in these photos.   They come in open and closed toe; I went for closed toe as I find open toes rarely fit the shape of my shoes and tend to walk backwards up my feet during the day too :(  

  

View of the feet showing the different textured soles, which feel a bit more cushioned than normal compression, but can pop out and be visible at the heel or side of the shoe.  

As you can see, they are a nice fit, and don't crease uncomfortably behind the knee when I bend my leg.  

My first impression was how lovely and soft they are: I have tried the Sigvaris Diaphane and Haddenham Veini and both feel more scratchy and nylony - more like cheap tights.  These Wonder Model are very soft to the touch and feel soft on my legs.  I have now worn them for several days and can confirm they do not make me itch!

At the top of the thighs you can see they have a textured band.  It is a design feature as it is a patterned band which is on top of my thighs just below the groin and runs round each leg.  It is approx 2 inches wide in wear.  This is the worst thing about them for me; the band is less compressive so I find I bulge out in my inner thighs where the band is.  That doesn't feel reassuring to me when that area has been smoothed out by the liposuction so I don't want to encourage it to bulge out again and am concerned about my internal healing with this bulging effect.  

In wear I have found they feel quite supportive for day to day running around as they have bands that go up the outside of my hips so give me some bum support too and they look great in the office with my workwear.  Very smart and stylish enough for parties as well as work!

Overall, they are a keeper and are a pretty good choice.   I love the firmness of the class 2 tights and I love their soft texture and look but I find the band is not quite supportive enough for my liking as it allows that bulge.  I have decided to invest in some control thigh suppression underwear to see if that works with these tights to give me the right comfort.  I have had M&S recommended for this so I'll do another post on those and how they work in combination!

Week 5 - thanks aunty flo!

I can't believe I can post pictures of me in my undies, but hesitate to say that it was my period!  I've been feeling tender around the thighs and knees, which made me really feel like I was going backwards.  I had a bit of a panic about it.  It isn't very painful, nor is it constant, but it wasn't something I'd been feeling so far (not since the bruising faded away around the end of week 4).  I then realised it was my time of the month so hope the tenderness will fade away.  

I can't tell if I was getting swollen - I didn't feel that different, but I don't really tend to feel swelling.  I could see a little in my post surgery feet in week one, but other than that I find I am staring at areas where my compression has dug in, wondering if that is "normal" swelling or quite what to make of it.  

My scars are really improving (becoming less red mainly).  I've been putting bio-oil on them since around week 4, once I was sure all my scars were dry.  Bio oil has quite a gentle scent so isn't overpowering and isn't making me greasy.  I am rubbing a drop into each scar morning and night.

The footless Sigvaris Diaphane arrived - I wish they hadn't :(  They are Class 2 but UK rather than EU class 2.  I tried wearing them but they don't feel supportive enough so I was aching in my thighs after a few hours.  I feel my EU class 2 ETO tights are far more supportive for running around in, so unless I wear these in the heat, I can't imagine them being any good :(

My Veni tights arrived and the brown is quite nice but they do feel more rough than the Sigvaris Comfort.  The Comfort have a cotton soft feel, whereas the Veni feel more artificial and dry.  

Sadly I couldn't try them out for a day as they came with a manufacturing fault - a small hole in them!  I used the delivery note to find an email address for Haddenham and sent them a photo to report the problem.  The delivery note said to report faults within 2 days of receipt and although they came in the week I waited for the weekend to open them properly, so I'm hopeful they won't be difficult about that.  

Compression

I was already wearing compression before I had my surgery, and I expect to wear compression afterwards, for the rest of my life (as medical science/technology currently stands).  

Hanse-Klinik generally recommend that you wear compression after your surgery for 24 hours a day (other than washing it and you) and then in the daytime only for the next 3 weeks.  This means that one month post surgery they believe you would be able to stop wearing compression - and keep it off provided you don't see changes or feel better for wearing it.  

In my case, my lymphoscintigram results (I had the test pre-surgery as part of my NHS lipodema care) indicated that my legs were already not functioning as effectively as the average person.  They were slower, or more sluggish, at circulating my lymph fluid.  They were not so slow that surgery was advised against, and there were no clinical signs of lymphodema (I am still symmetrical so neither leg is visibly that much bigger than the other, and I am negative for the Stemmer sign - which is described about half way down this page).  They indicated that I was more likely to have lymphodema or lipolymphedema than just lipodema, but it isn't possible to say whether I was born this way or whether my lipodema has already affected my lymphatic functioning.  

Because this impaired lymph circulation places me at higher risk of lympodema, St George's (where I have my NHS care) want me to continue with wearing compression, regardless of how I look or feel after surgery.  I definitely have to do this whilst awake - the question is whether I'm safe to sleep without it or not.  Opinions vary so for now I'm taking Professor Schmeller's advice and trying a few nights without it.  

Compression classes mean different things depending on where you live.  The compression measurement is taken from the ankle in leg garments and the compression reduces from that point up the leg, to encourage flow up to the lymph nodes and reduce pooling.  Compression is measured in mmHg or millimetres of mercury.  

The differences mean that a UK class 2 equates to an EU/RAL class 1.  

The following information is taken from Daylong (an online seller of compression garments by private and NHS prescription):

                                          UK Class 1 14 - 17 mmHg
EU Class 1 18 - 21 mmHg,UK Class 2 18 - 24 mmHg US Class 1 15 - 20 mmHg
EU Class 2 23 - 32 mmHg UK Class 3 25 - 35 mmHg US Class 2 20 - 30 mmHg
EU Class 3 34 - 46 mmHg                                           US Class 3 30 - 40 mmHg

Source: Daylong