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Forgive me for butting in--I'm new to the site.I do have lymphedema, which began very slightly after a fairly short flight without a sleeve (the need had been mentioned in passing, but no one told me how to get one, where, etc). I was still on chemo at that time; the real edema began during radiation, and worsened. It took a LONG time to find that there was actually a treatment for this problem, and then to find a local place to get that treatment. Had treatment, still have some lymphedema, wear a sleeve pretty much all the time now. If you don't have symptoms (a prickly feeling in the arm, maybe some heaviness in the torso, visible arm swelling or pain), you can get a sleeve at Ameswalker.com, which has various brands at good prices (MUCH lower than ordering them through your local medical supply firm--). They give very good instructions for measuring, and you will want to have someone help you with that part. If you have a prescription, your insurance may pay for it, if you don't, you can buy the sleeve without it. You need "medium compression, 20-30 mm Hg". (I am a Physician Assistant, frequently order compression sleeves/stockings for patients as part of my job, so I do know what I'm talking about--). If you are going on a really long flight, especially if you've had a lot of nodes removed, you might consider putting a sleeve on each arm, as I've been told some poor souls do get it in the opposite arm also. I do think it's very important to wear one on the same side as your surgery even for a short flight. Hope this helps--if you need more info, let me know.
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