LympheDIVAs – Medically Correct Fashion for Lymphedema, A Product Review & Giveaway!

Are you a man or woman living with lymphedema or do you care about someone who is?

Are you concerned about developing lymphedema following your breast cancer surgery or radiation treatment?

Do you dread donning your drab beige-colored lymphedema sleeve or gauntlet when you garden, exercise or get on an airplane?

If you answered yes, keep reading and enter my giveaway for a chance to win an amazing product I know you will love!

Lymphedema occurs when there is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in body tissue causing swelling, most commonly in the arms and legs. Primary lymphedema develops when there are missing or impaired lymphatic vessels. It can be present at birth or develop later on well into adulthood. Secondary lymphedema sometimes develops as a result of radiation, injury, infection or as a side effect of cancer surgery, especially surgeries in which lymph nodes are removed. It can develop days, weeks or even years after surgery. All the causes of lymphedema are not fully understood.

There are precautionary measures one can take to hopefully prevent lymphedema. You can read about such measures here.

If a medically approved compression sleeve and/or gauntlet has been recommended or prescribed for you as part of your plan to prevent or manage lymphedema, I would love to introduce you to LympheDIVAs, a fabulous company with a fabulous product.

I was first made aware of LympheDIVAs via friend and fellow blogger, Jan Hasak, who wrote an amazing guest post called, Musings From a Lymphedema Lady, for Nancy’s Point last summer. Jan’s post is packed full of information, so be sure to check it out. Jan has the condition herself and has devoted vast amounts of her personal time and energy advocating on behalf of lymphedema patients. To learn more about lymphedema and Jan’s advocacy, please visit her blog.

The inspiration behind LympheDIVAs arose after two young breast cancer survivors, Rachel Levin Troxell and Robin Miller, both developed lymphedema following their breast cancer treatment, which for both women involved removal of lymph nodes and radiation.

Unsatisfied with the prescribed drab bandage-like beige sleeves available to them, Rachel and Robin decided to do something about it.

After considerable research, collaboration and effort the company, LympheDIVAs, was founded. It has been dedicated ever since to offering women and men as well, compression sleeves that are more comfortable as well as more stylish.

It’s heartbreaking to add that Rachel’s cancer recurred and she passed away from breast cancer in 2008 at the age of 37, but her dream and her company live on.

LympheDIVAs carries on Rachel’s vision and dedication to helping others who are attempting to prevent or who are actively managing lymphedema. This is truly a company with a heart and soul that genuinely cares not only about the products it sells, but also about the women (and men) who wear it.

I quickly discovered it is also a company that offers fantastic and friendly customer service and who doesn’t love that?

After being asked to write a review, I was generously provided with a sleeve and gauntlet set to personally try out. My palm, wrist, forearm and upper arm measurements were all carefully collected and analyzed to ensure my personalized proper fit.

I was impressed by their genuine commitment to “get it right.”

Next came the hard part, choosing the style I wanted to try out. Here are just a couple of examples from their varied and stunning collection.

I am a casual jeans kind of gal, so ultimately I decided on the Blue Bandit set because of its “denimy” appeal for me.

When my box arrived mere days after I made my selection, I was  thrilled when I opened it.

While most mail order companies send you their product wrapped up in a plastic bag and shipped in a plain cardboard box or wrapped up in yet more plastic, this is not the way LympheDIVAs ships!

After opening my box, I couldn’t help but smile. Take a look…

Pretty great presentation wouldn’t you say?

Inside the box I found my goodies carefully wrapped in colorful tissue paper. It felt as if I was opening a gift instead of something I had ordered for myself.

To my surprise, the box contained not only my boxed sleeve and gauntlet set, but also a tape measure, a folder containing extensive measurement information including charts and also important information from the National Lymphedema Network, several colorfully illustrated catalogs, information about LympheDIVAs, free pens, some nail files and last but not least, a customer satisfaction guarantee statement.

I specifically asked Josh Levin, President of LympheDIVAs who also happens to be Rachel’s brother, (yes, I received personalized attention from the company’s president himself; not bad, right?) if everyone who orders receives these extras and the same lovely presentation and he said, “Yes!”

Later that evening when I tried on my sleeve for hubby, he did a double-take and said, “Wow, what’s that on your arm? It looks like designer tattoos or something!

Clearly, I wasn’t the only one impressed.

“Yes, exactly,” I said. “That’s the whole point.”

This product looks “designerish.”

But more importantly, all LympheDIVAs’ products have been carefully designed with the collaboration of physicians, physical therapists, nurses, and nurse practitioners to ensure that customers are wearing products that are medically correct.

I must also mention that the first sleeve I received did not quite fit properly due to, shall we say, my “out of whack” upper arm measurements, if you get my drift…

No problem!

LympheDIVAs cheerfully and promptly exchanged the sleeve, sending me a new better-fitting one, which I also received just a few days later. Obviously, this kind of friendly customer service is another huge plus when shopping by mail order.

While I still cannot honestly say wearing a lymphedema sleeve and gauntlet is something I ever look forward to doing, LympheDIVAs sure makes it a whole lot more stylish, a whole lot more comfortable and whole lot more fun.

I’m sort of looking forward to the next time I travel by air and am required to go through TSA. This time when someone looks at me strangely and starts gawking at my sleeve while making some uninformed remark, he/she won’t be calling my new sleeve a bandage behind my back!

That will feel nice for a change.

Finally, on to the important giveaway information!

LympheDIVAs has generously agreed to provide one lucky reader with a free sleeve and gauntlet set of her/his choosing. We all know how expensive medical apparel can be, so this is an amazing value. I hope many of you take advantage of this opportunity. Sign up for yourself, or sign up to win a set for someone else.

So what are you waiting for?

Sign up today. Leave a comment through Tuesday, July 24, stating you’d like to enter this giveaway. Like always, a comment on my Nancy’s Point facebook page will double your chances to win, but you must first comment here. The winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Be sure to leave your email address so you can be contacted by me, as well as by LympheDIVAs for your personalized fit consultation.

And remember, if you’re going to try to prevent or manage lymphedema, you might as well make a fashion statement and be a

LympheDIVA, right?

Please be sure to visit the LympheDIVAs website for more information and to view the amazing collection of “medically correct fashion for lymphedema.”

I love my new sleeve and gauntlet set and I know you’ll love this product too!

Thank you, Rachel, for your vision. Thank you, LympheDIVAs, for your commitment to “getting it right.”

And thank you for reading and good luck in the giveaway!

Note:  Please consult with your doctor or LE therapist before using this or any lymphedema management product.

Do you have lymphedema or do you know someone who does?

Did your medical team inform you about your risk for developing lymphedema post surgery? 

Do you have any advice for managing or preventing lymphedema?