Lymphedema of the neck: What did you do?

Hi @lollie,
I am going through the same exact thing too as I started my appeal process just last week to get the Flex touch pumps. This is crazy that insurance does not want to cover this as it would save them in the long run as we wouldn't need as many if not any at all lymphedema and myofascial massages. Perfect example, why health insurance gets a bad reputation.

Did not know about the possible financial help from Tactile so thank you.

Tactile Medical (the manufacturer of Flex touch pumps) offers financial help to pay for their machine...the paperwork was pretty straightforward. My sales rep recommended this option in case insurance was lame (which it was; they wouldn't cover it because it was made out of network...ridiculous!) Tactile Medical ended up covering 100% of the cost of my machine!

My surgeon also prescribed weekly massage. I see an OT for lymphedema massage and for Myofacial Release Massage. A weekly massage by my OT is about $500. Your insurance company would save $$ by providing the machine.

My insurance denied this, but we have an appeal. I hope this works, my lymphedema in my neck caused by radiation is very painful and not going away! thanks

Stanford university mechanical engineers and Gorgia Tech Woodruff College developed an injectable drug in trials and changed the flow of water near the sight of the cancer . The radiation treatments damage the lymph vessels that prevent the lymph vessels from squeezing out the liquid and in trials over many years reactivate these vessels and Stanford redirected the flow to reverse the flow to go out not in. The trial of one woman had 2 quarts of fluid in a leg and she had had breast cancer. Brandon Dixon
And his team saw that the nanoparticals that were in the
Drug reactivated these vessels
And kept them active again
Bay K 8644 went for FDA approval and I want to keep in touch with them as my hope is for their approval this year.
The pumps do after many months squeeze out fluid using them daily but some returns. I tried the one and it was hard to put on hooked up for months may not prevent fluid from returning and my Medicare did not cover pump which is expensive cumbersome.
You can call FDA keep informed as to approval. My latent effects
Of Lymphedema did not affect my neck but I go to private therapeutic massages wonderful but my scar tissue is
Problem with head mobility that makes massages stretch my head side to side up and down
.There are thousands of drugs each year seeking approval but this one has been finished in trials successfully but hope is there cross your fingers.

I used a Flexitouch Plus to reduce and manage the lymphedema from the treatments. It worked quite well for me. Good luck as you move forward.

@thomason I have been using it for 2 days now. Even though the swelling doesn't look reduced, it is not as hard.
Thank you for checking in.

@lilypilly, did the machine help you at all? They say no news is good news.

@lilypilly, I wish you relief. Please inform if it helps!

@thomason thanks again. I placed an order for the one you recommended. Should be here tomorrow.
I will update soon.