TES Unit

[DebbieL]

I have been using the TES Unit on my 4 year old daughter for about a month now. Any advice on how keep the Electrodes on the skin? I have been wrapping an Ace bandage around them once they are applied to the skin, but is there anything a little easier. Any suggestions would be grateful!

Thanks, Deborah
Tampa, FL

[francine]

we tape them or we wrap them with Ace bandages - both fail at certain times too.

Also - we have removed the karaya gel layer and use TAC gel instead. The electrodes last longer and you get a better seal that way.

To remove the karaya layer - this is the sticky layer on the electrode - you just put the electrode on a wet paper towel for about 10 minutes - it soaks up all the water and you can peel it off easily. TAC gel can be purchased from a medical supply store, or from a therapist/doc who does estim, or online - I have found the cheapest prices at
http://www.scrip-inc.com/catalog/99electrogels.html

You clean off the electrode, put on a very thin layer of TAC gel, wait 1-2 minutes..then press on the skin.

Nexcare also makes some pretty great tapes these days - there are all diffrent kinds now (we get ours at Rite Aid).... just buy a bunch and see which one works the best. We use this tape that looks like a white paper mesh (I think it is ultra holding or something like that).

anyway....that's the best advice I can give you. Everyone using TES has experienced some kind of anxiety with it on some sort of level - it truly requires a commitment.

-francine

http://www.injurednewborn.com/maia/estim.html

[TNT1999]

We too have had problems and have tried different things. Another type of wrap similar to the ace wrap that you can try is something called Coban, which is made by Nexcare / 3M. It's similar to ace wrap, but adheres to itself better than ace wrap. We've also tried different Nexcare tapes and have liked the white mess one Fran mentioned (Advanced Holding Power) and a beige one called Ultra Comfortable.

We too have tried the TAC Gel (if you order from the site Fran mentioned, you will notice another gel called "Spectra" gel -- it's much cheaper, but does NOT work at all; I don't think it should even be listed with the estim supplies -- the electrodes slid all over the place -- don't waste your time buying it). Anyway, I prefer the karaya gel that comes on the electrodes. However, the electrodes last longer than the karaya gel does. So, we use the electrodes with the karaya gel on them, until it just doesn't hold them any longer. At that point, we remove the karaya gel and use the TAC gel. The TAC gel really makes the whole thing into quite a procedure though, esp. in the morning. You have to clean the gel off the electrodes every morning and you really have to clean your child's arm with a nice warm / hot washcloth. I've found the best way to clean the electrodes is with a paper towel, wet with hot water. It gets very sticky so be ready with the wash cloth as soon as you remove the electrodes.

BTW, we need the tape regardless of whether we use the karaya gel or the TAC gel b/c neither holds well enough independently. Presently, we're on an estim break b/c our daughter had surgery and is in a post-op splint 24/7. I hope this helps. Take care. -Tina

P.S. checkout Francine's page that she listed. There's a lot of great info. there.

[admin]

We use an ace bandage (the self-adhering type). This eliminates the need for any tape (we only do the biceps and brachioradialis). We, too, use the TAC gel but we get it from etrode.com. I can also get our NMES (daytime e-stim) electrodes there. One tube ($10) lasts for months. We've had great success with the ace wrap and tac gel. Our electrodes--four--last 6 mo. this way. It's also easier on the wires. We've been on e-stim for almost a year now and we're only on our 2nd wire. Then, of course, we use Auntie Fran's fannie pack to tuck the unit into and it works like a charm. We've logged approx. 2600 hrs. in almost a year.

[DebbieL]

Hi Francine!

Thanks for all the wonderful tips! I will give them a try! You really know alot. Your truly a big help!

Thanks, Deborah

[DebbieL]

Thank you too!

I see your name alot too! Thanks for all the great info!

Deborah

[francine]

Hi Debbie....

hope it works out,
btw- I only know about stuff that we have experienced with Maia (so don't ask me anything else!!) LOL

-francine