@Nadi, the sleeve is a constant reminder, and an obvious clue to those around you. Because mine started so early, I kind of don't know any different. I wash my sleeve every day, as Liz recommended from the start. Liz, and the manufacturer recommendations would suggest this will extend the life of your garment. It will also maintain the compression in the garment, especially in this crucial, possibly less stable period of lymphoedema.
I hand wash my garments, roll in a towel and spin off in the washing machine. It's pretty rare that it doesn't dry overnight. This time of year in our climate can be the the hardest time for drying.
As @Afraser says, give it time before you think about whether you need more than one on the go at a time. Probably 18 months ago, i decided that I wanted to have 2 on the go, so I ordered a new one about 3 months after the last one. I now probably order 3 sets a year, to keep them overlapping, so I've always got 2 on the go.
I'm about 3 & 1/2 years in to life with lymphoedema. I have days where I accept it, and days where I resent it, and the changes it wrought in my life. As @mum2jj said, in some ways it was harder to cope with than tne cancer diagnosis itself, in a different way.
Not that it's a total solution, but for a bit of fun, you can buy "stocking" sleeves, that imitate sleeve tattoos that you could wear over your sleeve.
Take care
L x
