Kicking LEs butt!! Exercise & Self Care Log
Comments
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Hahaha Becky. Stay safe. You know, with the leaves off the trees even if the trail isn't covered in leaves, it's still a lot harder to see where one should go. I've not gotten lost once on my treadmill.
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Marple. Too funny! I haven't got lost on my treadmill either but I did lose my treadmill and then found it..... buried in the basement. The handles were being used as a coat hanger.
Just did a 50 min walk in the crunchy leaves. Was sunny, no snow here.Girls!....What is snow?... is it like rain but white! Just kidding around. We get tons and tons and tons of rain on the what we call the, WET COAST but very little snow.:) Kinda jealous of all you talking about snowshoeing.
Becky, nice to hear you are trudging up the trails.....Are you there or did you get lost again?
Carol, How did your hand do after you had trouble from the last big flight. Is it back usual?0 -
Today I kicked my butt to get back on a regular exercise track. Did 2 miles jogging and then enough speedy walking to clock my 10,000 steps before heading to the gym where I worked out with the trainer for an hour, lifting weights and doing abs and flexibility work. I've been hit or miss on real cardio lately, so I need to make it high priority again. The gym is having a 'holiday hold' competition..keep your weight the same or reduce it between now and January to enter a drawing for some free membership months. I might sign up just to have one more incentive to stay focused!0 -
Carol, you must be in fantastic shape!!0 -
Good one Marple. I get lost daydreaming on my treadmill! Did okay yesterday. Going out again in a few before it starts raining. Then home to do weights. The race is on Carol! I hope I don't gain any between now and New Year's. That alone is a prize!0 -
hmmm. goal not to gain during holidays sounds like a good goal. Me just started on meds that cause weight gain (precnstuf) so really watching the old forks! last time I gained 3 # but lost as soon as med ended so shooting for that or better0 -
Well girls I really planned on joining you but my dizzy and nausea is still going - lost about 15 lbs but not because of exercise.. Just don't like food right now. I can't walk without a wall next to me.. I will try again and keep lurking for ideas on how to start exercising again...
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I went to Pilates for first time in 2 yrs. planks , especially side planks hurt my shoulder. Also it is hard to lift my arm over my head. . My le arm is weak and hand is numb. Should I baby it or push?0 -
Definitely you shouldn't push it Barb. If it doesn't feel good either adapt the move or do another one. And remember to drink lots. I'll bet it felt good both mentally and physically (other than the discomfort) to go to class again.
Gma, sorry you are still suffering.0 -
Barb, my trainer who is trained to work with cancer survivors, when I showed weakness in arm, he backed off of the weights to 1# in each hand and encouraged me to stretch the arm. I would stand against the way with my arm straight up against the wall. Start real slow and easy would be my thought0 -
barb, planks are not a good way to reintroduce exercise with lymphedema. it's important to add resistance progressively, and you cannot to that with a plank or other bodyweight exercise. i am using my phone to write this and dropping in a link is frustrating, but perhaps someone can find and link to the two exercise documents on suso (one for trainers and one for patients). there is a section about pilates. i will be home late tonight and will add the links then if nobody has done so.0 -
I think this is what you want Carol. http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Exercise_and_lymphedema.htm0 -
was in line of the massive storms that hit the Midwest.
Tornado sirens going off, I had keys to a building next door with a basement. I put one of my cats in a carrier, hurried her over. Went back, threw my more docile cat over my shoulder and hunkered down in a basement. When storm blew over, had to carry my cats back over to my house. I couldn't have carried my cat in a carrier two years ago. So thankful for the slow, progressive weight training the last two and a half years. It has real life implications.0 -
Thank you, Marple, that page gets us to the two documents--one for trainers and fitness instructors and the other for those of us with LE or at risk for it. Two Pilates experts contributed their expertise: a wonderful Pilates instructor and a very caring occupational therapist who also provides LE therapy and teaches Pilates. Besides Pilates, there's lots of information about a wide variety of exercise in the documents, all designed to explain how to get us moving, and to help us build strength, while minimizing our LE-related risks.
Dawne-Hope, how scary! DH and I were driving through some of this, but fortunately after the tornado danger had passed and the issue was 'simply' 50-mph straight winds. It was intense! I'm super glad you did not have any nasty adventure and yay for having the strength to get the kitty carrier where you needed it. My arm is barking at me because of the barometric change, and I'll bet yours is, too.0 -
Carol57 - "Only 50mph straight line winds." Crazy. Those can kill you too. Last night was when I was really hurting. Last time we had tornadoes nearby, it felt like someone was wringing out the veins inside my arm. Last night, I had shooting pains down my arm and across my mx scars. It was really weird. I wrapped both arms last night and will probably wrap again tonight. Glad you're safe. So far, six people died in Illinois. Three in Kentucky. So sad.0 -
I thought of you girls when I saw the news on the storm. It looked really bad.
Taking my arm out for a date now. Going to Mld opening. Hope my arm thanks me for it.0 -
Just finished my puddle jumping walk, complete in rain gear. Was hard to get me out but am so glad I did. A real mood lifter the outdoors is.0 -
'taking your arm on a date to the MLD opening' --hugz, you have me howling here!
I took my arm on a date to the gym today. Spent an hour with the trainer and not quite 30 minutes on the treadmill, but I made my heart work pretty hard for that time. Still prisoner of a work project that has gone on for months. It's interesting work and I'm glad to have it, but it takes more than full-time hours and it's become hard to take a daily hour for full-throttle exercise and LE care. Wish I could exercise in my sleep!0 -
3 miles in the gusty wind...I love fall walks and had plenty of sunshine as well.0 -
Been cleaning house in spurts - better than normal but every time I go to pick something up off the floor my world starts spinning!!! Still giving it my best shot.0 -
wow, back from the gym and reporting that I got drafted into one of the aqua classes. Usually I swim laps in the pool and did that but..found the class to be interesting, lots of upper body work in the pool with a foam noodle and then some running in the pool
I think I will include this once a week, so far feeling fine and the arm seems happy also
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Way to go all, Sunny and I must get out once I clear all the paperwork stacked up.0 -
I realized I have been AWOL since August here. Catching up, would LOVE to be able to play my horn again (French horn) - I marched with trumpet, but played horn in concert band & orchestra. One of my biggest losses due to neuropathy + LE has been my music - I also wanted to get back to my piano. Seems like all the things I had planned to do in retirement are now off the table unless I can get this LE under control and get some strength back. It has been encouraging to see that several of you have been working for nearly 2 years to get where you are, and so I realize I really have no excuses!
That being said, I have been doing the entire Lebed video 3-4 times a week, and am aiming at daily. Both of my PTs (one is also LE-T) told me it was OK to use my stretchy bands for strengthening, but I read somewhere that is NOT a good idea. I get good range of motion, just really afraid of doing anything that requires muscle because that is how I ended up with LE in the first place. And I have been slacking off on the walking for a variety of excuses, but did walk some last weekend with DH in a state park.
So I will try to check in regularly - you are all so inspiring - maybe I will also get myself a kick in the posterior and get back into shape!0 -
Linda-n3 - Welcome back! We all go through up and downs. Hopefully, you'll be 'up' very soon.
I would be careful doing too much, especially since you're in the middle of a flare.
Since you're doing the ENTIRE Lebed video, 3-4 times a week is plenty. You could do the opening every day but doing the entire thing every day … is too much. You need to give your arms a chance to rest. Be careful too with the resistance (stretchy) bands. There really is no way to measure how much weight you're pulling … and we need to measure it carefully so we know we're not doing too much. I had a really bad flare in the summer of '12 and I've never gotten back to using 5 lb weights. I'm using 3 or 4 lbs, depending on the week. Using those bands, you're likely pulling more than that. Again, being in the middle of a flare … you need to be super careful.
Slow and steady … even though it can be super frustrating! Hope you can be back to playing your instruments very soon. xo0 -
Haven't checked in for a while, but wanted to report that I went to a new yoga class last night. I printed up the Trainer/Instructor handout from SUSO to take with me. I got there early and introduced myself to the instructor. I showed her my arm with the compression sleeve/gauntlet, explained I had a condition called lymphedema, and would need alternate moves for certain poses that strained the arms and shoulders, like downward dog. Then I gave her the handout and said this will explain it all more fully, but I just wanted to let you know why I wouldn't be doing certain poses. It was SO nice to just have that brief conversation, instead of having to spend 20 minutes explaining LE! She was very interested and appreciative, and I think she'll take the time to read it over carefully. So it will not only help me, but will help any BC survivor in the future that takes that class. Thanks again to everyone who worked on it, especially Carol who was the real mover and shaker on it.
I've been in a bit of denial about LE lately, so of course I'm paying for it now with a bit of a truncal flare. Now I'm back to trying to do the Lebed opening most days, I'm wearing compression body garments just about every day, I'm wearing my tribute vest and sleeve more at night, and am trying to concentrate more on basic care like deep breaths, drinking more water, etc. And I'm back on the exercise bandwagon trying to do my 30 minutes a day. Signed up for a 5K Turkey Trot for Tkg morning, so that'll get me up and out that morning.
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Hey all, did get in a sunset walk at the beach although I am still swimming in paperwork for submitting my garments to insurance companys and preparing tax info.0 -
Did Lebed opening, had cold laser treatment (am trying it, using the protocol they have used in pilot studies which showed it can help), saw my MT/LE-T for MLD, and am going to do FlexiTouch next, then bandage. My hand has been behaving much better with Kinesiotape for the last few days, am going to add some for forearm next - kind of work my way up the arm! Did walk about half a mile today, trying to motivate myself to walk daily. Weather is great for walking - just inertia problem.
Dawne, I have been doing the whole Lebed video except the dance routine, but started with just the opening for the first few weeks. It truly is very low-level exercise compared to what I used to do, and I am monitoring my arm closely, but I am backing off just a little as you suggested so I don't get into more problems.
NatsFan, good job on taking the info to the yoga instructor! And you make me feel like such a slug with your signing up for that 5K! Maybe it will shame me into getting out and walking again. I had been walking 3 miles daily, 4 miles once a week, and aiming to get to the 5 mile walk, but then I just don't know what happened, and now would not even try more than a mile or so until I work back up to it.0 -
Linda. Watch that tape when you take it off as it left burns and swellilng on my skin when I nudged it off after soaking the tape with oil. Best thing is to cut off the bits that come loose until it is all off. Dont pull. As careful as I was I did damage.
Good for you Linda with the exercise. I just finished my walk and have lebed opening to do and will continue doing my deep tai chi breathing exercise.0 -
Hey ladies I wanted to post a link here for you all to read. I use a PS group out of San Antonio, TX PRMA. Dr. Ledoux is my PS. They are one of the top in their field in the United States. This year they have published a couple of studies that have to do with DIEP flap that I thought you all would be interested in. The most recent is they they are using a superficial vein along with the main vein to increase success rate of the transfer. The study has a 99% success rate. The other two studies are using the Vascular Lymph node transfer for those suffering with Lymphodema and also a study for obese patients using DIEP successfully. The group does over 500 DIEP flaps a year. Here is a link to their news media and articles you can check out. Hope this is helpful to someone. http://prma-enhance.com/useful-resources/media0 -
Well seems that I am being questioned about my motives here. I am a breast cancer patient and I do not work for PRMA. I just happen to love my PS. I had a very bad experience with my first BS. Although I did not have DIEP flap because I was not a good candidate not because I did not want to and I have been lucky not to have lymphodema but I do not let my guard down because I am aware it can happen years down the road. I think the work my PS group is doing is amazing and I am passionate about spreading the news of new work being done out in the breast cancer world. I have always thought knowledge is power and if it can help someone else then it is worth it. Sorry if I offended anyone with the multiple post that I had.0
