Kicking LEs butt!! Exercise & Self Care Log
Comments
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Thanks, Carol. That is helpful. Hope your surgery goes well tomorrow!
Chris in NM
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I'm admiring all you exercizers. I've really not gotten back into the swing in any way since all this BC mess. I have a new dog who needs to be walked, so I guess that counts. She's doing well on the leash at 4 months. She's smallish, but will be a standard sized labradoodle, so I've got a future of more walks ahead.
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Carol, I hope you have a great recovery. I know you will be back on track soon. I asked my MLD therapist about wet sleeves. She doesn't think it would be a problem,I explained that you would be in the sun and that when they dry they might shrink on you. She still didn't have problem with that and said they would stretch out as they dry with the paddling.
KC, We are dog lovers here in the exercise thread. Yes, you need to walk the pup as when he gets bigger he may want to pull which may be hard on a LE arm, especially if he jerks your arm on the leash. so it is best to train him when he is small and more controlable. Your doodle is probably the best purchase you have made as she will be pestering you for walks and guess what... you will benefit too! We look forward to you submiting your walkies!
Chris, Exciting news about your improvements and exercise plans. yeah!
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Checking in with self care report. New custom sleeve and glove are washed and ready to go for tomorrow. Loving how they fit and are working well. They are already hot though. :-/ Sleeping in my new Solaris vest tonight for the first time, and it feels good after the pre-wear wash. It took forever to dry in the dryer!!! Don't need a PJ top with this, that's for sure! I would be curious to know if the other gals with a night vest wear anything over or under. My therapist said nothing under, but it seems like a light tee would keep it clean longer. I guess that would make it even warmer.
I am still a total spaz when it comes to wrapping. I had it on so badly last night, and tonight I gave up in frustration. Am I just retarded or is this normal? I hadn't received the bandages I ordered, so I visited my LE therapist today, and she gave me four rolls of finger wrap. I think part of my problem wrapping the last few times is that the finger bandages were shot. I am going to do a practice round with new wraps tomorrow during daytime and see if that helps.
Thinking about doing some easy walking tomorrow to test out new pedometer. Haven't had much energy, and been giving myself a lot of pep talks. I'm up, then down, feeling frustrated and a little sad. I think getting moving again will help, but I am definitely going to take it slow.0 -
Chris--I do all of the arm parts on the Lebed DVD. It takes about 25 minutes. That includes the lymphatic opening. The whole DVD takes about 45 minutes. I skip the leg part, the balance, and the final dance routine. I did the whole thing for about 2 months until my swelling got better. If I don't use it I just go too fast.
Good luck today Carol. Take it easy the rest of the day. I will walk then try to guess how many steps I took on my pedometer then I check it. I am trying to get a feel for how much 10,000 steps is.
Am getting ready to climb on elliptical (raining here), then weights, then Lebed, then finally off to work.
Just put a few steps on that pedometer Tina. Go as slow as you need to.
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Hey Carol, you might not be up to typing today but we want to let you know that we are thinking of you. I think I will take the day off exercising in honour of your surgey bravery.( Well I can use that as an excuse can't I.) Actually I will be in appointments until late so then no exercise for me. will try my wrapping tonight which is a calorie burner in itself.
Tina: Nice to here you will try wallking Tina, I am giving you a gentle nudge. Will post about wrapping in other thread.
Chris, Becky is right on following that goofey mld dvd. I have the opening copied on a page and keep it in my purse to take whereever I go incase I don't have a dvd near by. I always try to go slow following the page but always finish faster than going along with the dvd. I haave been bad about not doing it lately.
Becky: You must be a morning person to get all that routine done before work. What time do you start all this?
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I'm back from surgery, which was no big deal. I guess one good thing about diep reconstruction is that there's no sensation, at least in my case! So I had a nice, 45-minute chit chat with my PS while he worked--no sedation required, and he is a very kind, congenial fellow so we did have a fun conversation. I asked about activity restrictions, and the only one is no running or jumping, but his opinion is that I can speed walk all I want, use an elliptical, and even get right back into the gym to lift weights--so long as I'm not lying on my chest, which I am not doing for any of my strength training moves. I think I'll avoid the gym for the rest of this week, but start again on Monday.
My PS is in downtown Chicago. DH is a crafty fellow, and he proposed that we stay here today and tonight--enforced activity reduction compared to what I would do at home! So I will nap a bit (very early wakeup to be at PS by 6:30) and then get outdoors for a leisurely afternoon of walking in what promises to be a beautiful, sunny 70 degree day!
On paddling and sleeves-Shows you what a LE newbie I am, because it did not even occur to me to think about seams in the athletic sleeve! Good catch, Hugz. Now I think what I'll do is order a new set of sleeve/gauntlet and use my original set for paddling and other potentially dirty activities. The only question is whether I might be better in a LE glove instead of the gauntlet for paddling, as I'm wondering if the top of the paddle handle might just tend to work itself under the wide opening of the gauntlet, more or less defeating its purpose. Any thoughts on that question?
Also, Binney was kind to PM me and tell me that I wasn't quite right on the issue with getting the sleeve wet--it's not that tightens as it dries poses a problem, more so that it gets heavy when wet; and wearing a wet sleeve can invite damp/fungus-y issues, although I think the sun would help dry the thing before that would cause a problem. Thank you, Binney for the added perspective, and I'm mentioning that here in case anyone else ever searches for LE and paddling looking for similar insights.
The idea of an athletic sleeve that dries very quickly is appealing. But Hugz, your therapist's comment on wet sleeves not being a problem is very reassuring, so thanks for asking! My own therapist didn't have an opinion one way or the other, and I think it's because such a question can only be answered out of long experience--it's not likely to be covered in a textbook. My therapist does not see many LE patients, and I am aware that she does not provide the depth of expertise that others get. But--within a reasonable drive, LE therapy availability is limited for me.
Which is a good way to end this too-long post, with the addendum that what would I do without all the wonderful resources all of you bring to this forum????
Carol
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Glad the procedure was a breeze, Carol. I think your plan for exercise while healing sounds like a good one. Congrats on being DONE with your reconstruction!!!! Passing out chocolate and brownies. Here, have some!!
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Forgot to mention that sleeping in my Solaris vest last night was SO comfortable compared to the improvised setup I had been wearing! Wow, now all I need to do is master this darn wrapping!!!!
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Tina, thank you, and by the way, I meant to say earlier that I think LE is a total roller coaster, or at least it's a two-steps-forward/one-step-backward kind of experience. So it's no surprise that you are feeling totally on top of some of it --great vest fit, comfort sleeping with it--while feeling so frustrated at the difficulty of learning to wrap. Hang in there, supplement with chocolate, and you'll get the wrapping soon enough.
Carol
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Carol, another thing to keep in mind is that our sleeves don't offer sun protection. Seems like they should, but t'aint so.
Sleeves go back to their original shape when they're wet, which is tighter than when you've been wearing them awhile. So it's not that they get heavy--they get tighter. There was an NLN newsletter article about that a several years ago, and they even gave a figure for the percentage increase in pressure. To me it was insignificant (as I say, I wet my sleeves regularly with a spray bottle when out in the heat--but this is desert so they dry quickly), but I can see where it could affect some people. We're all so different with this. We just need to know, then we can do our own experimenting
A glove sure sounds more comfortable than a gauntlet for paddling. Do please keep us posted--it's all fascinating.
I have decided to take 10 minutes out of every hour to jog and see how that goes. Gives me a break from the computer (or whatever else I'm doing), and I find I think better when I'm jogging. Why is that?!!
Anyhow, I'm kinda liking it. I wave my arms around and do some pumping as well, so try to clear nodes every time before I start my jog. Not sure how long I'll keep this up, but it's been several days and it's working nicely.Somebody asked the other day about whether to exercise before or after wrapping, and now I can't find that post, but just wanted to suggest that exercise is very important while wrapped, as it hurries the reduction along. In fact, exercising while wrapped is top-of-the-line for swelling reduction. Go for it!
Tina, so glad you're back upright on your six feet (
), and equally glad for the brownies--thank you, needed that!Carol, thank goodness all the recon is now in your rear-view mirror!
Enjoy your afternoon walk around the Windy City. It does have some beautiful spaces, especially on a sunny Spring day. Enjoy!Hugs all around,
Binney0 -
Hi Carol, just happened to pop in and see your paddling questions...I am also in the midst of trial and error phase of paddling w/LE:) So far, I have been paddling in a UA shirt w/compression bra over that (grrr that I go flat and still require a bra!). The UA helps with bra chafing as well as compression. Then, I wear a medi one piece (sleeve w/gauntlet) and a paddling glove (or a NFL wide receiver glove works too) over that. I started out with a class I but found that I need a class II or else my LE winds up in my forearm. I actually have found in my case that with this contraption my arm stays white while the other one tans (don't know if this will hold true later in the year). Also, my sleeve has gotten wet and although that is okay for a two hour practice, during a regatta where I had the sleeve on for several hours I ended up with swelling in my hand that I don't usually get. Now I take the sleeve off and do MLD when I am in between workout pieces or races and it seems to be going okay. Went a couple of hour straight last night with no swellling. great to be on the water:) Glad your surgery went well!
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Wow, Cooka, with all that compression on top of compression, I'm in awe that you can still move, let alone move fast enough to compete in a race! I'm not paddling for any reason than fun, so I can limit the time as needed. Except if we do a group multi-day paddle/camp trip, in which case I guess I need to keep up with the group or sleep miles upriver from everyone else.
Someone really should develop a compression sleeve made of a slightly open weave, fully synthetic fabric that provides the needed compression but does not retain any water. What is so hard about that? (Lots, I know...)
Cooka, thanks for the details of how you solve the paddling-with-LE problem.
Carol
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Carol, I like the idea of using the glove instead of the gauntlet. Make note that the glove doesn't ride into your finger webs causing irritation
Regarding the sleeves someone in the thread mentioned that wet sleeves could cause a fungal bacteria issue. I think this is something to consider. Cooka or girls have you had any problems with this health issue?
On the topic of lake water I have always wondered if bacteria/duck poop on lakeshore and micro organisms we can't see could get into our small unseen cuts on our LE arms and cause a flare. Anyone know, because I love the beach and want to swim etc.
I vote for a sleeve that doesn't make sweat in the elbows and is cool in the heat.I wonder if Coolmax fabric could be incorperated.
no exercise today
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Checking in to report on today's self care. Compression all day. Succeeded in wrapping arm in 2 hrs tonight. Realized I can use back of sofa instead of wall to steady bandage roll half way around, which is great since that means I can sit in living room to wrap. Note to self: Remove compression tank before wrapping arm! The other thing I wanted to mention is that after wearing the vest last night my chest looked much better this morning. I can't believe I had to fight my insurance co to get a garment that I clearly needed and my policy covered.
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Tina, Just read your post now as I was busy typing in my wrapping thread. I am SO GLAD the vest is working out and it looks like you are figuring out your own style of wrapping. I thank you so much for your help on this. 2 hours is a long chunk of time to wrap, you deserve choclate for breakfast. I must go, it is almost 11pm here and bed is calling me. But first I got to look over my instruction DVD on wrapping the web area. I love your art work, You are so talented.
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Oh Tina--Two hours! How frustrating. Hang in there. It will get faster. Are you wrapping only one arm or two. I can't remember. Dominant arm? When I was wrapped I told my therapist that they needed to train professional wrapper to go to homes in the evening and wrap LE patients. She just laughed.
Carol--When I am out at the dam I am often in the heat for 2 1/2 hrs or more. My sleeve gets totally wet. Sometimes some of my students are out there studying and I stay on and visit with them. I know it is not quite the same as unclean water but I have not had problems. I just changed to a Juzo sleeve from Jobst Elvarex. It dries much more quickly. I recommend a glove. Much easier.
Hugz--I am very much a morning person! I get up at 5:00 every day and get more done in the first few hours of the day than the rest of the day! I also teach grad students in college and have night classes so have to get everything done to go to work in pm. Plus I hate to exercise and it feels so good to have it over with. Speaking of...I am getting ready to get on elliptical right now.
Kira--On another thread you said you had been sitting all day. I can do that when I get really focused. I now sit on my stability ball when at my desk. It makes me move my lower torso more as I work. I move around on it a lot. Makes me less stiff.
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Hugz, I agree with you on lake water harboring some potentially icky stuff that could cause problems if I have any kind of scratch, visible or otherwise, in the LE arm and truncal area. But--I just cannot put myself into a hermitically sealed tyvek envelope or live life in a bubble. Our home is on a bluff overlooking a lake. It's a 90-step walk down to the water, and by golly, if I'm going to put all that work into getting back up to the house, I want to get the most fun out of the water when I'm down below! The lake is not terribly developed, cannot see other houses from our own, and it's so placid that sometimes in a kayak we can sneak up on swans and get directly below the eagles that so often perch in the trees. None of that happens in a motor-powered boat.
But your thought is a very good one, about the bacteria etc. So--a good reminder that if I've landed in the water from being a toal novice on the stand-up board, I should wash/shower as soon after as possible. Does anyone think there's any merit at that point in using Hibiclens, just in case I was unaware of a small scratch, etc? Slathering my arm with neosporin would seem to be overkill.
My gosh this is getting complicated.
Becky--I'll ask about the Juzo. And sitting on a stability ball while at the desk is very interesting. I stand up while I work, at least 80% of the time. My 'desk' is a high pub table, and I have a drafting chair for when I do want to sit, which is not often. This works very well for me and ended some persistent lower back problems.
Cooka, do you ever remove and then re-don the sleeve between regatta events while the sleeve is wet? That would seem quite the feat!
Today I travel home, a combination of a mile-long walk, then a 2-hour train ride, then an hour drive. I plan to walk a full hour instead of just the one mile to the train station, to be sure I get some steps in today. Oops--time to run if I'm going to get that in!
Carol
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Becky, all day! Didn't even eat or drink--serious nuts, but I was in the groove.
I did get up and exercise, but today, my hip is kind of sore. We have a couple of exercise balls, I'll haul one up.
I'm not totally pleased with the power point, but at least I have a place to start.
Kira
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I'm just amazed at the continued dedication of you "kick butt-ers". Thanks for keeping me motivated while I mostly lurked as a bug last week or so. My shingles is now dry and crusty and my swelling no longer painful - amazing how an infection makes you hurt and swell, uh duh?!
So, I'm back to the drawing board - MLD, Norton DVD for upper ext, 2 miles of brisk walking and breathing. I did get a pedometer and it's really kind of fun to see all the steps add up. I love reading about all you dedicated kayakers and I wish I could find a sport that I love as much as you seem to. But, for now, I am just working on getting moving again.
Lots to catch up on here. Carol, congrats on getting through those last steps of recon.
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Hi All--Said I was going to do the elliptical this am before getting ready for work but it did not happen. I could not face it! I did an hour on the treadmill instead--5 mi. I know it does not burn as many calories as the elliptical but I feel good right now that I did something.
Catherine--Happy to hear the shingles are healing.
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Carol, I like the expession of not putting yourself in a sealed envelope. Sometimes I think I worry too much about LE getting a bad hold of me and I box my self in for living the way you and Nordy and those other girls that are living there life to the full.
Your lake place sounds so divine and those steps are a work out no doubt. I did 5 floors today but really had to drag my butt up those stairs today.
What is Hibiclens? I was worried about swimmers itch and thought that might cause a problem for LE but I guess we could shower off if you are near one. Anyone had this problem before and what do you do? All this worry just to go for a swim! Am I paranoid on this?
Olearca, Oh my not shingles! No wonder you feel bugful. Thanks for the reminder on breathing.
Becky, You are an inspiration. Go for it! I will do my 45 min walk in a few minutes. The weather here is just perfect today for this.
Nordy, I was looking at your picture of you waving your arms in the air, crossing the finish line. It is so inspirational to me. Would you think of posting a bigger picture of this on this thread, somewhere where it is always visible? It would certainly get us moving when we look at it! I actually want the picture at my work desk to motivate me. It would!
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The swimming-in-a-lake question is a good one, Hugz, and fortunately Carol's right-on about getting on with our lives. The exception to that would be people with advanced LE and those who are having problems with repeat bouts of cellulitis. They do need to be wary of swimming in a lake (or the ocean) -- even in a public pool, where the actual safety of the water can vary rapidly depending on who's doing what in the water.
But for most of us here, who are keeping our LE in good control and have not had recent cellulitis, showering afterward and making sure we apply plenty of lotion to keep the skin moist should be enough. Of course inspect and apply antibiotic ointment to any cuts and scratches after your shower, and be careful not to get new nicks and scrapes (body surfing into the gravelly shore, for instance--ouch!
) And we all know to be careful about sun burn and insect bites.Swimming is GOOD for LE!
Enjoy!
Hugs,
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Thanks, Binney. I feel so validated on not wanting to live my life wrapped in tyvek!
Hugz, Hibiclens is an antibacterial soap-type product you can buy in a pharmacy. I have some, because before my bmx/recon surgery, my surgeons wanted me to shower with it the night before and morning of surgery. But it's irritating to the skin (at least for me), so I'm glad Binney didn't say it was a good idea!
Becky--five miles per hour on the treadmill--that's one speedy walk, or your're breaking into a jog. Either way, wow...so very admirable. I have a hard time pushing myself past about a 4.5 mph pace, and I don't like to keep it up for long when I'm jogging. You are really speedy!
Catherine, it's great that you've got your exercise drawing board back out! You've had some setbacks, and it's great to read such a positive tone in your post.
Kira, you must feel relieved to finish a big project, and I totally get the laser-focus that grabs us when the brain finally clicks onto a task. I hope you're able to do some walking or something else to get the kinks out after such a marathon sit session, and to clear the brain on all that is going on in your world of late.
Weekend's coming...hope we all have plans to get out and move about!
Carol
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Ok, this summer, I am going to lake swim and shower,lotion asap after. Last year I just sat off to the side worrying about swimmers itch. I just don't want to lose out on the fun.
Do you know what kinds of exercises we can do in the water to help LE.? I heard it is good to try to be deep as our shoulders but I really don't know anything about this.
I have some nice zip-up jackets called Duckskins, (check thier website ) they are great to prevent sunburn and are good in chlorine water too. They are the coolest fabric yet that I have found and sunproof. Duckskins has a variety of shirts. Watch at Costco as they sometimes have a road show with Duckskins, I paid 38 dollars for my new jacket there in Seattle area a couple weeks ago. I wore last years to death all summer and it still looks good. The jacket is loose, so it is more airy.
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I just looked up that website for the sunclothing I mentioned above. Google: Sun Protection Zone Duckskinz. That is Duckskinz with a letter Z. I misspelled it above.
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Hugz, I took a quick peek at the Duckskinz site--very interesting! Thanks for that idea!
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Carol, Watch the You tube video on it. It shows the water rolling off the product. I think this would be great for your water sports. I see the offical web site has the Costco road show list of when Duckskinz comes to your area. I see they have tight long sleeve tees also.
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Well, if I'm in the water because I fell off the board, having the water roll off me may not do much good--I'll be soaked from within. But anyway a very good idea and I will definitely check it out. DH and I are going on a 5-day kayak/camping trip in July with friends and family. Not likely to capsize (although I have managed that before!) but sun and bug exposure is always a problem, and this could be a great answer that also keeps me dry from rain or splashes.
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Good for all going on with their lives! I am easing back into water aerobics. I was nervous with my arm not sleeved.
Carol--Yes I do jog on treadmill. I do one minute walking at 4 mph, then jog one at 5, then jog one at 6, then repeat. I don't do that often but I was mad that I could not face the elliptical and I wanted to get the most out of the treadmill.
I plan to get out to the dam today. It looks like the weather will hold. Again, friend is going which makes it much more enjoyable.
All have a great day!!!
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