Kicking LEs butt!! Exercise & Self Care Log
Comments
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I just posted on a thread that is titled barefoot running... Hang on...
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http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/58/topic/787086?page=1#idx_10
There you go. As for walking - there is definitely more heel strike when walkng. Because your foot tends to be a little higher off the ground when running, I think it makes it easier to land in a fore foot or midfoot stance. I am going to watch the kids more closely when they walk at karate next tme.
As for the dog - he is neutered! As soon as his testicles dropped all the way I had them removed! He has never been one to mark his territory, so this is so weird to me. My house smells like a kennel right now! And I do use vinegar! Even put it in my carpet cleaner instead of detergent and sprinkle the floors with baking soda(lol, because if you try to put baking soda in with the vinegar it looks like a science project...). Anyway, I know it takes some time for the smell to dissipate with oth the vinegar and the enzymatic cleaners. I guess I am just impatient!0 -
Nordy, will check out your thread but gotta turn down the sheets for a few hours. Thought I might try the nike barefoot type runners but then I thought, Isn't this brand just glorified watershoes? What is the difference? I try to go barefoot in the summer on my sandybeach walk. Feels soooo good!
I wonder if that female dog started some kind of a marking session in your house.
My teen just tore ACl in knee, Do you think 5 fingers would help? She swells and it has been about a month or so since she did it?
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Becky here....I have been exercising and cleaning out my laundry room so have not posted. I think I said I would go to the dam on Saturday but it was so humid that my sister came over and we went to a local community center and walked/jogged for an hour on their walking track. I forgot to take my pedometer. It is air conditioned! Plus you look down on the pool as you go around. Wish I had taken my suit. Next time. Sunday was the elliptical for an hour. Yesterday the treadmill for an hour. Plus all the Lebed, MLD, weights Sat and Mon. I always feel so much better after even if I really dread it before.
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Becky. Being from the west, We rarely get humid. I can see why it would dampen your exercise experience! This is my first full summer in my LE gear (8-12 hours a day) and It was only about a sunny 65 degrees and that was about right for me. Any hotter and I am sure I will be the crankest Westcoaster.
I use to love heat. Now, with hot sleeves, shaper, gloves, I dread it and will probably be exercising in the wee early hours or late at night when it cools down.
That gym sounds like a good idea and for sure take your bathing suit. Glad you are still at it.
COME ON GIRLS, GET THE LEAD OUT. I'M BEHIND YOU WITH A PITCH FORK! RUNNNN....!
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Today i missed a connecting flight by 5 minutes, and I was so mad that they did not hold it for me and 5 other people! My frustration propelled me to walk 3.8 miles in 50 minutes. Taking a break and still have almost 2 hours to wait, so maybe I will get in another mile or so. If frustration is bad for LE, I am toast today! I guess I would say that I did angry walking, maybe not the most healthful kind. Deep breathing now!
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Popping in to say hello! Some evil being took possession of me yesterday, all because of a simple remark someone made. Head is now righted and heart in the correct place. Whew! Feels much better.
Rash is fading in response to creams and antihistamines. Will see how it proceeds. Thanks for all the soap suggestions! My hand and arm are still feeling very good. I swear good sleep makes a big difference for me.
Husband took a bunch of things out of the house to have listed on eBay. Still focused on out clearing more. I am feeling much lighter without so much stuff, even if it was packed away in closets and drawers. Last night I did another culling of clothing, and I have a couple more donation bags. I am coming up on a year since I started redoing my wardrobe, and it's great to have come full circle. I have far fewer things but I actually wear what's in my closet.0 -
carol57 - GRRRR! But 3.8 miles in 50 minutes ... that's fast! I have very stressful weekends and I'm always more swollen. I think stress is a big factor. Hope you're better and you catch your next one. [[hugs]]
Tina337 - I need to get in gear and do some cleaning and sorting as well. Good for you! Sleep is a factor for me too ... like stress ... stress and lack of sleep go hand in hand for me ... not sure which one is worse for me but on days that I get less than six hours my swelling is always worse. Going off the handle for a simple remark ... can totally relate ... have those days a lot more post-BC-LE than I ever did before.
Glad today is better. Hugs to you too! xoWorked out today with my LiveStrong trainer and he kicked my ass! It is Finals week so I guess the moral to that story is look out working out with a trainer during finals! We've been doing super sets for a while (alternate upper body with lower body with no rest in between) and then he wanted to do interval training on the bike. I was going to go to my local gym after so I could do cardio ... so I was thankful ... but wow ... we did speed intervals and if my hands aren't down after that ... I'm going to take an ice cold shower in a few minutes to help with soreness. Killer workout today.
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Hello all, had a great Hatha yoga workout this am (found an awesome new studio that is actually affordable), then ran a couple of slow miles. Off to paddle outrigger in an hour or so...finally getting the hang of when to wear which sleeve/bra/ua shirt.
Nordy- unless you have new furniture or some other new large object in your house, my money is on territorial marking brought on by the sexy (or terrifying) dog-next-door. May need to redirect by having him sniff her pee (outside) then taking him to a specific place outside where it is OK for him to mark...animal welfare league has tips for how to deal with that type of stuff. Good luck!
Happy LE kicking everyone
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Dawne-Hope, My anger walk was fast, and three different airline or airport personnel stopped me to ask if I needed help to find or get to my gate, because clearly I was in a hurry. What a hoot, because if anyone had wanted to be that helpful when I was sprinting to the gate where I missed the connection, I might have actually made it! Two of them were in carts and I would have accepted that ride. Where were they when I needed them??? Anyway, all's well that ends well as they say, and I have my daily cardio under my belt. Now I just have to be on the edge of my chair to find out if the famous altitude effect is going to get me, as I'm normally a flat-lander and will be working in Denver for the next few days. I expect I'll know soon...
It sounds like you had a superb workout today! I do super-sets with my trainer, too, although not every time. He gets a gleam in his eye. I get happily exhausted. My upper body weights are still relatively light since surgery and LE, but lower body work is pretty serious. The fellow I work out with is up to speed on LE and lifting protocol, so it's a great partnership and he is very supportive of my need to follow safe lifting guidelines for upper body work. But he shows no mercy on lower! I'm very grateful that I have access to this trainer.
Tina, I think you are shaming me into acknowledging that it's time to part with excess stuff. And Hugz makes me want to get out and dig in the dirt to get some of the heavy gardening work done. I prefer garden work to going through closets and cupboards, but I should do both. I'll think on that...both kinds of work will be waiting for me after my work travels. Becky, cleaning out a laundry room is a good project, too. I say all of the above counts for LE exercise (only Hugz, don't over-do, right??? Heavy duty garden work could come back to haunt your LE).
Good exercise and LE care to all!
Carol
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Cooka, we were typing at the same time. Color me jealous that you're paddling today!
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Dawne, it sounds like you had a good workout! That's terrific. Stress does me in, too. I think it does go hand in hand with sleep, as when I haven't had enough sleep I tend to feel more stressed over things.
Carol, I can just picture you walking with intense focus/anger in the airport and attracting the attention of various personnel! Glad you ended up where you need to be and hope there's no unusual swelling from the elevation. Binney's comments a while back about adapting to higher elevations were reassuring. Just keep that gear on for a while after landing! If you fare well, you'll inspire me to visit a friend later this year. You have a full calendar, so no need to feel guilty about cleaning. I am playing major catch up from the past couple of years when my activity was limited. Believe me, you wouldn't want to face the mountain of work I finally have to do. I'm just grateful I feel good enough.
Hugz, please come take care of my gardening?! That's one thing I can't face yet. Fortunately, living in the woods makes it look like my lack of manicuring is intentional. LOL! I assume you're not aiming that pitchfork at me since I only have my glove and compression tank to wear for now. No sleeve. I suppose I really could take an easy walk, but I haven't wanted to risk jumping up and down the stairs or doing anything rigorous. I do really need to do something though.
Cooka, it sounds like you have a nice variety of activities you are doing. Your comment about what to wear when is interesting. I finally got two Underarmour shirts lately, and I am not sure how they compare to my compression tank. Will have to experiment and see how they feel. I ended up with the men's crewneck tee in heatgear compression because that is what fit best. What are you wearing? Carol, Nordy, et al, what about you guys?0 -
I have such a fiesta of compression shirts, I feel like they should just define 'trial and error' as Carol57! Recently I found some for the crazy price of $12 or so. The vendor (online) is Go Athletic Apparel. They are short-sleeved, mens small, which is the same shirt I wear in UA (heatgear) when I am working out and wearing my sleeve/gauntlet. When not working out or flying, I don't need the sleeve (knock wood), so I quite often wear a long-sleeved compression shirt, especially when working from home. Now that it's getting hot, I'll try short-sleeved versions without the sleeve, and see how that feels.
The reason I have tried a fair number of compression shirts is that I just hate the feeling of a high, tight neck, including turtle necks, and I want to have some that I can wear under professional clothing without it being visible. So I have looked quite a bit for alternates that offer a lower neckline. I have some that I like (Time for Me catalog) that are more shapewear scoop shirts than compression shirts (not wicking fabric), so I wear these when I need to be in normal-looking clothing, as they disappear pretty well under my wardrobe items. I also found an online vendor (AstroSports) who hand sews compression shirts; I think she makes items for skating teams. Her shirts have a nice neckline, but the sleeves are soooo long I cannot picture anyone having arms that long. The inside finish is not as nice as a 'manufactured' shirt. But--for someone hard to fit, I'll bet this lady would be a good bet to ask to modify her pattern to fit, perhaps wider/narrower shoulders, longer/shorter sleeves, etc.
I tried the new Go Athletic Apparel shirts on and they fit well, but I have not worn them yet, as I am wearing a padded bra over nipple protectors to keep from squishing my recon nipples, recently acquired. So I am reluctant to put a compression shirt on over or without that get-up. But for the price, I believe I'll be sticking with this company if the shirt turns out to stay comfortable during a day's wear.
Tina, I think the trick to using a compression shirt as a stand-in for an official compression garment, is to make sure it's small, but not to the point of cutting into you.
AND, this whole question of shirts etc. that comes up so often makes me wonder if we should create a Pinterest page for LE wear! I know zilch about Pinterest, probably not even spelling it correctly, but my daughter suggested I could use it to share items of interest to my LE friends, and from her description, I think she may be onto something.
Is anyone using Pinterest to be able to say if this makes sense or not? And if so, to get it going?
By the way, I got more walking in after my anger walk, including some time this evening when I walked to dinner. Today's tally is 6.7 miles on my pedometer. Maybe I should get mad more often
Carol
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Carol, I am on the Pinterest case and have requested an invitation. I know someone who is a member and I have already sent her a message explaining what we want to do and asked a few questions about setting up. Also looked at basic info on Pinterest after I sent request. I know we can all have separate boards with pinned pics and follow each other's, but it looks like there is a way to allow multiple users to pin to same board. Will see what I learn from friend and as I read more. This is a good idea, especially because each pic you pin has an associated link (i.e., UnderArmour site). When you pin pic you can add a brief description and price. When another member repins pic, the original link goes with it. Sounds very useful for our purposes. Pinterest is free and has no advertising as it is still developing.
I got involved in researching and didn't respond to your excellent mileage today. Well done! Need to climb in bed so I get that sleep. It is already way too late!0 -
wow, Tina, thanks for investigating Pinterest so fast! I hope it helps us all keep tabs on and share our LE 'finds.'
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Hi All--Sounds as if all had a busy day yesterday. Nothing like missing a flight to get one moving!!
Still working on laundry room cleanout (a big laundry/junk room) today in addition to a little bit more grading. It is raining here so will be elliptical plus weights. I have to stop reading all of the old papers I had boxed which slows me down--or at least read on the treadmill! I was in the invasion in Panama in 1989 and got caught up reading my Reader's Digest version I wrote right after. Really brought back memories. I am glad I still don't live in the heat there!
Have a good day all with a LOT of movement!
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Hey, Becky, we must have spring cleaning fever! I'm doing more today, too. I have other paperwork to attend to as well, but I plan to take a walk if it doesn't rain. Barometer trunk and arm says front is coming through!
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Hi Tina,
I was wearing a UA men's heatgear with a UA compression bra OVER that for intense paddling workouts with a II sleeve. Now I have found that the UA women's heatgear alone works fine with a II sleeve. The cap sleeves are a little irritating but the v-neck (and not needing a bra on top) is worth it for ventilation, and it fits very snugly at the axilla (but I am flat so this may help).
For yoga I wear no UA shirt and a I sleeve, and for running I wear the UA women's shirt and a I sleeve.
i think the fit of the women's shirt along my obliques is better and promotes better flow. I also have the women's heatgear in tank but i think it is not snug enough at the axilla for sports...I wear it doing other dreaded activities, like shopping at a mall:)
Question about flying- I am taking my first flight back east and am trying to decide to go with a II sleeve or I sleeve. Sometimes if my muscles are not working the II sleeve is irritating, but I am not sure the I has enough oomph at elevation? any suggestions? thanks!
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Carol, I loved the way you solved your problem of waiting at the airport. I would have just plunked myself into the starbucks with a magazine. You are so dedicated. I can see it may be rubbing off on me. Will think of you when I am waiting for a long time. No doubt your shapely airport walking legs will look great on that SUP board!
That pinterest sounds interesting. I never heard of it before. Is it a steep learning curve?
Becky. My mom saved all her magazines. So I told her one winter to cut out the articles she liked and we put them in plastic sheets into a binder. I know she probably will never look at them but it sure did cut down on storage space.
Carol, You said you have many shaper stuff. I counted about 30 pieces but only about 5 are really workable.
What a waste of money. Thinking about giving them to the thrift store but then what happens if I lose weight. I'll have to buy more! More money! Vicious circle. They are so hard to get a good fit for me.I am NOT going to clean today. In fact I have a flank steak looking at me as I write and I am NOT going to cook it either. It is sunny and I am walking for sure. Gardening also.
Tina, I would love your patch of garden but this year I said to myself that this is getting harder to do with my arms hanging down for so many hours. My neighbours must think I am so distracted because I jump from one gardening activity to the next to mix up the use of my arms. So I will drop my shovel and stick my arm up in the air and fist pump as I go get my seeds. etc. Looks stupid but I don't care. I have OCD tendencies when it comes to gardening for sure. I was out there for 2 hours yesterday and it is so thereputic. Opps I gardened instead of walking!
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Hugz, I find gardening to be so rewarding, but it sure is a lot of work. Last summer after my bmx/diep, I had to let lots of it go, so this year I am more determined than ever to do lots of dirt-digging. We don't have enough sun to grow veggies (we are totally in the woods), so it's all about woodland and shade flowers and shrubs. I do have one area that gets enough sun to grow annuals, but in containers, because the area is fully paved (prior owners...I would have left some garden space in that patch of sun!). I am a little worried about LE risks this season, not just from digging and trimming, with their scratch risk, but from the veritable cloud of mosquitos that we share the air with. We have a screened outbuilding and obviously I'll use insect repellent, but still...chances of avoiding all mosquito bites realistically is zilch, and especially when I'm doing work in the gardens. Sigh. Sigh again.
Today after teaching my seminar I went outdoors in shorts and t-shirt and got 4 miles of walking under my belt. So far only a little above-normal arm achiness, presumably from the altitude here in Denver, but I did not want to tempt fate by turning the walk into a sweat-factory. So, I kept the pace moderate and just enjoyed a brilliant blue sky and a mountain view in the distance. I cannot call this cardio work, but definitely I moved my posterior so it has to count for something.
MLD coming up soon. The arm is aching further down toward my elbow than is usual, so I think the altitude is really having an effect. I'm thinking of wearing my sleeve/gauntlet tomorrow while I work, which would be a first for me. Everyone looks at me all day and I just have not yet adjusted to the thought of wearing the sleeve and making the inevitable explanations. I'll decide in the morning.
Carol
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Everyone must be busy--no reports for a while. Today I had a great day. No arm ache at all, and I had time to spend an hour or so outside in spectacular weather. I took it easy, to avoid piling core body heat onto altitude influences, so walked only about 2.5 miles. MLD coming up when I sign off here, and I'm a little behind on my day's water consumption, so will be do some serious sipping before I try to nod off.
I hope you are all out doing some enjoyable activity!
Carol
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Hello, hello! Okay, while I was out on my run this morning, I was thinking of you guys and it crossed my mind that maybe not everyone realizes how important a good cool down is. So I thought I would let you know! Whenever you do an activity, you need to slow it down at the end - bringing your heart rate and respiration rates back down. By cooling down, you help decrease that amount of muscle soreness that you may get. But the real kicker - especially for those of us with lymphedema is that cooling down will help prevent blood pooling in the extremities. This is when blood and waste products, such as lactic acid, remain in the muscles, causing swelling and pain. Yes, I said SWELLING! Just what we don't need! So here are the three key factors to cooling down: 1. Gentle exercise - also known as slowing down the activity that you are already doing. If you are running or walking fast, go slower. If you are walking at a modrate speed - go slower! If you are cycling - slow it down! If you can't slow down the activity you are already doing jog or walk to bring it down. The key here is to bring your heart rate and respirations back down 2. Stretching! This is soooooo important, and really is the perfect time to stretch! Your muscles are nice and warm making them way more pliable than when they are cold! All major muscle groups need to be stretched - with extra attention to those used in your specific exercise activity. I will always recommend a hold of 20 a 30 seconds. Make sure you breathe during stretching! That oxygen will help those muscles relax! 3. Refueling! Your body needs fuel replacement after exercise. And not just water - although this is a MUST. In addition to fluids, you need carbohydrates and minerals (specifically electrolytes - sodium, potassium & chloride). There are many ways to get these key ingredients back into your body. Of course there is Gatorade and similar drinks, there are tablets called NUUN, there are bars, which you make sure you drink plenty of water with... And then there is chocolate milk (if you drink dairy) - it has the perfect blend. Orange juice is also fabulous as a recovery drink - as are the Odwalla and Naked juices. It all depends on what you like and what works for you! I like Nuun tablets, chocolate milk and orange juice (NOT all mixed together! Lol). My husband is anti dairy, so he likes the Naked and Odwalla juices, Gatorade and orange juice. We try to stick with more natural foods, but sometimes you just need to refuel on what is available. And that is my unsolicited advice for the week! If you have found any recovery foods/drinks that work for you let us know!
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Wow, Nordy, thank you for that advice! That is really helpful (and the chocolate milk doesn't hurt anything either
). I'll take it to heart.Be well!
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Oh, PS, my dog ran over 5 miles with me this morning. I think after that he was too tired to pee anywhere... Lololol! I am still working on getting the stench out of the carpet! But I swear I do not think it was him! He does not even sniff around in those areas... And I never catch him squatting (he was neutered before he learned to lift his leg!). I really think it was the neighbor's dog. They do the same thing out on my lawn when they come over... Not surprised that they would do it in my house.
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Thanks for the advice Nordy.
Did an hour on the elliptical yesterday. I have two graduations to attend today so may not get cardio in as one ceremony is at night. Am going to do weights now before leaving-have done MLD and will do Lebed after weights. Beautiful day here. I am sorry I cannot get out to the dam.
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I am very behind in reading this thread, and just came across the thread about white hard "pimples" in the webbing between fingers. I wanted to share my success story in case it is applicable to others.
I first got one of these about 2 years ago. The LE therapist I saw back then said she didn't know what it was and not to worry about it. Saw a dermatologist because I was afraid it might be a wart, and derm also said she didn't know what it was and to ignore it. It never disappeared, and over time it became a rock hard nodule. Normally it was a white, painless "pebble", but the webbing would get red and hurt when I wore most gloves, but I just learned to live with it.
For the last 6 weeks, a different LE therapist and I have been on a (still unsuccessful) quest for the glove that "works." One glove cut in exactly at the nodule. The LE looked at the nodule and said she thought it was a pool of lymph fluid that had fibrosed. I was very skeptical -- the thing looked and felt like a pebble under the skin, but she was right: 15 min of intensive MLD and some cold laser on the finger webbing and the rock hard nodule was soft and flatter. The swelling in that finger has become easier to control since the fibrotic nodule is gone. When I unbandage, fluid has always accumulated at the spot where the nodule was, and when I MLD (can MLD be a verb?), I really work to get the fluid out. I have no idea whether this kind of fifbrotic nodule is common, but figured it was worth sharing my experience. KS1
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Wow, all kinds of great info! Thanks, Nordy. KS1, that is awesome your new therapist worked on the nodule and it has improved. Just goes to show how it can be good to have a fresh set of eyes look at us sometimes.
LE hasn't been kicking my butt, however, I am doing the minimum, wearing my tank and glove. The day before yesterday I wore my sleeve and glove to check rash reaction. Not great wearing over rash area that is subsiding, but okay for a day. I am drinking plenty of water, getting lots of good sleep. MLD on trunk is every other day, but I do node clearing several times a day everyday. Did 1050 steps the day before yesterday, and no swelling problem. Rash is slowly fading, but I have not made final determination about soap. I am in a holding pattern, not much exercise and not happy about it. I know I am doing my best but not liking where I am at this point. I want these roadblocks out of my way!!! I feel good, so I am trying to focus on that.
I mentioned on Grrr thread, but my mom has taken a turn for worse. Less control over muscles and decline in strength and will. Swallowing is not good, she seems to be aspirating food into lungs each meal. They are going to do moving x-ray swallowing study. Dr said I will probably have to decide whether she gets feeding tube. He signed paper yesterday that she is no longer able to make her own decisions. No feeding tube doesn't mean they withhold food, rather she would continue to eat knowing that it may cause health problems such as pneumonia. He told me no decision about feeding tube is wrong. They will do test, but I don't have to make decision until I see her next week. Not looking forward to this visit, although I do want to see her. This has all been proceeding slowly the last 10 years, the move from independent living to assisted four years ago. She seemed to be doing well enough for 92. Suddenly I feel like we are moving at warp speed.0 -
Carol, I forgot to mention I just received my invite from Pinterest to join. I will read over this weekend and hope to get an initial board up with a few pinned pics of garments I use. Will keep you posted!
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Today, I received the two "Dancing with the Stars" DVDs I ordered. I tried one right away. 45 mn of swing, jive and quickstep...great cardio workout and lots of fun! Followed by Steve Norton remedial exercises, part III with the yard stick, 15mn, and to finish a relaxing and soothing Reiki self treatment by Lisa Guyman. Tomorrow, testing the second DVD, samba, salsa, swing.... Caliente!!!
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Nitocris, I am enjoying picturing someone dancing to salsa music in Finland! Good for you!
Tina, thanks for working on Pinterest for us, and I'm looking forward to having this great resource for keeping track of all the garments and other resources we all find from time to time.
Also, Tina...you are bearing a very heavy load right now, and having that crazy lingering rash and LE issues that keep you from de-stressing through exercise...ouch! This must be a very emotional time for you, and I hope you have plenty of support from family and friends. Hugs, hugs, hugs coming your way from me!
Please keep us posted as you can during your travels to see your mother, and let us know how you are hanging in there.
Carol
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