Kicking LEs butt!! Exercise & Self Care Log
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Coming up for air from this kitchen mess. Does stripping wallpaper count? (Sure doesn't help the LE any!
) Actually, I've been jogging too (around the house--it's 110 degrees outside today). I'm exhausted but happy. (Well, as happy as you can be while you're camping out in your own house. Kids wondering why, since we're camping, we can't roast marshmellows. Then again, they could probably roast them outside in the sun....
)Binney, sweating while sitting here typing
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Here I am with a bum hip and LE kickin my butt too. My chiro says I am allowed to walk on a flat surface and only can do a 1% grade. Treadmill preferably but I love the outdoors. I haven't exercised much in almost 2 weeks but I am gonna try tomorrow. I can't stand the thought of losing my muscle and then getting shin splints when I start up again. I just gotta get over this. I am going to ask if I can do mini tramp. Anything to keep movin.
Girls do you need a bit of encouragement???........OK!
....................Here it is! GIRLS GET IT ON. GET GOING, STAY OUTTA THE HEAT BUT STILL MOVE THOSE FEET! COME ON, WE GOTTA EXERCISE!
I miss all of you. I have been lurking abit but have missed most of the LEbuttkick gossip and your wearabouts. Please all take care of yourselves.
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Hugz, you're back!! But I am so sorry to hear about your hip and LE issues! Since you are limited to walking, have you ever looked into Leslie Sansone DVDs? They are walk-in-place exercise videos, but not actually in place--more like two steps forward, two backward, side to side, etc., with knee and leg lifts and some arm work thrown in. They can be very challenging if you throw a lot of ooomph into them, or--which might work for you--you can just step to them to keep moving to music, but not over-do. I used these religiously in the three months prior to my bmx/recon surgery, to build strength and endurance. I was ooomphing quite a bit by time surgery date rolled around. Then, after my diep, I had to wait weeks before any cardio work, and then be very very cautious for another month or so. So, I used Leslie routines, only kept the steps small, and did not do leg and knee lifts for months, until I had green light from my PS. I felt like I was moving, but truly I could tailor the exertion to my needs. If you are not familiar, here's a link to see some samples: http://www.walkathome.com/try-walk-at-home/
As to whereabouts, I'm home and happy to be here! i have a few weeks before any more work travel, and summer travel is going to be very sporadic, which is perfect.
Get on your feet, Hugz, and do what you can, and feel good about making progress even if it's only a little at a time.
Carol
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Raining hard here today and not stopping as weatherman promised. So no outside walk. Sigh!! I am at work ready to go to the dam but guess it is home and treadmill instead.
hugz--glad you are back. I do hope you get better quickly. Do what you can our great cheerleader!
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Today has been a pretty good exercise day for me. Rain here, so no outdoor walking, but I did 40 treadmill minutes, including some running intervals--which always feel very hard to me. I guess that means I should do more of them. Then I worked out with weights for an hour or so. I'm still below my pre-travel weights, so taking it easy. Today I wore my sleeve all day to see if prolonged compression helps end a nagging ache. I'll know more tomorrow. Now I am seeing the limitation of having only one set of sleeve/gauntlet, because after the workout it was drenched and is now drying after a hand wash, so I have nothing for my wear-it-all-day experiment. Guess I'll just have to pony up and buy a second set. Bah.
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Hugz, my favorite cheerleader! So good to hear from you, and I hope tomorrow's walk goes well. Darn that bursitis!
Binney, wallpaper removal is brutal! I did pre-BC but can't imagine doing now. You are amazing!
Carol, it's a lousy reason to need a second set, but it's always a good idea to have one on hand. Will insurance cover? Sounds like you got a decent workout in even without the walk to the bank. Hope the swelling continues to go down.
Becky, we got that hard rain tonight and a couple of counties have a tornado watch. Sorry it messed with your outdoor activities.
I could see rain was coming our way and was able to beat it by walking earlier in afternoon. Pedometer read over 11,000 steps today, but my best accomplisment was walking over 4 1/4 miles in a little over an hour. Not long by anyone's standards here, but I haven't walked that far in a while, and I did it in the hilly neighborhood.0 -
Hey Tina--that was a great walk!
Yes Carol get another sleeve/gauntlet.
I am going to Dollywood today with my sister, nephew, and 3 yr old great nephew. I am not sure if we will get back early enough to get cardio in and I am not up to it this early. I will try to get some rapid walking in while there. If I rode Dolly's new eagle roller coaster I would probably burn up mega calories from fear, rapid heart beat, and barfing--so I will pass. My heart races just watching it! You hang out over the rails in an eagle seat.
Beautiful day here today--58 degrees right now and only getting to 74 with sun.
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Tina, my goodness 4 1/4 miles is a lot of walking by anyone's standard! And your pace was very fast, so hooooray for your heart!
Becky, have fun today. Fun with family, especially when there are little ones included, trumps a cardio workout in my book. And besides, no doubt you will log lots of steps so you'll have a good activity level today anyway.
Insurance theoretically covers my sleeve/gauntlet, but we will not meet family deductible this year (on a high deductible plan), so it's really out of pocket.
It is a bit cloudy here today, but promises to warm up to 70 or so (it has been quite cool). But cloudy is interesting sometimes, because I think it gives the wildlife a sense of security, and they are out a bit more visibly during the day. At this moment, I am watching a bald eagle swoop around, as well as a doe who is on the edge of an island, about 40 yards from the house. She has no clue a human is watching, and there she is, drinking the water. In the past I have observed does nursing their fawns from this vantage point. We see deer swim to and from that island quite often, usually in groups of 10 or 12, always in a poker straight line, nose to tail, and they take a long swimming route--not the 40 yards from our water's edge, but about 120 yards from another part of the lake. I see these things much more often on cloudy days than on sunny ones, so it's a consolation prize of sorts.
And..if not too windy tomorrow, DH and I may put kayaks or paddle boards in that water! (We have one kayak that you peddle, so arm be darned...I can do it anyway!)
Carol
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This is so off-topic, but so delicious I have to drop it in here. A study released yesterday concludes that:
Conclusions The blood pressure and cholesterol lowering effects of dark chocolate consumption are beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular events in a population with metabolic syndrome. Daily dark chocolate consumption could be an effective cardiovascular preventive strategy in this population.
From: http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e3657
Now, if only we could substitute "LE" for 'metabolic syndrome.' --!!! But for those of us who struggle with weight (me included) and wonder if we are susceptible to metabolic syndrome, what a sweet way to help swing the risk balance in our favor! Now if I could just convince my doc I should ditch simvastatin in favor of chocolate. If there's a study using a larger population of people who do not have official metabolic syndrome, count me in!
Carol
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Carol, the WHCRA says the deductibles and coinsurance related to mastectomy/recon/revisions/LE have to be consistent with other benefits covered. Did you have to pay out of pocket for your recon/revision surgeries this year because you haven't reached your deductible? Or for any LE treatment sessions? The sleeve is mastectomy/LE related and they can't impose a different deductible or coinsurance on that than anything else. Maybe I am missing something, and I am sure you are familiar with your policy, but it seems to be a standard thing that policies cover a sleeve every six months. You may have a copay though.
Yay, for dark chocolate! As long as it doesn't have negative consequences, I am eating it. If it happens to be helpful, then all the better.0 -
Tina, the garments are covered, but until we meet our annual deductible, we pay for everything out of pocket. We choose to have a high deductible plan, and in most years it makes a lot of sense for us. But it does what it's supposed to do: make you think twice about healthcare expenditures. With office visits and hospital charges, going through insurance means we get a lower, negotiated rate, but I think the insurance discount on the garments I got in January was pretty minimal. The only reason to go through insurance is to make sure the cost gets logged as a contribution toward the deductible.
Someone really should make a computer game called 'outwit the insurance plan' or something. It's a maze, isn't it?
Today I did 80 flights of stairs and just under 10,000 steps. Well, the stairs were included in the 10,000 of course. I did not literally do 80 ups and downs in the house, which would have probably made me dizzy, but instead, 16 trips up and down our steps to the water. The vertical drop is about 60 feet, or about the same as 5 staircases. I did most of these at one time--what a heart boost! I was sure dripping afterward and it was not particularly warm here today. Which made it a perfect day to do this crazy climbing. Made me think of Tina and Hugz, who have done a lot of stairclimbing to get fitness into a day.
Carol
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Back home after three days in NYC with my sisters. Worn out in a good way.
Had some LE from the flight to NYC but did MLD in the limo from the airport and my sister wrapped my arm Thursday night. Kept it controlled after that and today's flight was uneventful.
I'm still not friends with exercise but I walked just over 4 miles every day the last three days. My knees are killing me but I made it. The hotel hallways seemed a block long! Supposedly exercise is good for arthritis and AI pain - I've never been consistent enough to prove that true or false.
Glad to be home - hoping the last three days will be motivation to keep moving.
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Ohio, four miles every day is spectacular! Glad you're home safe, sound, and without any residual flying LE gremlins.
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Carol, I figured you understood your plan, but ever since my insurance co tried to weasel out of paying for night vest, I question everything. I know what you mean about the high deductible making sense most years. At least your recon is totally done and you won't have to worry about further expenses. Yes, someone should make that game. Unfortunately, there would have to be a gazillion versions.
Ohio, that is some serious mileage, and you should pat yourself on the back. Hope it inspires you to keep going!
Just under 10,000 steps today, took 2 1/2 mile walk with husband on flat trail. Only wore tank, since it was leisurely pace. Slight swelling in arm/hand but it went down.0 -
Oh... my... goodness... me! You gals are kickin butt where it needs to be kicked! So glad you can do the stairs on my behalf.
Ohio, I hear you on thoses achey knees. The knees should get better after a while. Ai's rot! My joints are visably bunned from them. grrrr.. You really tore up the town with your sister's Good mileage.
I only was able to walk down the street for exercise which was about a block and then my hip started to grind so I headed back home. So today I strecthed out my back/ TBand/ hips/ Butt/Quads/Hams and I felt so much better. It got rid of that grinding pinch for a while.
Tonight, I had a craving to garden but am not allowed to because of hip so I found my wild seeds I gathered last year and took them down to the neighbourhood boulevard and scattered them when no one was looking. My husband came and we said we felt like we were doing something criminal because it was city property. My husband raked the soil and I and stamped them down leaving my footprints as evidence. Then my husband said "Here comes the cops!" It nearly scared the dickens out of me. I could picture us with our mugs on the front page of the news saying that we were defacing property! OH GIVE ME A BREAK!
So that was my exercise today. Don't laugh, it was my exercise for the day.
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Wow, a stealth flower seeder in our group! Hugz, I think you should start a movement! If you're worried that was not enough exercise, don't. You do what you can, and at least from this, you will enjoy some lovely benefits when the seeds sprout and you have beauty to admire. I'm sure Mother Nature thanks you for helping her cause...
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Ohio--Happy to hear you had a good trip. Keep up the movement!! 4 miles is awesome.
Hugz--You do make me laugh so. What would the cops charge you with? Criminal flowering?? "Maam, may I please measure your footprint against the evidence"? Hope your hip gets better soon.
Fun at Dollywood yesterday with a lot of walking. I forgot to put pedometer in my pocket.
Today is still beautiful and not too hot so will go out to dam this afternoon and log some serious steps. I can jog a quarter mile, walk a quarter mile, then jog again. I am trying to get up to a half mile jog. I probably could now if I really try. Weights today too.
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Ladies: I usually just lurk but wanted to post that I'll be doing water aerobics 3x a week. That's a perfect exercise Houston's 95 degree heat. They closed my gym with the indoor track - sigh. Working full time doesn't allow time for much else other than aerobics after work, but I have to applaud all of you for your hikes & steps. I'll get back to my 4-5 miles a day once I quit work (again).
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Minus: WELCOME ABOARD! Looks like you are really involved with exercise. Good for you to pool around 3 times a week. Quite the tadpole huh! Excellent.
Remember dogs are our helpers for getting us healthy. If you have one, I am sure he/she would like an extra walk or two. I borrow my neighbours, It's a win win situation.
Once you quit work it would be a great idea to just transition into a regular exercise program right off the bat. Otherwise we tend to find other things to do and the next thing you know the day has ended with no exercise!
Keep up the good work Minus.
You go girl and show em what a tadpole can do! Swim. Swim, Swim!Tina. It sounds like your rash is gone, Is it? I am happy to hear that your arm/hand/ didn't swell during the trail walk. Oh how I wish I could walk in the forest. I just love breathing in that fir tree,piney smell.
Becky. I bet you have made your own beaten path at that dam. go for it!
Carol. I wish I could do those steps with you. What a challenge. Oh, I read your post about the does/eagles and felt like I was there. How beautiful it must be.
Binney, it is time to come off the wall paper job. Time to start living again. Your cute dogs want a walk before it gets too hot out. I hear your jogging. Wow that is great.
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Hugz--Yes I have worn a trail in the dam path.
It was a great walk/run yesterday. Beautiful weather. Rain today so it will be the treadmill. I hope to do some short 7 mph on it. How do people run at 10mph? 7 is a killer for me even for 30 seconds.
Binney--Where are you?? Papered under some wallpaper?
Carol--Sounds like you have beautiful views.
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I'm going to second Hugz on the "if you're not working" establish regular exercise: when I was working, I rode the exercise bike when I got home, and now, I do walk the dog almost every day, but it's really only about a 2 mile walk, at best.
It's very easy, for me, to fall out of the "habit" of exercise.
I don't have a pedometer, and I'm sure my rear end is parked in front of the computer, far too often.
I start the Klose class on Friday: 9 twelve hour days--and trainees do MLD on each other. Has me worried. Even my husband is concerned, and he doesn't do concern too often. The instructor knows about my LE, but I'll need to be vigiliant.
Alright, I'll try and do more, more regularly.
Kira
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I posted just over 5000 steps yesterday which is pretty good for me. Also did Lebed for 15. Now that Monday is here I need to push away from my desk more frequently and get some steps in. Right now it's just about moving more - my job is all computer work (which is less than sedentary
. Going out shopping with sisters tonight - I hope to trek around the store just to get the steps in and let them do the shopping.This is so foreign to me - but I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.
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Ohio, you are on the right track with the pedometer, because it keeps us from imagining more steps than we actually take! I find it incredibly motivating. Or at least it keeps me honest when I'm not really doing much. Do you have any stairs at the office? My work is pure computer, too, when I'm not traveling. I work standing up, using a pub-height table which puts my keyboard at the perfect height. I do have a drafting chair for the few times I want to sit, but I'm surprised at how little I use it. Been doing this for about three years, since I got tri-focals and found I had to tilt my head seriously upward to see my monitor. Now I look forward/down, but the real benefits have been fewer backaches, and a lot more pacing and just stepping away from the desk. I doubt this adds 1000 steps to my day, but I know it adds some.
Kira, An article I read about habits says that the best way to break one or create a new one is to do so while on vacation or otherwise away from your daily routine. So, while you're away at the Klose training, can you commit to a daily early morning or end-of-day speed walk? Oh...and get a pedometer before you head out???
Kira, Please set limits on the practice MLD and wrapping, protecting your arm as you need to. We all need that arm to stay in good condition, because I'm sure it's the one that you put in the air when you raise your hand in the LE community to protest when you see evidence of poor science, poor logic, or other LE injustice!
Yesterday I got 24 staircases in (or their equivalent on my 5-staircase climb from water to house) and 3.5 miles of steps, all of them just moving as I did tons of planting and other very pleasant garden work. I did all the stairs over so many hours that I never got more than about a minute of heart-raising at one time. Today I'll do more of a cardio effort.
Carol
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Carol - I work from home so have less daily steps than 'normal' people. No parking lots to walk or walking instead of calling for Q&As. I do try to do one 'house' task at a time to increase my trips across the house. I have stairs and a treadmill. Good thing - the application I use at home is s-l-o-w. I just did five minutes on the treadmill while waiting to get logged into a customer site - the application speed used to frustrate me - maybe I will just put the time to better use. It's a change in habit
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Carol - you told Kira to set limits on the MLD during the training. Is there a limit on the number of times MLD should be done in the day? I usually do at night - I add mornings when traveling and mid-day if needed. Never heard that one can do too much MLD.
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Ohio, I work from home, too. In my case, I'm writing, and no one cares when I do the work, so long as I meet deadlines. That makes it easy to slice and dice my day, and I can get my exercise in when pretty much when the spirit moves me. Sounds like you may need to be more accountable for being at the computer at fixed times. But, like me, no commute! I really value that feature, and it does help me find time for activity.
It's brilliant that you hop on the treadmill waiting for an application to load. I saw on TV some time ago a treadmill modified to allow a user to work at an elevated desk while walking. Clearly not running! I doubt that I have the coordination to type while feet are moving steadily forward, but it's a fun thought: kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.
Keep on moving...
Carol
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Kira, yes, please protect that limb during the training. Can you have them use your good side instead?
Ohio, it sounds like you are establishing a rhythm, which is excellent. Keep going!
MinusTwo, welcome! Swimming is an excellent plan. I loved how it felt with all my LE spots! You will have to check out Nitocris's water exercises!
I am on a pretty good roll with cardio and ped steps. Getting in close to or over 10,000 steps most days now. I will agree the pedometer keeps you honest and realistic about how much or little you are moving. I was doing some jogging and boxing moves inside house other night while barefoot, and I landed slightly off on my foot and bruised it a little. It was feeling better and after my 4+ miles the other day I did more jumping moves while barefoot. Stupid, I know, and I aggravated foot again. I walked this weekend, but today it's raining and I am going to nurse it a bit, do some exercises inside that won't bother it. Definitely want this to go away, and it is difficult to do when you need to walk to get around. So, no more barefoot jumping in home - condo had padding and wall to wall carpeting which is why I didn't have problem there. Yesterday involved a trip to NYC to see friend in hospital, and while I got in close to 10,000 steps, it was due to general walking. I was concerned about my foot and didn't walk fast or hard, but at least I was moving.
Here's some motivation if vanity helps inspire. I am not overweight, but over the last few years with recon issues, chronic pain, and LE, I have lost much of my muscle tone. I am only a few years post menopausal (natural, not BC drug related) but I noticed my neck was getting loose and fat. Yuck, not a good look. Well, I am noticing that with a few weeks of cardio that my neck is looking better, my arms are a little less jiggly, and the padding that had settled around my waist is going down. Yes, it's great I am taking good care of my LE and physical health, but I certainly don't mind the visual improvements! No change in weight, just how it is distributed.
My rash is mostly gone, Hugz. Switched to a pure olive oil soap, and I have limited my time in shower. Lowered water temp further even though I didn't think I was taking hot showers. Anyway, I seem to have things under control and require minimal use of prescription cream.
Carol, how is your arm feeling? I am really hoping it is nothing, keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Hugz, the wildflower expedition with your husband had me laughing. I can just hear the officer saying, "Ma'am, put down the seed packet and slowly step away from the rake". LOL!0 -
Tina, Good report! Boxing moves? That conjures up sparring with doctors in denial. And I love the feel of olive oil soap. I hope that your rash goes away for once and for all, soon. Now, about that foot. I can't even stand to walk barefoot anymore, as it just tires out my foot, so I cannot imagine jumping around without supportive shoes. I hope you mend lickety split, so you don't miss out on any walking opportunities.
Yes, Minus Two, I forgot to say welcome earlier. So I'll second that: Welcome, and do keep us posted on your exercise and LE care, and especially and strategies you come up with to continue to psyche yourself up and keep with it. We all need new ways to motivate ourselves, so the more people in here, the more ideas, the better!
And finally, I WISH my bat wings were responding to all this exercise, but alas, not one bit. Definitely see muscles in my abs, biceps, and legs that I forgot I owned, but wouldn't you think that some of this would send that flappy arm stuff (not to be confused with the squishy LE stuff) packing? Not even on my non-LE arm, yeesh.
I just finished a 45-minute Leslie Sansone DVD and will be off to the gym soon for some weight and flexibilty work. Tina, my arm is feeling much, much better. I wore the sleeve/gauntlet all day yesterday. I know there's a connection. Just hate to admit it, 'cause I'm not fond of wearing the sleeve in the heat.
Carol
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I've been watching the MLD DVD's and they do a lot of preparation of the unaffected side, so I sure wouldn't want them moving fluid to my "bad" side--I'll talk to Jan Weiss PT, who is the course leader, about what my "partner" should do.
These courses are kind of insane: 9 eleven hour days???? I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
It's been interesting to see what Guenter Klose does vs my therapist, who was trained by him. She's also Vodder trained, and tends to omit some of the axillary work that he does to prepare the area to receive the fluid.
Carol: there is this kind of funky DVD from the Foldi Klinic, and it shows the entire body covered with "lymphatic capillaries" that have no valves, and are multidirectional, and then lead to the collectors, which have valves and are unidirectional. That was the British voice that declared, that with high compliance, patients with lymphedema could lead lives that are "nearly normal".
Okay, off my butt and get moving.
Kira
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Dammit, I had created a somewhat detailed post explaining slight differences between my therapist at home who was Vodder trained and therapist I had in Charleston last year after my surgery. When I hit submit the website was down for maintenance and I lost it. Maybe I can recreate another time, because I found the differences interesting.
Kira, duh, I wasn't thinking about transferring fluid from one side to the other. Ever since I developed slight truncal involvement on left as well as my bad right side, my therapist stopped that and drains each side down to inguinals. Yeah, no, that seems even worse, transferring any fluid from your good side to your bad. I just meant have them experiment with draining good axillary area down to inguinal on that side.0
