Kicking LEs butt!! Exercise & Self Care Log
Comments
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Hi Hugz4u,
98°F (36.6°C) is quite high. It's more in the hot bath temperature range!. Safe conditions for LE people depends on several factors:
- water temperature: ideally between 31-33°C/ 78.8-91.4F) for ALT; this allows slow limb movements without increasing the swelling. Immersion alone is likely to be safe up to 35°C(95°F)
- duration of stay in water
- type of activity
- medical condition of the person
The higher the water temperature, the more intense the activity and the longer the stay, the more difficult it will become for your body to regulate heat. This may increase risk of flare-up of lymphedema. If you noticed some extra swelling and as the water temperature is above the recommended range, you could lower the intensity of some movements, perform them slower and combine deep breathing, or skip some and add your own (as you did with Lebed). If your arm was OK, then the program was suitable for you. However, one thing is important: stay hydrated and keep a bottle of water by the side of the pool. People often don't think that they can get dehydrated in a pool.
Unfortunately, Dorit does not have any video on YouTube yet. Maybe in the future, she will make some of her exercises available there.
Here is a link to a very interesting and informative article from ATRI (Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Institute) about aquatic therapy temperatures:
http://www.atri.org/articles/Sova-Water Temperature.pdf
Another very good link: Water exercises for lymhedema - LymphNotes
http://www.lymphnotes.com/article.php/id/24/
Hope this helps. Enjoy your next pool session
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Hugz--Tina is here in Tennessee in my neck of the woods down from Pennsylvania. I am going to have lunch with her in a few hours. I have had no problems with the juzo gauntlet going down my knuckles. The wrist ends at a shorter spot than my custom gauntlets so I put it under the wrist of sleeve and it holds it in place.
Did 30 min on elliptical. That will probably be all today except MLD.
Hot, hot, hot here so I cannot take Tina outside to do anything. She is leaving when the weather breaks.
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Becky, Tina,
Hope you had a great time together.
Two days, ago, logged in 7709 steps. Did an old Step Reebo video which I shortened to 25mn instead of the original 58mn. Then did some ab work with a Denise Austin's video from YouTube/BeFit.
Yesterday morning was Latino flavor for exercise. Did the Dance off the inches video which I posted a while ago "Tummy Tone-Party Zone" 38mn (30mn cardio + 7-8mn Ab blaster). Logged in 5348 steps before I "lost" my pedometer. Put it in my pocket when I went shopping, maybe it fell somewhere.
Will take it easy today as back is really hurting and muscles are very stiff. Hopefully, not another acute episode of fibromylgia. Have to do something anyway; If I don't move, it's even worse. Maybe, a 2-3 miles Sansone walk and some AIS (Active Isolated Stretch).
Good week-end to all.
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got my Sansone five mile dvd today. Will pop it in tomorrow and give it a shot.
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Well. don't know how long I will be leaving you excellent exercisers but I am going the rollercoaster park with 5 girls and DH. Poor guy, all that estrogen will be rubbing off. He is sweet. I will try and check in. Camping too. (
Gonna squash any bug that comes my way with a sledge hammer and then roast it to death on the campfire! Nitocris, thank you so much for pool info. I will be looking up the info. My arm did ok in 98 degrees but you got me thinking so I will only do slow movements. I drank 10 cups of water while I was in the pool as the instr. insisted we drink lots. Also drank about another 8 the rest of the day. I didn't have to run to the bathroom much with the 18 glasses so you are right, you do dehydrate in the warm water. It was heavenly and not too much chlorine as it was for older fragile skin elderly ones. I will try the 2 more lessons and see what happens .
Tina and Becky, So your rockin the town huh. Report in!
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Hi All, Tina and I had a great time together. It is so much fun to talk LE with someone who gets it. We had to stay indoors as it was close to 100 degrees so I could not take her out to dam. Next time when she visits her friends in cooler weather. Ironically one of my sisters moved a few miles away from Tina in PA so I will be going up there to visit and will get together again with Tina there. She did not have her art work with her so I am eager to see it. It was as if we had known each other for years. We took a picture together of us in our sleeves. I don't know how to post pics here and did not ask Tina if I could--maybe later.
It is 70 right now so I am going to try to walk one lap at dam in a few minutes. The heat is supposed to soar again. I feel so house bound. If it is too hot I will come home to my trusty treadmill.
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It's stinkin' hot here, too--102 yesterday, and more of same forecast for today. Yesterday I was in the house all day, putting away and cleaning after the last of my 20 houseguests said goodbye. What a week, and I kept busy enough that I got lots of steps in and even maintained weight loss, despite lots of celebration food around. Yesterday's cleaning got me 11,000+ steps and lots of full-body movement from wiping, mopping...
This is funny, in a way: I had my daughter measure my arm for the purpose of online purchasing of the inexpensive Allegro sleeve/gauntlet combo, with the goal of buying three of them to have on hand during the coming kayak/camping week. Unfortunately, it looks like that sleeve is not going to work, because my measurement in the armpit/ bicep area suggests 'large' and all the other measures say 'small.'
Why? Weight lifting! The area from shoulder down through the bicep is much bigger than it used to be -- same is true for the non-LE arm--and it's clearly muscle! I still have the LE aches and do get puffier from time to time, but always in the chicken-flap area hanging down is such ugly fashion directly below that lovely muscle. So: good news is that I'm apparently getting stronger. Bad news is that it's put my arm parts out of proportion, at least according to this particular sleeve maker.
The measure ranges for the Jobst ready-to-wear that I already have are still valid, so I ordered one set of the crazy expensive Jobst items, and I did order a medium in the Allegro, just to see how it feels. I suspect it won't give adequate compression from the elbow down, but Brightlife assures me I can return it even after trying it for a while.
I am a tiny bit worried about days of paddling and what it will do to my LE arm, but the river is slow-moving and we will be going with the current, so not difficult paddling. And I am much encouraged by the strength I've been gaining in the gym. My theory all along has been that weightlifting develops strength that enables the arm to do more and work harder before the lymphatic system perceives overload and sends out the lymph troops. As you know, I've been following the PAL protocol and working with a trainer to keep me out of trouble, and (knock wood) so far, I have never had an LE flare post-workout. I do get muscle tenderness in both arms, but now I know the difference in feel between LE ache and muscle ache. Today I have some LE ache, which I think is because yesterday's scrub-fest recruited lots of arm motion in places I don't necessarily work as hard in the gym, and for sure it was the dreaded repetitive motion. In any case, I am so glad I learned about the PAL program early on, before getting myself into trouble, and that I was able to find help to supervise my workouts. Otherwise, I suspect that yesterday's cleaning would have bitten me like a bug.
Final funny thing to report on this topic: My LE arm (lefty) is stronger than my non-LE arm, and I am right-handed, so normally the opposite would be true. I think so, and my trainer says he is positive, based on watching me lift dumbbells in each hand. So we're calling my sleeve the 'power sleeve.' Apparently it has magical strength-building properties, at least in my case!
Good luck to all for some relatively cool exercise today.
Carol
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My goodness, where the heck is everyone??! Hugz, how are you doing?
Carol, it sounds like you are doing great! I totally agree that the purpose of increasing strength through the PAL program is to decrease the likelihood of causing flares when doing everyday activities or moments of exertion. The idea of never lifting anything greater than five lbs is ridiculous. The less you use your muscles, the less it will take for something to cause a flare. I have always been a firm believer of the slow and steady increase in strength and aerobic endurance, which I believe is why I never injured myself in all the years I trained and participated in activities.
I just want to reassure you about the chicken arm and muscle issue re proportion of sleeve. If you continue to exercise, I think you will eventually lose the chicken arm as you continue to lose extra fat. My personal experience after periods of inactivity is that I look thinner (scrawny - comparable to the chicken arms you describe). My weight is distributed differently because of the decrease in muscle and increase in fat. When I first start exercising and get to the point where a gain in muscle is visible, my clothes will begin to feel tight. However, once I keep going and the fat evaporates, I'm left with lean muscle which takes up less space. Clothes fit again but differently - in a very nice way! So, I think your arm will return to a greater proportion eventually. Of course, all of us have a unique build, and some will always have more muscle definition than others or tend to become bulkier. Can you recall your earlier years of fitness and shape of your arm then? Oh, and when I talk about proportion of muscle, I mean for those who are of average or high fitness vs body builders. One other thing I know about myself personally when it comes to muscle and fitness, is that I will look small and muscular, but I weigh between 7-10 lbs more than when I am a slug. Muscle weighs more than fat, so that's something else to consider. I always go by how my clothes feel and let the scale be a guide. It may be helpful at this point to keep measurements as well, as they will tell a different story than weight alone.
I returned home last night from my TN trip, and I have to say that considering the lack of control I had at my friends' home and the extreme heat, I did very well. Except for one day, which was a decent 7,500 steps, I clocked over 10,000 or 11,000 steps a day the rest of my visit. While we allowed for two travel days going down, we only allowed for one going home. Normally a 10 1/2 hr trip, with seven walking stops it took 12 hrs. Although it was a longer drive time, I actually felt better during trip and upon arriving home than I normally do when we used to stop as little as possible (and I am referring to pre-BC travel as well). By the time we left the second to last stop, I had clocked over 10,000 steps, and just before midnight while unpacking I had 11,458!! That I did that during a 12 hr car trip amazes me. It was a real eye opener for my husband, who has a desk job. It convinced him that getting up every hour and walking for five min can make a big difference.
I have to admit my legs and butt feel like I got a little workout yesterday. Even though it was dreadfully hot, we found small shady patches at rest areas. Sometimes I was walking in big circles . . I guess I have no more shame about how I look in public when it comes to my health. A couple of days while visiting with friends, I had to jog or walk inside the house to get my steps in. One night my friend was preparing dinner and since I didn't have any tasks, I stood there walking or jogging in place and talked with her. At first she thought I was a little goofy but soon got over it.
By the way, I had such a wonderful time meeting Becky during my trip. We had lunch and got to talk for a long while. It is so nice to have a conversation with someone who speaks LE!!! With others I feel like I am explaining myself, much like a foreign language or culture. In LE, "How are you?" translates as "How is your arm?", but "Do you wrap or wear compression?" is socially acceptable! LOL!0 -
Glad you made it home with no after effects Tina!
I was a slug yesterday--oh I did do some weights.
Just finished Sansone five miler. Still too hot and muggy for dam.
Had to take my Mom to podiatrist. While waiting I kept walking around the waiting room to get in more steps. Like Tina I don't care what people think!
Yes, where is everyone? Waiting for Tina to get home?
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Ordered my first sleeves without the silicone band. When it's this hot the silicone gives me a rash. Any one have experience with the sleeves without the silicone? How badly do they slip? Curious to know how bad/good the slippage is without the silicone.
Tina - so glad the trip was a success!
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I haven't been doing much. Too hot. Finally a break in the heat.
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Hi Tina, I think a lot of us have been like Dawne-Hope, hiding from the heat. I managed to speed walk 6.5 miles this AM, but it was the first time in 5 days. By the time I was done, my Tribute was so sweaty I had to wash it.
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Thanks, Hugz. The heat really has been dreadful. It does seem a bit better today here, too, but I haven't been out walking yet. Need to pry myself away from computer and catching up on paperwork.
I don't have any experience with the silicone dotted bands, just the plain Jobst off-shelf spiral knit. I was always pulling that thing up. Did you try your sleeve that has the silicone dots inside out to test if it slips? If the fit is the same maybe that would tell you?0 -
Tina - I didn't think about turning it inside out.
Thanks! I hope I'm not constantly tugging on mine but I can't do this heat with the silicone.0 -
Dawne-Hope, there's a product called "It-Stays" that is a liquid adhesive you can apply to your skin to keep a sleeve up. You wouldn't have to circle the arm, I wouldn't think, but even a dot or two of it might help if the thing kept slipping. Let us know how the new sleeve works for you, please!
Hugs,
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Hi, KS - Wow, what an excellent walk this morning! I don't blame you for hiding much of the time recently, as I have been doing a bit of that myself.
Hugz, occasionally I will have a bright idea! LOL! I knew the pros would have the answer. Thanks, Binney!
Have to organize my thoughts, but I need to post a bit more about the logistics of my travel experience as it related to self care.0 -
Thank you, Binney! I will keep you all posted.
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Hi,
This week on the fitness menu: Denise Austin, Leslie Sansone DVDs and elliptical machine. LE remedial exercises and MLD are part of a regular "maintenance" program, so I don't include them in the fitness program.
No latino dancing; lots of hip movements which put more strain on already painful lower back and knees . So, I will stick to "regular" aerobic moves and see how that works. I am also thinking about getting a rebounder to lower the strain on the spine when training on hard surfaces. Anyone of you has experience using a rebounder?
Yesterday: cardio and abs - D. Austin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wye-rJVCg4&feature=relmfu - Cardio fat-burn workout (20mn). Fun and easy to follow. Better to watch it first to see if you need to diminish the range of movements for arms.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdtNcQteaOs - Abs and core Pilates (15mn)- she uses a towel for assistance which is a +++. (helps anchor the hips, support the neck for instance). Lots of moves and not many repetitions for each move could be the minus in this program. As usual, watch if first and modify to fit your level. If some moves are too much, just skip them and make more repetitions of the easiest ones.
Found my lost pedometer in the car. Back on logging in steps... yesterday 8533..not great, but OK.
Today, about to start Leslie Sansone 5 miles video. Have a good day
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Hi,
Walked the 5 miles with Leslie this morning
and added some stretching. Did cleaning, shopping, went for a long walk with the dogs.... 11578 steps. Good day! Sending you a cool breeze from Finland.0 -
As a total slug, I broke down and ordered the ozeri razor pedometer. What tiny screws and screen. But I set it, and unfortunately, it's over reporting my steps. I measured 10 strides a few times and set it for 2.5 feet, but I took the dog for a walk--it measured that loop accurately, it's about 1.8 miles, but measured twice the steps.
I've emailed their support.
any help from you experts. I have it clipped to my pants. not in my pocket.
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Did three miles with Lesliie Sansone. did not want to overdue out the gate. Will work up to the five miles. 0
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Hi Everyone,
I'm new to this site. I had 27 lymph nodes removed during my lumpectomy on May 7. (all were negative). I bought a Jobst arm sleeve and glove. I don't have any swelling. Just some tightness in my armpit and a vein that keeps "popping" down my arm.
I wore it Sunday for the first time because I was cleaning out a room and closet to get it ready for painting. I was told to wear it when I do heavy lifting, gardening, etc. It was wonderful. My armpit pain went away and I was able to raise my arm to an almost presurgery position.
My question is, how often do you wear your compression sleeve and glove and when? Also, how often do you buy a new one?
Thanks a lot.
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fgm, Welcome!! I see your post has been unanswered for a few hours. I'm not the expert, so I'll give you some food for thought and reassure you that one of our several really knowledgeable LE friends will come by soon to give you more substance.
I suspect one of our wonderful LE experts will suggest the best way to get the answer that's right for YOU is to have a consultation with a certified LE therapist. I wonder if that popping vein is a cord -- axillary web syndrome --and that's all the more reason to have a consult with a therapist, who can tell for sure and if so, help with that. Armpit pain going away when you wear the sleeve and glove: terrific, and it sure tells you that wearing compression puts you on the right track. But to know how often and how long to wear it, is a function of where you are in LE and in LE control. I'm wondering if anyone gave you therapeutic exercises to do, and went over all the precautions (like bug repellent and gloves while gardening) to ward off evil LE spirits. You want to be careful to protect yourself from infection that could start with just a scratch or a bite, given the loss of so many nodes.
As to sleeve/glove replacement, I think they have about a 6-month life when worn daily but switching off with another set. I wear mine generally only for heavy work, weight lifting in the gym, and to fly, but my LE is (knock wood) mild and so far, pretty easy to control if I take care to exercise and do manual lymphatic drainage daily. So I get some extra mileage out of my sleeve and gauntlet.
Hello, all the rest of you! PTdreamers got busy, where are the rest of us? I will freely admit that my office got the best of me today, after Round Two of company (one of my very best friends and her DH) left this morning. Zero exercise as I tried to catch up on work missed these past two weeks while we ran a B&B for family and friends (and loved every minute of it). Tomorrow I do a day trip to see my PS for a quick consult, but it will be six hours round trip plus the consult time, so bah and my exercise will be a city walk from train station to medical building. Yesterday I did do a 3-hour trial-run kayak trip with DH and friends, in full compression, to see how that would treat me. Today I feel pretty good, just a tiny bit of LE ache and a tiny bit of visible swelling. Actually yesterday I got 11,000 steps in and went to the gym, so I think I'll just average yesterday and today.
I hope everyone else is busy having fun, and that you're getting some exercise in while you're at it!
Carol
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Eh, I have not covered many steps or done much activity after returning home. Yesterday I sort of crashed and didn't get much done. The desk and computer sucked me in, too, Carol. Today I was busy trying to catch up with bills, paperwork, and the never ending admin stuff for my mother. I am getting very close to finishing a big chunk of work for her and will soon breathe a big sigh of relief. While doing that, I will try to log a decent amount of steps over the next few days. I can definitely tell the difference in my swelling and how I feel, so I am motivated to stay on track.
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fgm - I wear compression in instances like Carol mentioned and also when I drive. I have to wear my gloves and sleeves more in the summer than I do in the fall/winter because heat makes me swell. I can go a couple of days in cooler weather without wearing them ... not so in the heat of summer. Very counter intuitive. 0
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I'm climbing out of hole that I didn't how deep I was in. My trip in June and the flare it caused has really gotten me down.
I didn't realize how much so until I've started climbing out. My LiveStrong trainer went to Africa for a few weeks which good because I was afraid to work out in the midst of the flare. I've spent a little time in a pool but not much else. Today was a good workout day. My trainer is back and we did weights ... less reps, lighter weight ... I HATE babying my upper body. But I'm being smart. We did speed intervals on the bike and then I went to my local gym for more cardio. I've fallen off my training for the 6k in September. So I did my 'magic mile' on the treadmill ... see how fast I can do a mile. Then I did 20 minutes on the Elliptical, 20 on the treadmill, 20 on the incumbent bike. I feel so much better! I forgot how much better I feel if I exercise. My arm feels better tonight too. I did MLD this morning and will do it one more time before bed. Glad to be on the other side of this mountain. 0 -
Haven't been doing any exercise out of the usual. Averaging 6500 - 7000 steps daily while I'm traveling which is more than when I'm home so I'm happy with that. I leave the conf room regularly and take the long way to the water cooler. Getting my water and doing Lebed. Brought my Flexi along but have not needed it. Little Martha arm is happy - still a bit of upper arm swelling and the usual in the hand but so much better than the last two weeks.
Gotta get in a routine I can continue while travelig. Okay - I could do better with exercise while traveling. Thing is, I work from my home office so rarely meet with co-workers. When we are on location together there is so much to catch up on so I focus on getting in the must have (MLD, water, Lebed) and rejoice when arm is happy.
I promise myself I will step it up next week. Knees are feeling more achy and I'm wondering if it's an SE of Aromasin. Really, really hope not. I am hoping to miss that S.
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Dawne--Way to go! Sounds as if you are coming back.
Only got 30 min on elliptical yesterday. Had a support group meeting to go to and while in the city did some errands so I probably did get a lot of steps in.
Will do weights today and an hour on treadmill with intervals. It is raining and cannot get outside for exercise.
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Dawne, so glad to hear you are climbing out of that hole. Those flares sometimes take us to a dark place, and lack of exercise can contribute to it. Yes, definitely wise to take it slow getting back with the weights, but how excellent you are doing it!! Sounds like you are capable of mega cardio! Soon you will be back on track for the 5k.
Ohio, glad Little Martha is feeling better. Why is it we can average more steps while traveling? When you figure out that one, let me know!! Thanks for reminding me about Lebed. I have totally been away from it. Do you do the whole routine or the initial opening exercises?
I have rediscovered how much better I feel when I get at least 10,000 steps in. I prefer doing a couple miles all at once a couple times a day, but lots of small units of brisk walking work, too. I noticed the hourly small units tend to keep me feeling more alert throughout the day. Goal is to work in those 10,000 steps today. Definitely feeling better with the break in the weather. Looking forward to reigning in any lingering swelling in my hand and trunk. Appt with therapist on Fri and two days next week.0 -
Tina - when I work from home I have very few steps from bedroom to office to kitchen. I have to create detours (up and down stairs or multiple trips) to get more movement at home. I don't have all those conveniences while traveling so am 'forced' to walk more which is a good thing. I just need to get more creative at home. Well, I need to get more motivated. I think I know/have most every tool needed but they don't do me any good if I putting them to good use.
LOL -all I really want to do right is grab a book, a big bottle of water, and sit somewhere and escape from everything for awhile. I may need to do that this weekend.
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