Kicking LEs butt!! Exercise & Self Care Log
Comments
-
Yes Mini just compete with yourself. Add one more minute a day and you will be surprised!
0 -
Carol, I've been lurking! It was 117 here yesterday, above 110 all week, and at those temps even staying indoors sorta saps the juice out of me. But I have been jogging around the house--not as much as I'd like, but as much as I've got the energy for. This, too, shall pass!
House jogging does accomplish a lot, as I spot all the stuff that's out of place and jog it back to where it belongs, jog the laundry out to the laundry room, shred papers while I jog (my jogging route goes past the recycle waste-basket so I can drop the scraps in as I go by), jog the folded clothes back to everybody's bedrooms. Today, though, DD was baking brownies, so my jogs through the kitchen too often involved taste-testing
. Gotta come up with an alternate route...Binney
0 -
Binney4 - Love! xoxo
0 -
Binney, you are funny! I'm with you on the house jogging, but I can't multitask like that! Last night I had a living room dance-o-rama. Whew, felt good to let loose. My hand felt a little swollen today, which I guess was from all my arm movement. I was willing to pay the price, though, as I have been sedentary for days. Now I need to get back to exercising more consistently. I was really on a roll for a while, so I'm kind of bummed that I'm starting at square one again. All I have to do is start. :-)
0 -
Honestly, sometimes I resort to jogging around a hotel room, so I can multi-task to the extent of catching up with the news while getting some movement in. If I use an exercise DVD, I miss the multi-task. So I have become expert at jogging with really, really tight turns! We are a resourceful group!!
0 -
i'm not jogging at the moment but my DH got me to walk into the first open booth in Red Robin for my free birthday burger and sundae - I made it and it was the first real meal I have had since pre surgery fasting... now back with pain meds and bed but doing ok... of course I say that before I take off the surgery bandage tonight
. Waiting for my pain med to take effect before trying 
. Did I ever mention, how I love you ladies and your great and sometimes funny ideas.. Binney, I can just imagine what you look like jogging around the house :-)
0 -
Gma, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Sending you free birthday brownies, and you don't even have to leave the comfort of your living room!Birthday hugs,
Binney0 -
Gma, the best part about Binney's birthday brownies is that they're guilt free, so you don't have to jog around the house or anywhere else to work them off! I'll add my birthday wishes, too!
0 -
You Ladies are awesome! my free sundae at Red Robin had hot fudge on top - I ate that off and gave the ice cream to my DH.I took the surgical bandage off tonight - I was allergic to the tape used between my breasts - red/burn
. but the scar is just a 2 inch addition to the old scar.. There is one little dimple coming out around the stitch tape but it looks like he used superglue again.. Nice and dry - could have took a shower tonight but my breast hurts so I didn't want to push it - put a small 4x4 over the scar, put an inside-out tee shirt on and put the breast binder over that... Now waiting for the pain to ease... it is always such a trauma taking off the surgical bandage... 0 -
Did a 10 min walk today and a good stretch. Sorry that is all I have to report. OK, I feel like a heel so I will go do the Lebed opening.
I am faithful to my LE gear even though I want to rip it off and stomp on it. If I only could walk like I use to I wouldn't need that shaper with the swellspot.Walking really managed my back of pit swell.
Tina, I don't have a vest as insurance won't pay. Until I really need one bad I am using the shaper with the kimbe swell spot for the pit area. I love your vest picture. I think you should wear it nude to the universal LE flash mob we are planning.
Yah.. let's give these curious nosey people something to really look at. I am cheeky tonight! I'll do it if you do. But I want to cover my face in wraps as a disguise. I don't want my face to be associated with this body!By the way, has anyone made a poor man's vest? Maybe pieceing the swellspots etc together?
0 -
Gma--Happy Birthday. A calorie free sundae coming your way.
Hugz--A poor man's vest sounds good. I need a vest that does not compress the breast and haven't yet found something that fits the bill. I keep trying to invent.
It is in the high 60's here right now so I am going out to the dam and see if I can handle it. It is still humid. It is 7:00 am. Wish me luck.
0 -
Gma, Happy Birthday. A big blueberry pie for you from Finland.
Had a MLD session with my therapist this morning but no time for exercise. Shopping for groceries for the crawfish party tomorrow. Today, exercise will be about cleaning the house first and then outside. Panick on board because the construction workers are still working on enlarging the terrace and there is construction material scattered all over the place. They promised it will be ready by tonight!!! We have to clean everything afterward. I'll try to get on the elliptical later this afternoon.
Becky, hope you had a pleasant walk to the dam. Temperature here is rather cool, so we will need infra-red lamps to keep us warm tomorrow evening for the party.
Have a nice day
0 -
it's cooled off here too, couldn't manage a walk this morning but will this evening. Never been so thankful for highs in the 80's.
0 -
Nitocris, would those be WILD blueberries? Wow, sure sounds yummy! So do the crawfish ("crawdads", where I grew up). Will you fish 'em or buy 'em?
Surely cleaning counts!
And cleaning up after construction should count double. (Just be careful!) Becky, getting out to the dam sounds liberating--enjoy!I've already done considerable house-jogging this morning, but need to stand up and get moving again soon. I really like Becky's idea of exercising for five minutes every hour. I need to set a timer because when I get busy on the computer I lose track of time. How do you do that, Becky?
Happy Friday!
Binney0 -
Cool and rainy here. Yeah! Been so hot and dry it's like walking on toothpicks instead of grass. Love the cool nights to sleep without the AC. But I won't complain about heat. The sun shines and you don't have to shovel it. :-)
0 -
Hugz,
I had to fight with my insurance co to get them to pay. Had to go to second level appeal. Everyone's insurance co is different (even if it's the same company but a different state or location in state), but if they pay for any of your compression garments, WELL!!! that may be your case. I ended up with Mr. Bob Weiss as my lymphedema advocate who represented me at a second level appeal with my insurance co. He was awesome!! Does it for free because each case he wins helps set a precedent for legislative changes.
My lymphedema therapist had ordered vest and my doctor wrote prescription. Insurance co would not preauthorize, and my doc called and spoke with medical director. He maintained no precert, and she told me to appeal. I did and lost first level appeal. As Mr. Weiss says, you will always lose first level appeal. That's when he's willing to step in, at the second level. He knows his stuff, too. I had to gather a few items for him, but he really did the rest. The appeal was done via conference call since he's in CA and I am in PA, and the committee was in Phila. Even though I could have attended in person, I did not because I don't look like anything is wrong with me. I let Mr. Weiss take care of everything, and the only thing I had to do was describe the kind of makeshift garments I wear to control the truncal LE, and why they are not as effective as the vest would be. And I will tell you that in my experience, they are not as effective as the vest. Let me find the link about the battle to get my vest approved. Here it is:
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/64/topic/774974?page=1
Oh, and for the gals with breasts or implants, the night vests are custom and can be made to accommodate all kinds of bumps in the front. I was going to have one made when I had implants, but once I decided to deconstruct, I held off so I wouldn't have to modify it.
Mr. Weiss' basic premise for the purpose of lymphedema garments is that they are the equivalent of a prosthetic device.
If you ever need the articles that Binney and Kira mentioned sending for appeal, I have them saved as word docs and can forward to you in email.
For a makeshift garment, I also used large pieces of orange foam my therapist cut that ran from my underarm area and up and behind it. The length was to to bottom of ribcage. I had one for each side and I bought a larger size shapewear tank and would insert those. The orange foam was more aggressive than the swell spots, but slightly less comfortable for sleeping. I have several variations of these getups. I found that even if you only need a swell spot for one side, if you wear one on both sides, it helps to minimize the pressure on the implants/breasts. There's something about the equal pressure that makes for better comfort as well. Even though I didn't need a full length vest for anything except my right side of underarm area (and very occasionally the left), the overall compression is more effective. Less whack-a-mole!!
0 -
Mini, you found our exercise thread! Thanks for coming in! I'm in SW Michigan, and the rain finally stopped (but wow did we need it). I'll be heading to the gym soon and will do some outdoor walking just before leaving, because now it's both dry and cool out. I'm doing a mixed cardio/strength workout at the gym these days, so on gym days don't aspire to too many steps or miles, and I really like being so efficient about it. Did MLD this morning...more to come this evening!
0 -
Carol - I'm in SW MI too. We're neighbors. :-) I was never able to do a gym because of my work/travvel schedule, but I'm hoping when I go back to work, I can do that. I'm also taking a dance class and would love to try Zumba! My husband, liucky bum. has a gym at work. -)
0 -
Binney--I set a timer. I do three minutes every half hour, not five. That is on the elliptical. Sometimes if I am moving around and cleaning I do one or two minutes every 15 minutes. I go all out. I think my elliptical is going to break one day.
0 -
Mini: Welcome to our thread,
we move to avoid dead!
You will see we are all at different levels and that is fine, no competition here. Just encouragement. Glad you joined.
Becky, remind me NOT to buy your ellipitcal if it is ever for sale, your clearly wearing it out!
You probably wore the grid off the footbeds!Tina, What a wealth of info you are and how brave to appeal. I am afraid I am sucked mentally right now and am not up for the fight. But I might be in the future and will keep your post. Did you wear the orange grid on your breast or lack of breasts? Like a vest?
0 -
Before I forget, I will report doing MLD this morning and plan to do again at bedtime. Other than that, I got bupkus.
But I'm not dead yet! Already planning walking stops for tomorrow's drive.Hugz, the gals here supported me and helped with initial documentation. The rest was all Mr. Weiss. It's easy to get through the first level appeal and denial. Anyone can do that.
FYI, here is the link from the StepUp-SpeakOut site to contact the Mr. Weiss. Scroll down to the section about Insurance appeals. He gives a little synopsis of the process. My process to win second level appeal was a one-shot deal and took about a month. Meanwhile, if I had known better, I wouldn't have gotten myself so worked up during the initial denial and first level appeal denial. Some of the women here have been successful at the first level appeal, so it is worth having your doc fax all the info. I was in an unfortunate situation with my doc leaving and her assistant being less than helpful, and I'm sure this didn't help matters.http://www.stepup-speakout.org/AppealingForCare.htm
I will have to take pics of pieces of foam and tank, maybe even model for old times sake. I have truncal LE on the side of my chest below the armpit, not in the breast area, so the foam lays just to the outside of the breast area, below the armpit and extends a little around back behind the armpit. Kind of like the side panel of a garment. They were inserted into a regular shapewear tank.
Meanwhile, here's the latest in my formal evening attire:
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u145/tinasoldhouse/Whatnot/IMG_3998.jpg
0 -
Tina, the color is ravishing!!!
0 -
I walked to the kitchen to get my drinks - 6 times today - does that count???
Oh and doing the imaginary happy dance - my lump is B9!!! I'm afraid my breast hurts too much to really dance at the moment..
My work sent me an awesome "get well" basket. Chocolate - OH my, cheese, crackers, tea, almonds and cider spices... It was a nice gester from the company.
0 -
Why, thank you, dahling.
After seeing my pic:
I pledge allegiance to Solaris, and to the relief for which it stands. One company, sewing garments, with comfort and healing for all.
GmaFoley, congrats on the B9 results!
0 -
GmaFoley, great news on B9.
0 -
GmaFoley - GREAT news! Thanks for sharing!
0 -
TinaT - Quite lovely! I like the color too. But I think my favorite part is the black and silver bracelet. Pretty kick a$$ if you ask me!
Seriously, though ... is that a night garment? I've always wondered what those look like. 0 -
I haven't done my MLD yet but I did walk/jog a 6k tonight (about 3.75 miles). Today was really the most beautiful day of summer ... not too hot. Just gorgeous! It was cool tonight and so ... rather than being in the gym I was able to walk/run outside. Haven't been able to do that since May. And ... it was also the first night I used my minimalist shoes to go that far ... the most I've used them is 2 miles on a treadmill. It took me 50 minutes but absolutely no knee pain ... which is huge for me. I'm doing a race September 16 so I need to get better but I took it easy tonight cuz I didn't want to hurt my knees and wasn't sure how the shoes were going to feel on the road. I got dizzy at the end ... little dehydrated so I'm drinking up tonight ... will do MLD before bed. I'm so happy to be running again ... even though I'm pretty slow. 0
-
It is a night garment, Dawne, and I just got it today. It matches the night vest I'm wearing in my avatar. Yes the jewelry is what makes it formal wear. We have a QVC outlet around the corner, and the bracelet is a stretchy thing with black plastic and rhinestones. It's a lot of fun. 0
-
gmafoley, you'll be in shape to dance pretty quick, and of course, we expect that to be an aerobic dance! It's great news, so eat that chocolate and bask in it!
Tina, too funny on the pledge. Will you bring your fancy-schmancy garments to the LE Summit for some show-and-tell?
0
