Kicking LEs butt!! Exercise & Self Care Log
Comments
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Dawne-Hope - this is a good question for Binney and Kira
- I have a breakfast smoothie every morning with greek yogurt, almond milk and fruit - I don't see a difference when I don't on the weekends.. but everyone is different - I think it really depends on treatments, medications and your own body... But that is a very good question.. Can't wait for others to chime in.. 0 -
I am sure it doesn't affect everyone that same way ... I'm just curious if anyone else has noticed a similar association with cow milk?
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Hmmmm...I'm not a milk drinker, nor cereal-with-milk eater, but I love Greek yogurt and eat it once or twice each day. I've not noticed a connection with my LE symptoms, but next week, I'll be away from home and can easily dodge anything dairy. Well, unless ice cream tempts me!
I had my sleeve fit checked by my CLT. All of my various sleeves. She thought my divas sleeve was not quite long enough, but she had no comment on fit as far as compression goes. I did order the next size up of the divas sleeve and am waiting for that to arrive, because I thought it was too tight as well as too short. I do know that I have not worn any sleeve for the past almost 48 hours, and my arm feels much, much better. I'm getting peevish about all the trial-and-error that I'm having to do now.
Today I have walked 4.5 miles, not terribly speedily because it's hot outside. I noticed a slight fullness feeling in my arm, but no aching to speak of. I think Tina asked about my 'normal' state of the arm. Normal state is that I notice a dull, background ache, which has been with me since LE diagnosis. Overworking makes the ache sharper and sometimes extends it from the normal upper arm, down to the wrist. That always subsided with one night's sleep, until I started wearing the sleeve all day, every day, per CLT suggestion. So the question really is--is it the right sleeve fit? The right compression? Or am I simply better wearing the sleeve only during stress activity? Back to trial and error!
Carol
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Dawne, I have wondered about this myself! I am a big yogurt eater, and I like whole or lowfat organic yogurt. (stirring in the cream on top. . . oh! where was I?) I have Kashi biscuits for breakfast if I am not doing a yogurt and fruit smoothie. I eat the cereal with whole or lowfat organic milk. I will have a couple spoonfuls of yogurt during the day if I feel the need to snack but don't have something handy. I will eat cheese occasionally or with (gasp!) a hamburger or sandwich. I have wondered if this has anything to do with swelling as I thought I noticed a change a couple of times when I didn't eat my regular breakfast a few days in a row. Hmm, maybe this is an experiment I need to try as well, but the idea of giving up my yogurt totally is not appealing. I definitely would be willing to limit my consumption if it makes a difference. Heck, who knows, if it made that big of a difference, I might make a 180 in my dietary habits. Thank you for being the nagging reminder about this!!
Carol, the whole sleeve thing is a freakin' mystery to me. You've seen my little twig arms. How in the world can an off-shelf Jobst sleeve not fit me? Before my arm swelled at all, I considered the sleeves claustrophobic and uncomfortable for flying. Once my forearm swelled, that sleeve became downright painful. However, I never could have worn those sleeves full time even when my arm was fine. I would get to a point where they made me feel crazy even though they fit fine. The custom sleeve definitely feels like a better fit, but it still binds a little in the elbow. If I am walking outside when it is hot, I do not wear my sleeve and glove. I have the okay to do this from my therapist because my arm is considered stable. It's either wear the sleeve and glove, get overheated, swell and spend the night managing the swelling, or I go without and stay cooler while walking and then come home and manage the smaller amount of swelling. I opt for the latter. When I eventually can lift weights, I definitely will wear my sleeve and glove. So, yes, it really is a trial and error thing. The heat messes with the fit, and I guess if you are fighting off any small flare, then your arm could be more sensitive. I am like Dawne in the sense that pre-BC my hands and feet swelled when I got warm or overheated in hot weather. I don't think I swell any more than I did, but if I am flaring, the extra swelling makes that area painful, especially if it is enough to slightly change the fit of the sleeve.
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Did interval weight training with my Trainer and then some of the toughest 6 minutes I've ever spent on a bike.
I did the Lebed Lymphatic Opening this morning. I may wrap tonight. I wrote about my first experience with bi-lateral wrapping over on the GRRRRR thread. Quite hilarious, really. I can't stand my arms wrapped more than a couple of hours. It hurts. It's amazing the difference in my fingers, though. The consensus over there is that it would be risky to wrap only the fingers and hand. I tend to agree ... what do you all think? I am tempted to try ... 0 -
Sounds like a great workout, Dawne. I am with you on the wrapping. Trying to imagine wrapping second arm . . Will have to go read Grrr thread. I don't know to say about wrapping only fingers. While I hate wrapping, my Solaris glove/sleeve combo feels delightful by comparison. Is this kind of custom garment a possibility for you?
I am checking in with a 4.75 mi walk today. Total steps over 10,000 at this point. Hot again, so pace was slower. MLD before and after walk.0 -
I wish some of the doctors-in-denial would read this thread, because it would tell them what we already know: You can have LE without any visible swelling! And if you have swelling, just because it goes away does not mean you no longer have LE! Jane Armer has done wonderful research on how our non-swelling symptoms indicate the presence of LE. She totally rocks, and it is so unfortunate that so many in the community of MDs and surgeons at large are in the dark about her work.
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Tina337 - are those garments available private pay? I don't have insurance. I assume you have access to them through a therapist? I'd like to try if at all possible. Is it like $1000 or more?
Here's the link to the post on the grrrr thread, p. 164.
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/64/topic/759378?page=1640 -
Dawne, my therapist did measure me and order. Someone would have to do the measuring for you, and I do not know if you can order directly from online distributor. You can pay out of pocket for them though. My insurance only covers a portion, and they tried to get out of paying for the night vest. I would have paid for them myself if I had to. They are the most wonderful garments I have and make a bigger difference than wrapping or any custom compression day garments I own. I think it's because they are less restrictive than a a compression sleeve or even a wrap. I think a sleeve/glove is around $500-600? Solaris is the brand I have and their night garments are called Tribute. They are excellent about making sure the garment fits well, and they will do a free modification within a year after purchasing. Jovipak is another brand that has a similar garment. I am wearing the Solaris vest in my avatar, but I think I posted a pic of my sleeve/glove combo on this thread when I received it. It looks like an oven mitt with a sleeve. The base part is comprised of foam chips that are sewn into channels. The channels help promote lymphatic flow in. There is also an outside jacket that can be worn over the base to provide additional compression. I prefer how mine feels with the outer jacket. Here's a link to Solaris' website and their line of Tribute night garments. My garment is the fingertips to axilla:
http://solarismed.com/images/stories/products/tribute/tribute_reference_guide.pdf0 -
Dawne, here is a pic of my Tribute sleeve/glove combo with the outer jacket. I know you saw it before, but you may have been focused on my bracelet. ;-)
http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u145/tinasoldhouse/Whatnot/IMG_3998.jpg0 -
Tina337 - Those are things that I could definitely save up for. Does it hurt? Do you wear it all night? How does it affect your sleep? Do you wear it to exercise in or is it just for sleeping? Do you have to plug it in? Could you fly in something like that? Thank you so much for posting again. Do you wear them on just one side or on both sides?0
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Dawne, they don't hurt and actually feel good. I do wear all night but have worn in day, too. I plan to wear when I fly next, put on after security. More comfy than regular compression sleeve anyway. No plugging in. I wear a vest and one arm. As far as affecting my sleep, sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. I think it's more likely to effect my sleep if I'm already having trouble getting/staying asleep, which I seem to have problems with periodically. I can't say enough good things about these garments. Someone here was wearing her sleeve while walking (KS1?), but I think it would be rather warm. Probably no worse than wrapping. By the way, there are finger spacers inside hand area. If you are interested, PM me your email and I will send you pics of it (not on me) since I just photographed for someone.
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Slug day for me. Ran errands and accomplished a lot but no exercise. Under 4,000 steps. However, I did wear my sleeve and glove all day and plan to do MLD at bed.
Hope you all had a good exercise and self care day!0 -
I managed about 9,000 steps and 15 flights of stairs, doing a lot of running around after my 19-month old granddaughter, and running up and down stairs fetching and putting away as needed to help my daughter, who with SIL came home from the hospital with their new baby today. Also was out doing lots of errands and made a conscious effort to park really far out in the parking lots. So nothing to boost the heartrate today, but I guess my day was proof that lots of little bursts of walking can add up to a good amount of steps in the day.
MLD coming up in a few minutes and then I'll call it a day!
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Does coughing count as exercise? My chest muscles are sore so that means they are getting a workaround, right?
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Completed thirty minutes on elliptical yesterday at a fairly high speed. Then ran around doing lots of errands.
Am getting on treadmill right now for an hour then off to work.
Hope new baby didn't keep everyone up Carol.
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Ohio - sorry you are coughing but my allergies have flared a little this week and I'm coughing a bit too... Sure does make the chest/breast hurt... I think our deep breathing should be counted as exercise too... that's about all I'm doing... but still losing weight... obviously I'm not eating like I should be...
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Hey gals! It's me... Haven't had time to read your posts but I hope you all survived the heat while attempting to exercise.
I did nothing but roast on my vacation and my arm really felt it in the mountains riding home on a hot day after sitting at the beach under shade all day. Is that possible? Wore my le gear and sunshirts but my arm was achy in the mountains until I got to lower elevation, got out of the car and strolled for 10 min.
Well I have started back walking and yesterday and today did 1/2 hour. My back/hip mystery is still bugging me but since I stopped regularly exercising in early May I gained an extra 5lb from not walking.
I really didn't change my eating habits so I know the walking keeps my weight off. So after talking to doc we decided that I would pop a pain pill and try to start walking again. I'm ok but I hope pain meds are not my future. I know walking makes me feel better in every way and hope to continue. So far, my diagnosis from medical professional is a mixed bag of either bursitis in hip, overuse, and the one I really think it is, is a leaky disc ending up pressing on my sciatic nerve. At least the doc figures its not mets. Was starting to worry about that. Still know one knows for sure what it is.
Doc doesn't want to xray or mri/CT at this point so I will just play along with this mystery. Meanwhile I adored my walk today and now will stretch out. I so want to be able to walk 45 min in a month from now.
Tina, I am going to start myofascia release/ physio soon. I love it. Hope it works. You did this didn't you?
How is it going girls.ARE YOU SHAKIN IT UP! COME ON! LET'S GO!
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Saw the LET today and my numbers improved! So I guess the garments are doing their job. Part of it is trying to switch things around at work to make it easier on my arm.
Sooo, not wanting to waste $91 in bandages, we wrapped my arm. I could only tolerate it two hours before I took them off. My hand blew up, so it's not very happy rght now.
Well, later on, I'll do some mindfulness-bases MLD.
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Hugz, you're back!! I'm sorry to hear that your hip, etc. are still bugging you, but glad to have you report in here with enthusiasm for a return to walking. I hope your pain management strategy works so you can keep it up.
Nibbana, how great on the numbers, and how frustrating with the wrapping!
Today I logged 4.5 miles on my trusty pedometer, most of that out running family errands again, using the park-far-away strategy to keep the feet moving. So no cardio, but at least I'm in motion and happy enough with that, because my days laterly just are not giving up any spare time for dedicated exercise.
Now, it's MLD time!
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Carol. You are much to hard on yourself. Walking 4.5 miles is pretty much cardio. I mean it's not like running the 100 yard dash but it still is exercise and breathing heavier than normal.
My you sound busy. summer is like that.
So my strategy is to break up my walks into 15 min segments and see how I do with that. Going to stretch out before bed.
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Ok... did a half hour walk and then stretched out for 5 min. Temps are nice and I am not frying when I walk.
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6.4 miles on the pedometer today, most of that walking with my granddaughter--pushing the stroller. It was hot and humid, but oddly my arm behaved, so a good day's outing. My granddaughter (19 months) is having a hard time getting used to sharing her parents with her 5-day-old brother, so I thought a few hours out in the world--singing, laughing, and waving at people, dogs, squirrels, and birds--would improve her mood. Worked like a charm! (At least for a while!)
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Hi, Hugz. Yes, I did the myofascial release and I think it's terrific. I attribute part of my successful deconstruction surgery to all the work I had done for a year leading up to it. I went a few times after the implants were gone to make sure everything healed without any adhesions. Funny thing, I had a spot in my back that had "gone out" 10 yrs ago when I bent over the tub to dry my leg, and I ended up on the floor and could not get up. That took a while to heal, and I had gone to the chiropractor and had massage. Even years later during a massage, whenever they ran their hands down the length of my spine, when they got to that one area I would almost jump off the table. After the myofascial release I experienced in the process of working on my chest, shoulders and back, that spot on my back is completely gone. Visits to my chiropractor were only a temporary fix, whereas the myofascial has been permanent. I no longer feel the need for an "adjustment" because the muscles and tissue supporting my spine are now relaxed. It is such an unusual experience when you first start - you get a real sense of how everything is interconnected. For example, one time the therapist was working on my abdomen just below my ribcage, and I felt sensations in my neck and pectoral area, and sometimes you could even see things twitch. Weird, but wonderful!
Sorry I haven't reported in the last few days, but it's not because of slacking. I've actually been good and walked the past four days - three miles, five miles, three miles, and last night two miles. We had a pot luck dinner at friends' house yesterday, arriving around 4pm. I brought my walking clothes because I knew we would be there until about 10pm. I announced early on that I was planning to walk after dinner if anyone wanted to join me, and the husband of the couple, my husband and I took a walk. The dog came along, too. Thank goodness our friends are low key like us and go with the flow. I was pleased I got a walk in for the day. I've also been doing my MLD at least once a day and wearing the night garments when I feel the need. Lots of water, too. I think I am on a roll. My husband complimented me on how I have been more active lately, which I really appreciated hearing. I told him I was very pleased, too, but I worry about getting too excited because I don't want to slip into "gungho" mode because that is dangerous territory for me. I am on a slow and deliberate track and it seems to be paying off.0 -
Tina - Congrats on steady progress - it's just one day at a time.
I have renewed my goal to get more active and lose some pounds. All surgeries are behind me and it's time to push forward and make progress for the future. Hoping my knees are in agreement - heading to the treadmill now. It won't be a long time or lots of miles but it be the best I can do for today.
Think I'll add some Leded stretches first and then long, relaxing MLD before bed.
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Tina, great resolve and great attitude! Same for you, Ohio!
My day today was driving home from a week-long stay at daughter's/SIL house, to help out with their daughter and new baby. I leave tomorrow again, to head to the NLN conference (very excited about that!!), so I did not dilly dally on the drive; got out once for a 30-minute break when I walked at a leisurely pace. Not many miles or steps to report, but oh, well! Tomorrow I'll have some airport walking when I make a connection, and that should give me a shot at at least three or four miles.
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Been doing my online yoga for several days now. Had no problem with swelling until today. Of course, that put me in a crappy mood, and my whole spiritual/yoga practice went to hell.
I read that a yoga teacher said we should take 100 belly breaths a day. When I'm conscious of doing that, the fluid moves. When I"m all tense and in a foul mood because my hand is swelling, I'm not doing my deep breathing.
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100 belly breaths a day is a lot, so I picture myself walking around, focused on BBs and letting that abdomen just hang right out as I do deep breathing in the grocery store line. This will still be less obtrusive than the ugly sleeve!
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Carol and Becky, safe travels!
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Tina - I'd love to see some pics. I will PM you my address. Thank you!
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