Kicking LEs butt!! Exercise & Self Care Log
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dispatcher, welcome! Becky, uphill walking and stair climbing on campus must have done a body good!
I have the ball and bounce on it from time to time, also use it for some core stability and lower-back strengthening. My desk is a stand-up one. Nothing fancy, and not a desk, actually, but the least expensive pub-height table I could find. So I stand at my keyboard instead of sitting, with a drafting chair (tall and on wheels) for when I do want to sit, which I think is about 15% of the time. Probably standing to work has not done much for my LE, but it has done wonders for backache relief!
I had a minimal-movement weekend, driving 5 hours to see family, celebrating my parents' 60th wedding anniversary and otherwise spending time with my daughter and her family. It rained, and we were so intent on cramming so much into the weekend, I never walked at all. (But I did make a halloween costume for my toddler granddaughter...her mom wanted her to be a garden gnome, so a garden gnome she is! Cannot count that as exercise or LE care, but it was sure fun!!) So today and this week I need to return to activity. I'll be in lots of airports later this week, so concourse walking will keep me moving.
Carol
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It was a beautiful weekend here. Soaked up as much sunshine as I dared. My walking buddy is feeling much better so we got several short walks in. This is our road. If we walk from the house to the highway and back it's .8 miles.
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Now, that's a picture-perfect image of relaxation! Fall color, horses, blue sky! Working at my computer today, I am totally jealous!
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Today: 50 minutes of Leslie Sansone + Lebed lymphatic opening + 1 hour of flexibility and weight training in the gym + miscellaneous park-far-away walking = 4.6 miles and a very good exercise/LE day.
I am noticing that colder weather seems to be giving me a huge LE break! Normally the cardio, walking, and weight lifting leave me pretty arm-achey and I need to do MLD to relieve it. The past week has been gloriously absent any arm ache. I did miss two days of any serious exercise over the weekend, but even so, I've noticed this for about a week and wondered if it's the weather. I think it is. What a gift!
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Thanks for the question dispatcher906. I'm new to this also and didn't understand all I read. Glad to see some web sites to visit.
Today I received the Lebed DVD in the mail, so I did that (most of it anyway). And early this morning I walked about 15 minutes with a walking stick my friend loaned me. It's almost 5:00 p.m. and NO SWELLING! I am so excited. There really is hope that I can get back to a semi-normal life. This stuff has been dealing me misery all summer.
One other note: Last Friday I spent the day shopping with friends (with sleeve on most of the time) and had no swelling that day. I've told my husband that shopping with friends is my new lymphedema therapy. (He's so sweet. He said if that would keep the swelling down then, go for it!)
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Carol - I notice a huge difference as well with the cooler weather. I didn't have on my gloves and sleeves all day yesterday...extremely unusual. I'm thinking I need to move to Hawaii or something where it is about 70 all year 'round.
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Shari, maybe that's why shopping is called retail therapy?
Dawne-Hope, we need low humidity, too. San Diego?
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Yes. The cooler weather has really helped the LE. But I've discovered that BC seems to have broken my thermostat. I'm hot, I'm cold, I'm hot... Not looking forward to a South Dakota winter. You suppose we could just stay here in Autumn?
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Dispatcher ,Welcome to our kick butt thread and don't worry about any fierce competing here. We all go at our own speed. Some days we can "give er" other days we can just "plug along" We are here mainly to exchange ideas and encourage each other. So far it has been a successful thread and we are "lovin it"
Shari, I am so excited that you are having less of a swelling issue. Maybe the heat had something to do with it. The recommended shopping therapy seems ideal to me! Remember deep belly breaths/water/fist pumps and rest if you have any tiredness in your limb.
Cindyl. Nice picture but somehow I have envisioned your girlfriend pushing you down that road on your new ball chair!
Carol, I really do think the cooler weather is our best friend. I know when it was hot I just wanted to rip my le gear off but didn't dare. zi thought maybe I might get rebound swelling or something else dreadful. I've said this before, I never ever thought I would enjoy cold climate but I have welcomed it. Now if I could just get rid of the west coast perpetully grey sky I would have it made. You really have done well exercising today. I got in a 40 min walk and will do lebed opening tonight.
Becky, You must have excellent balance to sit on a loose ball that long. Bet you have steel abs from it. The campus I am on is over 100 acres so I have lots of places to walk on my lunch hour. I have embraced the rain and pop on my rainpants/jacket and off I go! No sense in crying about the rain like I use to.
Dawne. Have you worn a hole in your runners yet?
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Cindyl. Your weather report really suits me. I love those temps and especially with sun. It is perfect for walking!
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I'll suggest it to her. That's the one problem with our neighborhood. We have acres of space but no good place to walk. Our road in gravel and not so smooth and you take your life in your own hands if you try to walk on the highway. No sidewalks for several miles. I've considered a treadmill but they are expensive, take up more space than I want to spare...
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hugz - I love it too. We put up with some dreadful weather, but we have some awesome falls.
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Carrol - I have a dear friend who grew up in Hawaii. It's not humid there and always a gentle breeze.
hugz - Not yet Although I did spend hours in the gym tonight watching the NLCS. I kept switching between treadmill, bike, elliptical. I may wear them out by the end of the post season. ;p
cindyl - beautiful!0 -
Off to the beach for a walk and then off to chiro to get straightened out. There goes another 45 bucks!
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What a bad exercise day I'm having! I leave tomorrow for work, until Saturday, flying around quite a bit. So I'm squeezing out my desk work today, trying to work toward some deadlines. Also had to do some running around because next week I have a small revision-to-my-revision recon surgery, after a little problem developed, and I today had to attend to pre-surgical bloodwork before leaving for work in the morning.
The surgery is not a biggie, but it will keep me away from cardio and weightlifting for a bit, so I'm already pouting in advance. I am soo afraid of falling out of the exercise habit! Those of you with bones 'n joints kinds of troubles that you report here, it keeps you away from your walking, etc., but you always come back (I'm especially thinking of you, Hugz! and you, Tina!) --so inspiring. And here I am, already worried about the potential off-the-wagon danger of missing a week or so, and still I could not manage even 5,000 steps today. Arrgh! I guess I'll look forward to doing Lebeds, which should be entirely permissable.
Dawne-Hope, I need some of your commitment, too. Can you send some my way?
Carol
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Carol57 - Grrrr! I'm sorry about your revision. Or the revision to the revision.
I'm just sorry. [[[[hugs]]]]]Depending on what type of revision you're having ... you may be limited in lifting your arms up over your head? Ask your PS for sure ... I'm not sure Lebed would be good for the first couple of weeks? Ask.
You've been through this before ... my PS didn't want me elevating my heart rate for about 2 weeks after my exchange. Ask about that too ... because if that isn't a problem ... a bike may be your best bet ... because you won't jiggle.
Keep us posted on how you do. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our recovery is rest. When you need a kick after you heal ... we'll give it to ya.
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Carol, 5000 steps is better than no steps. You have to see the glass half full not half empty. We won't let you off the exercise wagon so don't worry.
I look at exercise as a lifetime commitment and if something like surgery and other garbage gets in the way then just carry on once you are healed or ready because as I said it is a lifetime commitment and we are in it for the long haul. The main thing is to always keep "exercise thoughts" in your head. For instance for the solid 3 months this summmer I couldn't give my full potential. But I always thought "Once I get better I am going back on track" and I would remind myself daily so as not to forget about benefits of exercise and now I am slowing working back into it. Even if you can only tap your toes it is still moving a bodypart and is better than doing nothing!
You are going to do fantastic Carol because you have an atitude about you that makes you rise to the call!
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Carol, I am sorry you need revision surgery. However, I remember how quickly you bounced back after your last surgery. It may not have felt that way, but you managed to find a way to stay relatively active while allowing yourself to heal properly. You will do it again because you have that commitment and track record. I do acknowledge your feelings of disappointment of being sidelined and concern about falling out of the exercise habit though. We all work so hard to regain the ground we've lost after BC.
Perhaps a bit of proactive planning with your trainer may ease your worry? Having a plan written in advance on your exercise sheet on how you will start back when you are able may help you feel seated on the wagon and moving forward. As you begin to heal, you will be able to anticipate the amount of weight you will be lifting when that begins. Even if you can't precisely predict what you will be able to do when, you will have a sense of how you will proceed. And I bet your trainer will be one of your best sources of support to ease back into activities as you heal. Your commitment to LE self care, diet, and exercise is admirable, and I will gladly be part of your cheering committee.
I have been back and forth over the past week with exercise. I don't know why paperwork, phone calls, and errands derail me so. Mentally, I just go to a different place and focus on those tasks, next steps, etc. and literally forget about exercise until I am exhausted and ready for bed. And then I realize the day is over, so all I can do is get in bed, do MLD and don my night garments and promise myself I will exercise the next day. I can't let myself go or tell myself that missing a few days means I have fallen off the wagon. I care about my health and want to keep my LE solidly in check but sometimes other things in life temporarily get in the way. Today I got a lot of work done, but tomorrow I will exercise!0 -
I had surgery year of so ago for a bad foot problem, I know your fear of not excercising for a time and getting out of the habit~
I so feared that but really, it was what I asked the surgeon going in as to what and when I could do things. He was great and said upper body weights of course were fine so I did that and soon as he gave a go, added the stationary bike.
I really wasn't long off my feet and that such and since I feel so much better, doing things I could not do before.
Good luck, you will just do some dif things for a time
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Thanks to everyone for your good wishes and optimism that I will return to my activity after the revision surgery. I sure plan to, but I just hope I don't get too happy in rest mode.
Anyway, that is next week, and this week I am on the road. Got 4.5 miles in today, half of that jogging at home and the rest in airports. No Lebed today and I need sleep now, so I will not work it in.0 -
I had part of the day off today ... ironically these are usually the toughest days for me to get my exercise in. Normal work day? No problem. I have routine and if I stick to it I get about 10,000 steps in. Weekends are spent at a dead run trying to get the grocery shopping and all the other errands done. No problem getting my exercise on Saturday, and Sunday's I usually spend trying to shovel out the house, so yeah, plenty of steps.
But on a day like today where I don't have a routine? Tough going. I often end up sitting and thinking too much or just sitting. So today I decided things would be different. Move! Move! Move! Got 17883 on the pedometer... and I still have to walk Trooper. Urgh. I may have overdone.
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Cindyl - I hope the only thing that is overdone is some tired muscles...nothing more. Routine is important. Weeks that my routine is messed up...usually doesn't make for a good LE week. And 17883 steps?! Wow!
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I did nothing exercise wise today but I've done a lot the past few days so I needed to rest. Did MLD tonight and did lots of drinking today. That doesn't sound good does it?
Heading to the Cardinals game tomorrow so I'll get lots of walking done downtown. I'm going with my brother and some friends. Excited!0 -
Carol, we won't let you get too lazy resting. Honestly, you are a girl that moves, I really don't think you could ever sit still, After all you don't even sit at a desk, you stand! Thinking of you with your upcoming surgery.
Cindyl, Wow, you must have had a Hagendaz waiting at the end of your 17,000 steps in order to keep you moving that far. How long did that take you?0 -
Dawne, I sure hope that was water! Your day tomorrow sounds wonderful. You'll be sure to out walk those boys your going with.
Practiced wrapping tonight and am now trying to type with it on. Yikes!
1 hour walk and lebed opening today and stretching.0 -
hugz - All water with a little chamomile and red tea mixed in this evening.
It looked funny when I wrote it. I knew you ladies knew what I meant.
P.S. I tried once typing while wrapped. Lots of typos.
Good for you for wrapping! Although I'm sorry you have to do it. I really am terrible at it. I need a remedial wrapping class.0 -
Dawne, awe thanks for the sympathy on me wearing wraps but I don't have to. I just do it for practice a couple times a month so I don't forget. I still am not sure if I am wearing it to loose or too tight. Yah as Tina says, it's a goldilocks thing. I want it just right.
Off to unwrap now and then to bed.0 -
Dawne - oh it took all day one way and another. Theres no way I can walk more than 1-2 miles without a good long break. Just don't have the stamina that I used to. So, I got up and walked with "walk it out" on the wii for and hour then i went to PT and stretched. Stopped in at work for a meeting. Back home, more "walk it out" and so on until I crawled off to bed. My fitbit tells me I was active for about 6 hours as opposed to 12 hours sedentary. I really just need to work towards more days like yesterday... left to my druthers I'd just read, or watch TV and not move at all, and I know that's not healthy...
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MLD, wrapped and walked. It is one glorious day out today! Carol, I'll be thinking of you next week.
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Just checking in after a week of nasty flu-like crud, topped off by my beloved Nats losing the NLDS - a lousy week overall. Dawne - a Cardinals fan - sent me a lovely PM that helped ease the hurt after the Nats' loss - it made me realize how much we take care of each other here, even with non-LE and BC problems like baseball heartbreak. I really appreciated your kind words, Dawne. Now wait till next year!!!
I was too sick to even do MLD, Lebeds, or anything all last week, but I did try to keep hydrated. So far it doesn't seem to have triggered a flare, so I'm grateful for that. Finally crawled back to work yesterday, but still coughing up a storm. Hoping to ease back into proper LE and exercise care this weekend.
Stay healthy everyone!!!
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