LYMPHEDEMA RISK REDUCTION PRACTICES
1. Skin Care - Avoid trauma / injury to reduce infection risk
• Keep extremity clean and dry
• Apply moisturizer daily to prevent chapping/chafing of skin2
• Attention to nail care; do not cut cuticles
• Protect exposed skin with sunscreen and insect repellent
• Use care with razors to avoid nicks and skin irritation
• If possible, avoid punctures such as injections and blood draws
• Wear gloves while doing activities that may cause skin injury (i.e., washing
dishes, gardening, working with tools, using chemicals such as detergent)
• If scratches/punctures to skin occur, wash with soap and water, apply antibiotics,
and observe for signs of infection (i.e. redness)
• If a rash, itching, redness, pain, increased skin temperature, fever or flu-like
symptoms occur, contact your physician immediately for early treatment of
possible infection
2. Activity / Lifestyle
• Gradually build up the duration and intensity of any activity or exercise
• Take frequent rest periods during activity to allow for limb recovery
• Monitor the extremity during and after activity for any change in size, shape,
tissue, texture, soreness, heaviness or firmness
• Maintain optimal weight
3. Avoid Limb Constriction
• If possible, avoid having blood pressure taken on the at-risk extremity
• Wear loose fitting jewelry and clothing
4. Compression Garments
• Should be well-fitting
• Support the at-risk limb with a compression garment for strenuous activity (i.e.
weight lifting, prolonged standing, running) except in patients with open wounds
or with poor circulation in the at-risk limb
• Consider wearing a well-fitting compression garment for air travel
Information taken from http://www.lymphnet.org/pdfDocs/nlnriskreduction.pdf
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
MONDAY MEMOIRS - Change?
Take a few minutes to answer this question in your cancer journal...
How has your daily life changed as a result of having breast cancer?
"Anyone can carry his burden, however hard, until nightfall. Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down. And this is all life really means." ~Robert Louis Stevenson
How has your daily life changed as a result of having breast cancer?
"Anyone can carry his burden, however hard, until nightfall. Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down. And this is all life really means." ~Robert Louis Stevenson
Saturday, June 19, 2010
STRONG SATURDAY - Backyard games
Prevention's July issue listed several backyard games you can play with your family. Exercise doesn't have to be routine all the time - try one or two of these games and have fun with your family...
Badminton: You can play this even without a net - just volley to see how long you can keep the shuttlecock in the air. Count the hits and aim for more each time. *A great arm workout. (you can buy the rackets and birdies starting at $15)
Frisbee: Run to catch the frisbee (works your legs), or just pick a target and play Bull's Eye. Take turns throwing the Frisbee to see whose shot lands the closest. Play with two different frisbees to mark the spots. You can get the same kind of exercise by throwing a football, too! And, there are lots of fun different kinds of frisbees and footballs. (buy a frisbee for $8 to $20)
Shooting Hoops: Challenge everyone to a game of Around the World. Shoot from five or seven spots in an arc around the basket. Every time you make a shot, move to the next spot. The first person to finish wins! Play it faster and faster, and you'll have a great cardio workout. ($10 and up for a ball)
Bocce Ball: This Italian game, easier than bowling, is becoming more and more popular. Just toss the pallino, a small ball, onto the grass. Then try to get your balls as close as possible. (Bocce sets start at $20 and go up to over $100: don't get the cheap sets, they are just plastic balls filled with water. Splurge for a little bit better set with resin balls)
Hopscotch: This is one of the best cardio exercises of all. Speed and balance challenge both kids and adults. Race to see who can hop through the pattern the fastest. To really test your stability, throw two stones, one at the start and one at the end, to hop over two squares each time. Or use a coin, because it's harder to pick up than a stone. (Buy a box of chalk - $2 to $5 - to draw the diagram.
Have FUN this summer!
Badminton: You can play this even without a net - just volley to see how long you can keep the shuttlecock in the air. Count the hits and aim for more each time. *A great arm workout. (you can buy the rackets and birdies starting at $15)
Frisbee: Run to catch the frisbee (works your legs), or just pick a target and play Bull's Eye. Take turns throwing the Frisbee to see whose shot lands the closest. Play with two different frisbees to mark the spots. You can get the same kind of exercise by throwing a football, too! And, there are lots of fun different kinds of frisbees and footballs. (buy a frisbee for $8 to $20)
Shooting Hoops: Challenge everyone to a game of Around the World. Shoot from five or seven spots in an arc around the basket. Every time you make a shot, move to the next spot. The first person to finish wins! Play it faster and faster, and you'll have a great cardio workout. ($10 and up for a ball)
Bocce Ball: This Italian game, easier than bowling, is becoming more and more popular. Just toss the pallino, a small ball, onto the grass. Then try to get your balls as close as possible. (Bocce sets start at $20 and go up to over $100: don't get the cheap sets, they are just plastic balls filled with water. Splurge for a little bit better set with resin balls)
Hopscotch: This is one of the best cardio exercises of all. Speed and balance challenge both kids and adults. Race to see who can hop through the pattern the fastest. To really test your stability, throw two stones, one at the start and one at the end, to hop over two squares each time. Or use a coin, because it's harder to pick up than a stone. (Buy a box of chalk - $2 to $5 - to draw the diagram.
Have FUN this summer!
Friday, June 18, 2010
FRIDAY FARE: Healthy Recipe - Veggie Panini
From guest blogger, Shannon Stahura...
Here is another fast and easy way to get your veggie servings... A veggie panini wrap! This makes a great summer lunch and is even a hit with the kids.
Ingredients:
light wheat flat bread (like a tortilla but a little thicker, found near the bread)
spinach
tomatoes
goat cheese
pesto
Directions:
1. Spread pesto on flat bread
2. Add veggies (if you prefer you can heat them up a bit in a skillet, but not necessary)
3. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Wrap and heat in panini press or in a skillet sprayed with olive oil or butter for about 2 minutes on each side.
* This combination is my favorite, but you can substitute other combinations of vegetables, and cheese. Another favorite is a caprese wrap with tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil and pesto with balsamic vinegar. For the non-veggie eaters in your family try adding turkey or chicken instead of the veggies. Any way you wrap it ... it is a crowd pleaser!
Here is another fast and easy way to get your veggie servings... A veggie panini wrap! This makes a great summer lunch and is even a hit with the kids.
Ingredients:
light wheat flat bread (like a tortilla but a little thicker, found near the bread)
spinach
tomatoes
goat cheese
pesto
Directions:
1. Spread pesto on flat bread
2. Add veggies (if you prefer you can heat them up a bit in a skillet, but not necessary)
3. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Wrap and heat in panini press or in a skillet sprayed with olive oil or butter for about 2 minutes on each side.
* This combination is my favorite, but you can substitute other combinations of vegetables, and cheese. Another favorite is a caprese wrap with tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil and pesto with balsamic vinegar. For the non-veggie eaters in your family try adding turkey or chicken instead of the veggies. Any way you wrap it ... it is a crowd pleaser!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Thursday Thoughts - Loss
From the book, "After Breast Cancer" by Musa Mayer
On loss...
"...there is something about having breast cancer that stays with many of us, preventing us from putting this illness out of our minds and into the past. From my own experience and that of the hundreds of women I've heard discussing these issues over the years, I believe that what's bothering us is fundamentally three-fold: what we've lost, what we fear and how we've changed.
Over time, our sense of what we have lost is very likely to become tempered - and even outweighed - by evidence of personal growth, as hard-won struggles lead to a new awareness of resilience and strength, a new sense of freedom, and new perspectives, as priorities are clarified and trivial involvements fall away.
The losses we feel are real, nonetheless, and must be acknowledged and given the honor of our compassionate attention, if we are to work through our feelings of grief and anger to achieve some sense of acceptance and move toward emotional recovery."
On loss...
"...there is something about having breast cancer that stays with many of us, preventing us from putting this illness out of our minds and into the past. From my own experience and that of the hundreds of women I've heard discussing these issues over the years, I believe that what's bothering us is fundamentally three-fold: what we've lost, what we fear and how we've changed.
Over time, our sense of what we have lost is very likely to become tempered - and even outweighed - by evidence of personal growth, as hard-won struggles lead to a new awareness of resilience and strength, a new sense of freedom, and new perspectives, as priorities are clarified and trivial involvements fall away.
The losses we feel are real, nonetheless, and must be acknowledged and given the honor of our compassionate attention, if we are to work through our feelings of grief and anger to achieve some sense of acceptance and move toward emotional recovery."
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Monthly Exam Time...
It's the 15th of the month - time for a breast self exam!
Click HERE to go the the American Cancer Society's instructions for a self exam.
Do this on the 15th of each month - make it a habit!
Click HERE to go the the American Cancer Society's instructions for a self exam.
Do this on the 15th of each month - make it a habit!
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