Has anyone used the Strength and Courage DVD for exercise?

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coffeelatte
coffeelatte Member Posts: 209
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

I am waiting to meet with a lymphedema PT, so in the meantime I have been doing gentle rubbing of the swollen arm and chest along with 45 minutes of arm elevation above the heart several times per day.  I am seeing improvement with less swelling in my arm and less pain around the SND so I am encouraged.

While waiting for my appointment (two more weeks) I was looking at a link and saw the DVD called Strength and Courage DVD for Breast Cancer Survivors.  Reading about it on the website, it seems to be addressing how to gently exercise the upper limbs in a way that does not flare lymphedema.  Since I had a flare just riding my exercise bike last week (after not doing it since my BC surgery) I was thinking maybe this DVD would be of benefit. Has anyone else tried it or something like this? I don't want to make things worse but I want to build up some function. I am to a point lifting my laptop computer or a dinner plate out of the dishwasher can make my arm ache and heavy. Not sure what to dol

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  • kira66715
    kira66715 Member Posts: 4,681
    edited January 2014

    Coffee, the DVD is a favorite of Katie Schmitz, the woman who authored the weight lifting studies--the PALS trials. I own a copy and it has some stretches, and then there is a portion with weight lifting and and admonition that LE is ONLY possible if you had an ALND, and to call if you swell for more than a month.

    That said, I have done it--although I skip the wall push ups, and the stretches are nice and the weight lifting is basic and easy.

    However, at the PALS studies, women had to be stable to participate, and it doesn't really sound like you're stable right now if you're flaring with minimal lifting and exercising. I do think that once you get through this phase, the DVD can be nice for basic stretches and an easy plan for gradual strengthening using hand weights.

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  • coffeelatte
    coffeelatte Member Posts: 209
    edited February 2014

    Kira, thank you for the reply.  It makes perfect sense as I read your post to not go off in another direction until I see the P.T.  I called them yesterday and the receptionist was able to move my appointment to this coming Thursday (weather permitting).  I get nervous when I see and feel the swelling so I jump on the internet to find whatever I can do thinking it must be better than doing nothing. I appreciate your advice and I am so glad I did not order the tape at this time.  I could have made the situation worse as I feel anything but stable right now because my arm swells over such small things. I am also glad I got the nerve to call my BS office to ask for a referral for PT because when I last saw the BS he said you can not get lymphedema with only one node removed.  Well, the swelling in my arm and all across my chest on that side sure tell a different story.

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  • kareenie
    kareenie Member Posts: 339
    edited February 2014

    google lebed method it is a dvd a lot of us use for le. it is very gentle. or search  here on bco we have  diiscussed it a lot.

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  • coffeelatte
    coffeelatte Member Posts: 209
    edited February 2014

    I will look for the lebed method DVD today.  Thank you.  I really appreciate the responses.  I have been rubbing the area where my lymph node was removed kind of vigorously, as my BS had instructed me to do, and now I am wondering if that isn't making it swell more.  I have a spot on the top of my incision that is all swollen and hurts (when I lift anything, cough, wear a prosthesis, or rub it). The BS said to keep rubbing it until it was not so sensitive.  Well after doing this on and off for a couple of months, the only thing it did was make it more sensitive and swell a bit more.  So this morning I used a very gentle motion and lightly moved the skin with my hand.  It hurts a little less and I think worked better than all that vigorous (tiring) rubbing.  Thanks for the suggestions; they are so helpful.

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