'Lymph Edema,' exercise and MS

Howdy to everyone. I've been away at a gathering of the clan, at the beach. It was SO much fun! I do enjoy these connection sessions immensely. Of course they're tiring, to say the least. I was very good about staying under an umbrella, gunked up with SPF 50 and so on, and fortunately the weather was lovely, breezing, warm and not humid.

It was very hard to walk across the little dune of dry, drifting sand, so I got way behind some others, but not a big deal. I did walk on the boardwalk for a good mile and a half. I asked them to go more slowly and they tried, but quickly forgot, and I had to rest on a bench, but I did it. That's what I enjoy doing, and I want my old life back!!!  Arrgh. Well, I paid for that with fatigue and severe pain in my legs for 24 hours, but that's nothing compared with stuff that happened in the recent past when I REALLY overdid it. I'm learning the hard way.

You may be wondering what all this has to do with the title of this thread, and I guess not much, but I also wanted to explain what I've been up to and to apologize for missing so many posts.

This morning, though, I saw my PCP for a pre-op physical, since I have foot surgery coming up. I also asked him about a lot of swelling I'm having around my right elbow. I'm subject to fluid retention in general, and I do have that elsewhere in many places, but he said this is different. It's not fluid, it's the thick sludgy stuff the lymph system collects and filters, basically body waste from the cells. Nothing to do with the digestive system and blood. I seem to have big masses of this, mostly above the elbow. As it happens, about 15 years ago I severely fractured that elbow, requiring 3 surgeries and a year of physical therapy. There's still lots of hardware in there and there always will be. But the PCP said that it didn't matter if it was 115 years ago, the lymph channels there had been badly damaged and couldn't do their job, so the waste stuff is just accumulating.

Here's the MS part---he thinks because I haven't been exercising lately that this is really aggravating. He knows the fatigue can make real exercise sessions impossible. So he said, 'Instead of exercising for an hour, do 60 one minute arm things, maybe with little weights.'  Exercise is one way to stimulate the lymph channels to work better. I'm all for that, and it's doable that way. (And a horrible alternative treatment is to wear a compression garment!  Ugghh!!)

I'm passing this all along because it's so hard for many of us to exercise, yet it's so important. Just doing tiny dibs and dabs is good too. I tend to be too much of an all-or-nothing thinker, myself, but even an old gal can change.

I apologize if maybe there's been a recent thread about this very thing, but still I guess we all need a lot of encouragement to get those muscles working.

Have a good one, everyone.

ess

[wonko]

Below is a link to a recent good post on the forum about exercise:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/544173

I don't have a diagnosis, but this little adventure has reminded me that I should be fighting more for my health.  But of course there are days where it's tough to be combative and fight the good fight.  Thanks for sharing your experience and giving encouragement to keep moving!

  

[Momzilla]

Howdy~ ~

It's SO good to have you back!  We miss you when you go off galavanting as you are wont to do....Glad you had a nice time with your family!

Yes, you do make a very good point about getting moving.  I'm an all-or-nothing type, myself, although most of the literature I read says that exercise is cumulative, and every little bit helps.

I have been taking Provigil again, and my big mistake is thinking that I'm Wonder Woman.  Funny how that leotard cuts like it never used to....

I was on a rare lunch break, and picked up salads for my friend at work and myself.  While at the shopping center where the restaurant was, I decided to walk a long way down to a little shop to check to see if they had computer paper for my resume.  I knew they wouldn't, but it was SOOO nice out, and I wanted to walk, being filled up with the Provigil and all.  My boss had taken the day off, and I was in no rush to get back to my hungry friend, apparently.

So, I walked a loooong way to the craft store for the computer paper (I know now that craft stores don't carry computer paper!).  I had a boingy pep in my step.  Provigil rocks.  Well, I looked in every magical aisle for that elusive paper, and finally decided to go all the way back for the salads.  I was still feeling pretty peppy, and promised myself that I was going to start walking around my neghborhood like this!  My cape was flowing in the breeze. My golden headband was blinding other shoppers.

I enjoyed a nice lunch with my friend, and got lots of work done in the afternoon, invigorated by my physical activity.  Then, around 7:00 the Provigil wore off.  So did I.

I had really overdone it.  I was miserable, and my legs were spasming and I had to lie down.  I turned into the rotund pumpkin I knew I was all along.  A pumpkin who could not lift her left leg.

Tidbits are a very good idea.  Keep the very good ideas coming, ess!

And good luck with your arm.  Let us know if tidbits are helping you.

Feel well!  Love,

Zilla*

[Fluffysmom]

ess, glad you didn't over over-do it, and that you had a good time even though it was hard to get down on the beach.

wonko, thanks for the link; that is a good reminder about how to approach exercise when you have fatigue issues.

Zilla, you make me laugh!  I tend to over do, like go to a whole hour of water aerobics (bathing suit, not leotard, lol!); it feels so nice and easy then I reallllly pay for it.  I'd better not try Provigil, I could see lots of ice packs in THAT future!

I've gotten out some three pound weights and plan on trying some bicep curls and tricep push-back thingys and whatever else can work my muscles without causing massive pain.  I'm going to try dibs and dabs of exercise, too. I may start with one pound cans of beans or something like that.

ess, hope your surgery goes well, with a bearable, quick recovery.  

Hugs to all,

Kathy

[essdipity]

Zil, you're just too much. I can just see you in your Wonder Woman costume. Too bad we get that crash into grim reality, no?

And everyone, let's keep pushing ourselves and each other to exercise. I have some small weights, who knows where, but this afternoon I did grab some substitutes---two cans of Progresso soup. Gotta start somewhere. I do belong to Curves and had been going faithfully for nearly 3 years until this bout of exhaustion.

I did some quick Googling of lymph edema, which apparently is really just one word, and found that the worst outcome of this is elephantiasis!  Holy moley, what next. How horrible. I'd better find those cans of Progresso again pronto.

ess

[wonko]

Just a quick follow up:

Today I attended a seminar about ergonomics as part of a safety training day event at work.  We learned about work by Dr. Levine at Mayo Clinic.  His work found that your "NEAT," or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, has a big impact on how overweight you will be.  I guess this NEAT measures activity below what we'd consider tradional exercise, so those extra jabs and soup can reps would be counted in your NEAT.  Anyway, the report stated that if you cut your time sitting by 150 minutes/day, you will burn 350 calories more that day.

I think 1 lb is about 3,500 cal.  So 10 days of sitting ~2 hours less per day = 1 lb!  So for a whole year, that's like 36.5 lbs!  Moral of the story is that even small extras to your daily movement really add up over time.  

Neat!