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Living and Exercising with Lymphedema
Blog | December 04, 2014
Hi Zuzka,
I felt that I had to personally thank you for all that you do for us Zwarriors. I am new to the zgym & only discovered you on youtube a few months ago.Your zwows were the best workouts that I’ve come across.I did the ones that I was able to do,you see I suffer from a condition called Primary lymphedema,which means that I have a faulty lymphatic system that doesn’t remove the toxic protein rich fluid from my body,the fluid builds up in the lower extremity causing immense swelling & pain.I consider myself lucky that for most part I can keep it under control by following the correct treatment,eg manual lymphatic drainage,wearing multi-layer bandages or compression garments,elevation,exercise & healthy eating habits.If I don¡t follow all of these treatments my condition will deteriorate rapidly & my leg would become difficult to treat.This condition compromises my immune system & I have to be careful of of many things,simple things,like shaving,scratches from my pets,colds,coughs all could lead to a serious infection called cellulitis.
Whats brings me to write to you is because I’ve just returned from a trip & I had to fly.Flying or standing for long periods of time results in massive swelling & pain.While I was away I couldn’t workout, I had little space & internet was slow however I walked everywhere, but still it isn’t the same. I was gone for only 6 days & when I returned home, my leg was in poor shape. The following day, I went headlong into a cardio shred workout & completed to the best to my ability but the pain & soreness just about “killed me” for that day & the next I had to stop, I felt awful, it wasn’t until this morning that I thought, I will do power yoga 2 & to my amazement the pain started to ease as I stretched ( stretching is good for the lymphatic system) & by the end my mind & body felt a lot calmer but what you said at the end of the video, let me quote “Everyday doesn’t have to be an intense workout” I finally realized that it’s o.k if I can’t do everything that you do, I can modify to my needs & I’m still getting my workouts done. My leg (I name her “Chunkie”) sometimes is so heavy from the fluid build up, I struggle with the extra weight doing some of the leg exercises, you see I’m stubborn & want to keep your pace.
I enclose a photo of “chunkie” after standing for several hours without any elevation.
Lymphedema is not well known, yet thousands & thousands worldwide suffer from this condition men & women, unfortunately most Breast cancer & Ovarian cancer survivors will develop lymphedema. It’s a terrible condition if it goes untreated, it will turn into Elephantiasis, I have quite a few members who suffer from this, the reason being, insurance doesn’t cover our treatment & compression garments & drainage therapy cost a fortune. My Facebook group is called (it’s a closed group) I Live With Lymphedema/Lymphoedema But I Won’t Let It Rule My Life, and we have about 1 thousand members.
Thank you so much for what you do & may your Zgym continue to grow & prosper.
Regards,
Sarah Barnes.
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Private Member |
san antonio, texas, united states
Thank you for sharing Sara, keep on keeping on!!!!
Private Member |
Such a strong inspiring woman. Thanks to you both!
Private Member |
I like you’re attitude, you are inspirational!! It’s people like you, my husband who is a cancer survivor and Zuzka that help me to never want to give up on my fitness and health goals. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing.
Private Member |
campinas, sao paulo, brazil
Hi Sarah! I don’t know if you’ll read my message, but I just wanted to share my experience and maybe this might help you. I’m 26 years old, and about four years ago my right foot started to get swollen, and it would stay like this for many many days, then it would get less swollen, but never came back to the normal size. During these years I’ve had this experience of having this foot really swollen, then less, then more. About a year ago, I started to get more interested in learning about health, one of the reasons being that I wanted to figure out why my foot was swollen, and I went to see some doctors, checked my veins, my circulatory system, and there was nothing abnormal. So I decided I was gonna figure it out by myself, searching on the internet. And what I found was that food allergies and sensitivities are the cause of innumerable health conditions and very varied ones. Before doing any tests, I removed gluten from my diet, and saw an enormous difference in the swelling, and felt much better overall. Then I decided to go see a holistic, naturopathic doctor (I’m not sure if that’s how you say it in English), which from my experience are the only doctors that can help cure chronic diseases and that see your body as a whole, and she asked for a saliva test to see if I had food sensitivities. And I did have them: gluten, milk, beans, peas, yeast, wheat, almonds, and some other things. I’ve removed them from my diet, and my foot has not been swollen ever since! I don’t know if you’ve done a test like this before or not, but maybe this can help shed a light on your condition. I hope that helps and good luck!!!
Private Member |
Nathalia,I’m so glad that you found a way to control your swelling,that’s great.Like you I follow a healthy diet,I don’t eat refined foods,soda etc.
I have a condition called lymphedema tarda(primary),which means my lymphatic system could cope with getting rid of the lymph fluid for the first 30 years of my life then it couldn’t cope any more.Unfortunately all my lymph vessels are damaged from thigh to ankle & I also have C.V.I (chronic venous insufficiency) double wamy. Secondary lymphedema is mainly caused by the removal of lymph nodes from breast/ovarian cancer survivors,all will develop lymphedema at some stage,secondary lymphedema can also be triggered by a fall or insect bite & this will lead to infection (cellulitis)which will trigger lymphedema.Also secondary lymphedema is very common among the obese,the extra weight will crush the lymph nodes & damage the lymph vessels.It’s so important to keep a healthy body weight & to exercise regularly not just for lymphedema patients but everyone.
Private Member |
seattle, washington
Thank you for sharing Sarah. Sarah mentioned this article in Zuzka’s Warriorz I wonder if even though it’s behind the ZGYM wall it might not make sense to mention it at your Zuzka Light page on facebook Zuzka.
Private Member |
usa
Sarah, you are a true warrior! Thank you for sharing your story with us; you are an inspiration. Keep fighting the good fight!
Private Member |
la valette-du-var, france
Your story is so inspiring Sarah, you’re so strong and we can see you’re such a beautiful person ! Thanks for sharing and good luck !
Private Member |
los angeles, ca, usa
Very inspiring story, Sarah. Truly the one who desires overall fitness won’t have any excuse. You’re strong and determine to help yourself, love that. Keep it up, Sarah, a true warrior!!!
Private Member |
montreal, canada
Thanks for sharing Sarah. Lots of people (most people probably) would suffer the consequences of this disease without fighting. You’re certainly an inspiration for us. Keep going 🙂
Private Member |
claremore, ok
Thanks for sharing Sarah. My mom has lymphedema. I’m going to hook her up with your facebook page. I’m sure it will be a blg blessing to her.:) I was happy to see your article.
Private Member |
That’s great Carrie. Tell me your mothers name & I’ll look out for her in “requests to join”. Tell your Mom to keep motivated & never give up – we are Lymphie Warriors! 🙂