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  • Lymphedema and Exercise

    Posted 4/7/2013 by hhill
      Occasionally, there is a nice convergence of events. This entry arises from one of those moments. This morning at the gym, I was thinking (who knows why) about lymphedema and the sometimes contradictory advice about exercise and the risk of developing it. As I write this, I can see myself doing leg presses while watching a woman who was lying on the window sill, on a mat, doing arm lifts with small bar bells. I assume she was lying on the window sill, instead of the floor, as she wanted her arm to hang down. I don't think I have ever seen anyone do this before, and I was curious why she chose this position rather than standing up to do the lifts. I didn't ask her, so, unless one of you knows the answer and responds, this will remain a mystery. Anyhow, this moment happened, and then I came home and read this study about the possible impact of both heavy and light resistance exercises on the risk of developing lymphedema. Read more... Comments (0)
  • Benefits of Yoga

    Posted 4/6/2013 by hhill
      Learning more about the potential benefits of yoga is not really surpising, but it is nice to read more positives about this special form of exercise. For several years, I participated in a weekly class for women who had been treated for breast cancer, and it was great. Indeed, I felt strong and more flexible and very relaxed in the immediate moments afterwards. Life changed, and that particular class stopped, and I have not really done yoga since. Last summer, I went one morning to a drop in yoga class near our cottage in Maine. I had seen the sign, and it seemed like an easy and good opportunity to try this again. Instead, it was a stark reminder of the difference a few years (maybe 8, not really sure when the earlier yoga class ended) can make, and that, although I do go to the gym daily, yoga clearly uses different muscles. Several of the poses were very tough, and the larger problem was the next morning when I could barely move. Read more... Comments (0)

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About the Blogger

Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW, OSW-C is the Manager of Oncology Social Work at BIDMC. For more than thirty years, her daily work at BIDMC has been primarily focused on supporting women with breast cancer. A nationally known writer and speaker, she was the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's first Hatcher Survivorship Professor. In 1993, and again in 2005, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through the standard treatments of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy. These experiences have given her great credibility with her patients and transformed her life's work to her life. Ms. Schnipper lives gratefully with her husband in an ancient farmhouse outside of Boston and spends as much time as possible in a water front cottage on Mt Desert Island. Between them, they have five adult children and seven grandchildren; she claims biological responsibility for two and three of them.