Lymphie Strong 2021 Empowerment Series Events Calendar

The 2021 Empowerment Series Events Calendar will highlight all events for our support groups with the aim to fulfill our mission of helping to close the gap in finding information and to help end isolation.

It is our honor and pleasure at Lymphie Strong to also host guest speakers in lymphology from around the world for virtual support group meetings and as educational opportunities.

All recorded events are uploaded to the Lymphie Strong YouTube channel for future reference.

We love what we do, and we do it with passion. We look forward to seeing you.

2021 #MOVETHATLYMPH CHALLENGE SERIES

The #MOVETHATLYMPH Challenge Series was created in 2017 and is sponsored by Juzo USA. It’s a platform to get moving, stay moving, and commit to your lymphatic health by doing something active each day, for at least 10 minutes for 365 days straight. If you can do more, that’s great. Over 500 people from 16 countries have participated.

Each year is centered around a different fitness theme. For 2021, we have 8 events planned and our theme is Fitness For All to demonstrate different workouts outside of the traditional 5K race. New challenges this year include the Muévelo Zumba Fitness Challenge for our zumba enthusiasts, the Manic Lymphatic Cycling & Hydration Challenge for cyclists and recumbent bike riders, and the Pump It Up Kettlebell Challenge just to name a few.

We invite you to join the Lymphie Strong Running & Fitness Club or follow @lymphiestrong and @movethatlymph on Instagram. All that is required to join our group is that you answer the questionnaire, abide by our group rules, and be impacted by lymphedema in some aspect of your life. You may also tag @lymphiestrong on Twitter.

Are you up to boosting your daily outlook?

During the months of January – February our empowerment exercise will be to focus on psychological strength and compassion based on expressing gratitude. To participate, each day I will share the gratitude day and you respond with either something you are thankful for, or a kind thought about someone else. We did this last year with great success, and I’m hoping our new members will enjoy it too. The Official Lymphie Strong Inspiration Group for Lymphedema is sponsored by JOBST USA and LymphCare USA.

“The one new year’s resolution I would recommend is to take time to experience gratitude—that feeling of appreciating all the blessings in your life,” Dr. Laurie Santos, Yale University professor of psychology and host of The Happiness Lab podcast told Newsweek. Gratitude, according to Santos, can be a jumping off point for more tangible lifestyle changes.
“There’s lots of research showing that experiencing more gratitude can boost happiness, but gratitude has also been shown to increase self-control—which can lead you to be more patient, save more money and even eat healthier. So experiencing more gratitude is like a meta-resolution—it allows you to feel happier but it also gives you the psychological strength you need to achieve other goals in the new year as well,” Santos wrote.

Join here: Official Lymphie Strong Inspiration Group for Lymphedema

2021 Clean-ish Eating Program by Lymphie Strong

Beginning January 26, 2021 (Central Time – US & Canada) we are kicking off a brand new program in the Lymphie Strong Cafe called 2021 Clean-ish Eating using hashtags #lymphiestrongcafeclean21 and #movethatlymph. Lymphie Strong created the Move That Lymph #movethatlymph program in 2017 for our fitness group and now we will establish that same credo to our food group.

Every Wednesday we will share a post on a topic asking members to share some aspect of your eating for your lymphatic health, and each Sunday we will share any successes. Highlighting successes for managing flare-ups, symptoms, and feeling better overall through eating are encouraged. We are a body positive group culture. Basic principles are 1) Do not judge others unless it’s to praise. 2) List your own personal meal, snack, or positive change. Thanks to Xpandasox for supporting our Cafe vision.

Join here: Lymphie Strong Cafe – Lymphedema Food Support Group

3rd Annual Lymphie Strong Virtual Half Marathon/10K/5K

Exclusive BrightLife Direct Gift Card Giveaway

During the month of March, BrightLife Direct is teaming up with Lymphie Strong for an Exclusive Gift Card Giveaway for Lymphie Strong Community Members! Every Saturday morning we will giveaway a $50 gift card to one lucky winner! The fun starts on World Lymphedema Day March 6th and continues on the 13th, 20th, and 27th.

Lymphie Strong will share a post with a “Phrase Of the Day” related to Lymphedema Awareness. To participate, you type the phrase in the comments. One random winner will be selected by BrightLife Direct out of all of the comments at 12 noon CST. You must be a member of the group to win.

Join here: Official Lymphie Strong Inspiration Group for Lymphedema

Lisa Berman Sylvestri, MSPT, CLT-LANA

Are you in pain with lymphedema? Did you realize that there might be movements you can do to help? Join us to hear about Pain Elements of Lymphedema: How to Counteract with Movement and Exercises.

Lisa Berman Sylvestri, MSPT, CLT-LANA is a licensed physical therapist and certified lymphedema therapist, with 20 years of clinical experience, and 12 in lymphedema/oncology. She is certified through both the Academy of Lymphatic Studies, as well as the Dr. Vodder school. She developed and built a lymphedema and oncology rehabilitation program at San Ramon Regional Medical Center in San Francisco’s East Bay and has been volunteering with the local Cancer Support Community for years educating newly diagnosed patients about lymphedema. Most recently, she started Oasis Physical Therapy and Wellness as a private practice lymphedema and oncology rehab center.

Join here: Pain Elements of Lymphedema: How to Counteract with Movement and Exercises – Mar 1, 2021 05:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

MUÉVELO ZUMBA FITNESS CHALLENGE

Move it, shake it! Dancing releases stress and endorphins. You’re beautiful and muy caliente! Join us for our first ever Lymphie Strong Zumba challenge and a chance to win Juzo USA therapy tape. Register here.

Prof Dominic Furniss DM MA MBBCh FRCS(Plast)

Join us to hear more about surgical options for lymphoedema treatment as we welcome Professor Furniss back as our guest. Prof Furniss is a Plastic Surgeon with a special interest in lymphoedema and hand surgery. He lectures regularly at both national and international conferences and did his medical training at Cambridge and Oxford Universities.

The team at the Oxford Lymphoedema Practice brought LVA supermicrosurgery to the UK in 2012. Since that time they have performed over 200 lymphoedema operations on patients from the UK and all over the world. They focus on Lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA), Vascularized lymphnode transfer (VLNT) and Liposuction for lymphoedema (SAPL).

Karen Ashforth, MS, OTR, CLT-LANA

Karen currently works at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Stockton, California, providing inpatient and outpatient lymphedema treatment. Karen also has a private consulting practice.

Karen speaks frequently at academic, clinical, and professional settings and performs clinical research that she presents and publishes nationally and internationally. Her presentations have included four International Lymphology Congress meetings: 2017 Spain, 2015 USA, 2011 Sweden, and 2009 Australia, as well as medical conferences in the United States, Canada, and Israel. She is an adjunct faculty member with the University of the Pacific in the Doctoral Physical Therapy Program.

Karen’s passions in lymphedema practice are equipment innovation and development, treatment of underlying fibrosis and inflammation, and assessment of complex and difficult cases. She is considered an expert in clinical use of pneumatic compression and has participated in development of numerous devices and appliances.

Wei Chen, MD, FACS

Welcome to our first ever Lymphie Strong Lymphatic Surgery Lightning Round Q&A featuring Dr. Wei Chen, MD, FACS, Professor of Plastic Surgery, Head, Regional Microsurgery & Supermicrosurgery, and Co-Director, Center for Lymphedema Research and Reconstruction at the Cleveland Clinic.

This event will be Q&A only. No PowerPoint presentation or lecture will be given.
Simply register and join ready with your question to post in the Q&A section of the webinar.
Please keep questions concise to allow time for as many to have their question answered as possible.

As shared on World Lymphedema Day 2021, the Center for Lymphedema Research and Reconstruction at Cleveland Clinic is a resource for Lymphie Strong thanks to Dr. Chen. We thank him in advance for this great opportunity to ask our questions live. The session will be recorded and available in August.

‘We strive to not just helping individual lymphedema patients, but also to educate the public and other medical professionals to let them know that effective treatments for lymphedema do exist. I appreciate the opportunity to more directly reach out and help on the Lymphie Strong platform!’
Dr. Wei f. chen

Registration

Register here: What should health professionals and families know about lymphedema in children and young adults? Sep 4, 2021 05:00 PM London / 12 Noon New York

About

Webinar Overview

Part I – National Children’s Lymphoedema Services

National Children’s Lymphoedema Service history over the last 6 years
Audit information showing more prevalence in children and young people than previously recorded
Insight into new projects and symptom report tools developed from data, family fun days, and social media groups for CYP to network, including the difference having a national CYP specialist has had in delivering expert care to every corner in Wales

Part II – Health Professionals Need for Education and Next Steps

Evidence presented that health professionals have an education need in this topic
Suggestions from CYP lymphedema experts in focus groups
How you can help get the perspective of lymphedema specialists worldwide by an online survey this Fall

Part III – Q&A

Total time: 45 minutes

Dr Rhian Noble-Jones, PT and National Lymphoedema Researcher

Rhian is a physical therapist who specializes in lymphedema education and research. She is national researcher for the publically funded (NHS) Lymphoedema Network Wales. She is also an Associate Lecturer for Swansea University, Wales, a Senior Honorary Lecturer for Glasgow University, Scotland, and Chair of the Scientific Committee of the British Lymphology Society. Her research portfolio is centred on the education needs of health professionals managing lymphedema. Her mission is to enhance the value of lymphoedema care by bringing together the care needs of people with lymphedema (of all ages) with the education needs of the professionals supporting them.

Mr. Karl Hocking, OT and National Lymphoedema Lead, Children and Young People

Karl heads a national interdisciplinary team of lymphedema specialists with specific training in the management of lymphedema in Children and Young People (CYP) for Lymphoedema Network Wales. He draws on years of experience as an occupational therapist within mental health and blends this into his specialist training in the paediatric and family field. Karl’s passion is around engagement, shared decision making, education and collaboration, reflecting his background as a keen sportsman and rugby player. His mission is to improve CYP lymphedema care….enabling families…empowering young people….making therapy fun for CYP and families.

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Learning more and connecting with others can be a source of support and comfort.
Visit our lymphedema groups to find what’s right for you.