Karen Goeller’s Latest Interview

In this interview with Mindy Sheier of Gamut Management, Karen and Mindy discuss how working in the film industry with a disability is very challenging,  books, health, sports coaching, and other topics.

Karen is a signed Actor/Model with Gamut Management. She is available for film, tv, photo-shoots, book signings, consulting, and more.  Here’s the interview,  https://youtu.be/oVitWpxhmN8

Contact Mindy at Gamut for film, tv, and modeling projects. www.gamutmanagement.com. Click on the Contact tab.
Contact Karen for book signings and consulting work.

 

Karen Goeller Books

How many have you seen? There are about 20 books available through bookstores by Karen Goeller, CSCS. Check them out here, www.amazon.com/author/karengoeller.

Handwashing is Not a New Concept… COVID-19

   Handwashing is really not a new concept. So many people are stressed because they must wash their hands more often as a result of this COVID-19 (Corona Virus). I laugh at the silliness of it all. We should all be washing our hands before we eat, after using restrooms, and when we first walk into our house after a day of work or being out and about.

   I’ve been living like this since my 1991 cancer surgery. I have one liquid soap dispenser and one foam dispenser on my bathroom sink. Do you know what’s in my foam dispenser? Listerine Ultra Clean. I use one pump of soap and one pump of the Listerine and wash my hands as soon as I walk into my house and right after I walk my dog.

   Here is an excerpt from my book telling people exactly what it is like to live like a germ-a-phobe for life.

  “Besides wearing the compression stocking there are many things that must be considered daily. In addition to dealing with the lymphedema, I must take precautions as I go through my day.

  The one thing that most people do not understand is that I must be careful with germs…

  I have to avoid athlete’s foot and clean between my toes carefully. I must make sure I do not step on anything that would cut my foot or cause infection. That is why I always wear something on my feet. I even wear slippers or flip-flops in my house. I never walk around barefoot.

  The research I read right after my cancer surgery, and the information the doctors confirmed, was that germs could cause serious complications with lymphedema. An infection could send me to the hospital. Great, a place where I can pick up MORE germs!

  After my surgery, it was recommended that I carry antibiotics, alcohol swabs, and a first aid kit to take care of any cut or other mishap immediately. I did do that for the first year. Keeping a first aid kit with me was annoying. I do still carry antibacterial wipes and a few Band-Aids, just in case. OK, I admit it, there is a first aid kit in my car.

  You would not believe how much there is to think about when doctors tell you to avoid germs! It’s insane! Can you spell GERM-APHOBE? I wash my hands often, use Lysol in my house to kill viruses on surfaces, and always make sure my food is prepared properly.

  Since my lymph nodes were removed, I have fewer “filters” than anyone whose lymph nodes were not removed. In other words, dealing with bacteria, virus, or other issues could be problematic. It’s a real pain in the neck to worry about germs and swelling all of the time, but again, the doctors saved my life with the surgery.”

 So stop stressing that you must wash your hands and clean surfaces. Many people with previous or current medical issues live this way daily. I bet if you keep up with the handwashing you’ll catch fewer colds in the future too.

   There is more information on the book is at www.LymphedemaBook.com. My blog is at www.KarenGoeller.com.

Lymphedema Maintenance

For those with lymphedema… There are two things I recommend for overall health that may eventually ease your symptoms a little (every little bit helps!).

Drink lots of lemon water, fresh lemon squeezed into your water. It will keep you hydrated, adds potassium which helps with fluid balance, and add vitamins that help with your immune system.

The other thing is to use organic wheatgrass powder mixed in lemon water in the morning. The wheatgrass has many health benefits. It will add nutrient that you may not be getting from your food. here is an article with 7 benefits of wheatgrass, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/wheatgrass-benefits#section1

I am fortunate that I have been able to drastically reduce my swelling and maintain my lymphedema well, but I did notice a nice difference a few years ago when I added the lemon water daily and wheat grass in the mornings before breakfast. My leg looks totally normal if I do not do too much standing.

I do still elevate my leg whenever I am not standing and I di use compression on days I work. My leg is swollen at the end of the day, but all the things I do for maintenance really make a difference. the discipline with eating, elevating, and compression make a huge difference in my quality of life. You CAN get there too!

One more note, since lymph nodes filter proteins, make sure you are not overdoing the proteins. Get a balance of nutrients in addition to your proteins and stay away from protein shakes.

Good luck to all with lymphedema… I know it’s very difficult…

Read my story at LymphedemaBook.com.

Lymphedema Diet

After seeing a photo of me holding my Lymphedema Book, someone asked me, “Is there a specific diet you follow for lymphedema?” My initial response was, “A healthy one!”

Not being wise, seriously, a healthy variety of real foods. I try to eat many fruits and vegetables daily and I eat carbs and proteins. Yes, I eat carbs! Every cell in your body NEEDS glucose to function.

And I eat enough proteins, but I do not overdo the proteins. Unused proteins go back to the liver, get converted to glycogen, and then get stored in your body as fat. So too much protein not only stresses your organs, it gets stored as fat if not used for energy. And when your body is using protein as energy, it is actually taking it from muscle. So if you are not doing resistance exercise and you are not eating carbs, you will end up with very little muscle tone and too much fat stored in your body. Stop doing the protein drinks and bars if you are not a body-builder. They were created for body-builders, not for middle-aged people who do not exercise very intensely.

And yes, I eat carbs! I eat plenty of rice, potatoes, yams, quinoa, and pasta that is made from legumes and oats. I eat oatmeal, oat bran, or cream of wheat with one or two of the following in my hot cereal flax, chia seeds, blueberries, or goji berries in the morning. And I use almond or coconut milk rather than cow milk.

I admit, when I visit mom, I do eat a slice of cake if she offers it after dinner, but I do not keep junk food at home. Junk food is not part of my daily eating routine.

And do not follow any diet that is advertised. Why? because they are advertising their diets in order to sell you something. It does not mean that it is a suitable eating plan for you. Many generations before us did very well just eating real foods. The human body has not changed in its needs. Eat your fruits and vegetables! It will pay off in the long run.

Enjoy the rest of your day…

www.LymphedemaBook.com

 

Be Inspired, Lymphedema Book by Karen Goeller

www.LymphedemaBook.com

Karen holding her book, Lymphedema: Sentenced to Life in Bed, but I Escaped.

Read the book, Lymphedema, Sentenced to Life in Bed, but I Escaped by Karen Goeller.

You’ll be inspired… Read how Karen went from being a bed-ridden cancer patient to who she is today.

Cancer DOES change your life, especially when it hits in your twenties.

It’s sold in print and kindle versions.

Lymphedema and Swimming

Karen holding her book, Lymphedema: Sentenced to Life in Bed, but I Escaped.

Swimming to reduce leg lymphedema….

For years I’ve been telling people with Leg Lymphedema that the best exercise to reduce the swelling is swimming. Why? There are a few reasons swimming is the best exercise.

One, because you are horizontal when swimming rather than vertical and your leg below your torso. This is similar to when you are lying down or elevating your leg to reduce the swelling.

Two, when swimming your bodily fluids are circulating. The movement of the limbs and muscles are creating a force to move the fluids throughout your body. The movement of kicking while swimming is helping to push the fluids out of your leg. Your blood and lymphatic fluid are being moved more rapidly when swimming rather than sitting or lying down.

Three, the water itself offers a gentle compression when in a pool. It is more gentle than a compression stocking, but it is still helpful for when you stand in the pool in between swimming. Swimming is great, but even standing and moving your leg through the water is helpful.

And four, swimming is non-impact. That means, your foot is not striking the floor with each step as it is with walking or running. Walking and running actually cause leg lymphedema to become worse because of all of the pounding/impact and gravity. Yes, they help circulation a little, but the impact causes the fluids to be packed down into the leg rather than pushing the fluids out of the leg. Your body is vertical and the fluids run down. Swimming is very gentle and effective for those of us with leg lymphedema compared to any other aerobic exercise.

I’ve been dealing with leg lymphedema since my 1991 cancer surgery. At the time, I already had a physical therapy degree, was a fitness trainer, and a gymnastics coach. I knew how the body functioned.

I had malignant melanoma in my right thigh. I was told that I would be bed-ridden for the rest of my life by many doctors after cancer surgery. The surgery was the only way to save my life. That was if it wasn’t already too late. The doctor was not sure if the cancer had already spread to my lymph nodes and throughout my body. If it had, it would have been too late. Going into the surgery I did not know whether I had weeks to live or a lifetime of being in bed.

The doctors removed the malignant tumor and the lymph nodes from my groin area during the surgery. It was two surgeries combined that lasted many hours. Immediately after the surgery, my leg was as wide as my waist. I had a tree trunk and a long way to go to reduce it to normal size. My life was saved, but my leg and life were forever changed. It took nearly one year to reduce my leg to almost normal size. I have maintained my leg lymphedema extremely well because I am so disciplined.

A few quick tips for reducing the swelling… elevate, compression, circulation/light exercise, and a very healthy diet of various fruits and vegetables – that’s the secret to reducing the swelling and keeping it down. Eat foods such as fruits and vegetables. Stay away from processed foods, fast-foods, junk foods, alcohol, soda, and other unhealthy foods.

I studied physical therapy in college and have been a CSCS for many years. I know how to maintain health and recover from illness and injury. I admit, my knowledge has made it easier for me to maintain my leg lymphedema, but you can do it too.

What prompted me to write this today? I go all winter long wishing I had access to a pool so I can maintain my lymphedema better. This week the pool opened and I paid for my pool pass. I’ll be able to keep my leg looking and feeling good, hardly any swelling on non-working days. YAY!!!

I swam for the first time this summer yesterday and my leg felt and looked great afterward. Elevating today and it feels good. Can’t wait to go to my ballroom dance social later this evening!

Anyone in NJ with leg lymphedema that wants to talk, meet for a quick swim, or needs a little bit of help just reach out to me. My schedule is very sporadic and constantly changing, but we will connect if you reach out.

Read about my journey with cancer surgery and lymphedema here, www.lymphedemabook.com

Karen Goeller on Late Night with Johnny P

Karen Goeller Interviewed in summer 2016 by Johnny Potenza, https://vimeo.com/182549120

Watch the whole show, Johnny P is really funny. My interview goes from 14:52 to 24:30.

Late Night Late Night With Johnny P / Episode #105 from Johnny Potenza on Vimeo.

Gymnastics, Sports, Fitness Books

Gymnastics, Sports, Fitness Books by Karen Goeller, CSCS

Books are great gifts for kids and adults!

Gymnastics, Sports, Fitness Books

Gymnastics, Sports, Fitness Books by Karen Goeller, CSCS

Books are great gifts for kids and adults!