Friday, October 14, 2016

Chalk art by David Zinn

David Zinn creates poetic chalk art in the streets of Ann Arbor. He makes his cute little characters interact with objects in the street, and the result is quite charming.







5 Surprising Tricks That Will Enhance Your Concentration

studying-hard

One of the biggest obstacles to being productive is the lack of focus.

Distractions are everywhere these days, not just outside, but at home, and even in our heads. So we need to constantly watch out for them, do our best to prevent interruptions, and structure our days in the most effective way possible by managing our time well.

But still, more focus would make a huge difference to how quickly we get things done and how accomplished we are at the end of the day.

You’ve already heard some general tips on how to concentrate better, so here are a few ways to enhance your mind power that you probably don’t know about:

1. Doodle

For most people, this is a tiny bad habit and a waste of time. But research shows that it’s actually a thinking tool, a powerful exercise that can be beneficial to our ability to focus. What’s more, it helps you be more mindful, productive and creative.

So, being a doodler may be one of your biggest assets. During a business meeting or a lecture, it’s what lets you listen more carefully, and not just remember more from what’s being said, but also internalize it.

When you’re procrastinating because you don’t know where to start, aren’t feeling like it or are just distracted, begin doodling. You’ll come up with ideas and your mind will be recharged.

2. Create a not to-do list

To-do lists are one of the simplest productivity tools out there, but they still serve us well. How about a not to-do one?

Together with writing down what you need to get done during the day and crossing off an item whenever it’s completed, you can also have a section for the things you should avoid doing, like bad habits and things that make you procrastinate and lose focus.

You’ll first need to identify the biggest distractions from daily life.

How does this help you? Well, you become aware of the main factors that are preventing you from concentrating and keep them in mind throughout the whole day.

Sometimes, just a quick reminder of what we shouldn’t be doing, or even thinking about, can work wonders.

Some items you can include are checking email too often, not using social media when you’re doing your most important work for the day, not overthinking before starting a project, not multitasking, not thinking about the work you’ll be doing later (but focusing on what’s next on your list and giving it your undivided attention).

3. Do something completely different

When you’re about to get to work and can’t seem to focus, just go do something else for a while.

That tip doesn’t make sense until you give it a try.

It’s similar to the idea generation process, where you can come up with more ideas when you stop thinking about it.

So whenever you’re distracted, instead of trying too hard to concentrate on your task, go out for a walk, have a quick workout, have a quick chat, call a friend, declutter your room or put some music on and dance for a few minutes.

When you get back to what you were doing, you’ll find it easier to concentrate and will feel fresh and be in a better mood.

4. Chew gum

It’s proven to improve our mind and productivity and help us focus for longer.

According to a study at the Cardiff University, gums are quite practical when you’re facing a continuous activity.

So the next time you need to work on something that’s either boring or takes too long, chew gum and keep your focus.

5. Meditate

You’ve probably heard of that one, but people talk mostly about its overall effects in the long run.

Yes, meditation improves your health in many ways, from strengthening your immune system, reducing blood pressure and decreasing your chances of many diseases, to dealing with depression and managing ADHD symptoms.

But it’s also fantastic for concentration enhancement. Turning it into a daily habit means you’ll learn how to be present, how to focus on one thing for longer (by practicing this using your breath in the beginning) and how to let go of random thoughts, which are often the reason we can’t shut off our brain.

But it can also be used as a quick solution. When getting to work, have a 5-minute meditation session right before that. You don’t need anything specific other than some solitude.

Incorporate zen techniques to your life. Breathe deeply, concentrate on one thought, be at ease and be in the present moment. You’ll instantly lower your heart rate. The deep breaths will help you increase the oxygen supply to your brain and make it work better.

Enhance your brain power

Now that you have new productivity techniques to test, you can stop blaming others for interrupting you while working, stop feeling bad about not being efficient but still doing nothing about the tasks on your list, and stop hoping for things to change without your role.

Luckily, concentration can be boosted daily, even if you dedicate it 5 minutes or so. The long-term effect, however, will be tremendous.

Once you enhance your brain power, you’ll see other changes happening in your life. You’ll remember things with ease and that may be beneficial to your social life and relationships  (people are honored when you remember details about their life or something they said a long time ago, for example).

You’ll excel at work and others will notice that. Your work will never overwhelm you again.

As for learning new things, that will become a piece of cake as gaining knowledge and developing skills is all about how good your memory is, whether or not you can concentrate easily and stay focused for a longer period of time.

So, how will you enhance your concentration today?

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Bedroom Makeover 101: Enhancing The Most Important Place In Your Home

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Are you a late sleeper? Do you enjoy staying longer in bed on weekends? I most certainly do. There’s nothing better than that. By the various researchers, sleep affects the quality of our lives drastically. We spend almost one-third of our lives in the bedroom sleeping, relaxing, and enjoying. It would be smart to examine this room and spend some time improving it. Even though I enjoy sleeping, I wasn’t paying attention on my bedroom that much. Until recently, when I got a comment that it isn’t looking “as tidy as it might be.”

It made me think about it, and start researching about bedroom improvement, and the impact it has on our lives. A bedroom should be a relaxing environment, arranged in a practical manner, making it a perfect sanctuary of your own. Shouldn’t you deserve to sleep in an environment that contributes to sweet dreams and relaxation?

A bad layout and old, somewhat-comfortable furniture won’t make you feel rested and full of energy – often it might be the opposite. We all know the importance of sleep and the consequences of bad sleeping habits. Let’s have a makeover of our bedrooms, and improve our lives!

The bedroom layout

bedroom

First things first. For achieving the optimal bedroom design, it’s important to understand the layout of the room. Before trying to redecorate your old furniture or buy a new one, you’ll need to consider the room size and setup. Take a good look at walls length and window placement and write the information on a sheet of paper – it will help you determine how to arrange the furniture.

It is recommended to measure the furniture and visualize the most suitable place for it, leaving enough space for drawers and cabinets to open properly. Of course, you need additional space to walk around without any obstacles. When it comes to picking a suitable spot for your bed, you should consider all the windows and walls in the room. Try to leave as enough space as possible on the wall side, especially if you share it with your partner for it will enable her or him to approach that side of the bed without having to jump over and distress you. To wrap it all up, here is the list of things you should consider regarding the layout of your bedroom:

  • Measurement of the walls
  • Placement of the windows, doors and closets
  • Measurement of the furniture and shelves
  • Positioning of the bed
  • Placement of wall outlets, switches, and telephone jacks

Take measurements and gather all the data following this list, and try some imaginary layouts, or make a drawing of your room plan, where you’ll try the layout on paper. Remember, a particular paper layout might look perfect, but when you set the bedroom following that scheme, it might not look as good. Be creative, and try out variations until you find the perfect one.

Replacing your old bed

bedroom - replacing the bed

Changing a bed can be a risky and pricey task. To figure out which bed suits your needs the best, you’ll need to analyze the one that you currently have; it’s size and style, type of mattress, its condition. Are you really satisfied with your bed or the change is necessary? Or is it just boredom and you are simply looking for something refreshing and new? Here are some tips on what you should consider while choosing a new bed for your resting sanctuary:

Which type of mattress?

mattress

When it comes to mattresses, choosing the right one can seem quite difficult at first glance. Every mattress has a different name and purpose, and every owner will praise his own mattress saying it’s different or better. To find the best mattress for yourself, you need to look for the shops where you can try the product in your home for 30 days. Things get more complicated if you suffer from back pain.

You’ll have to consider that even a new mattress can cause this type of discomfort, and sleeping on the wrong one can make things even worse. Waking up with back pain is more common than you might think, so it is recommended to find the suitable mattress for back pain relief. A good choice will help you fight the back pain and impact the quality of your life significantly.

Invest in quality

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When it comes to the sleeping bed, where you’ll spend 1/3 of your every day, don’t be cheap. Familiarize with the quality and do some research because it’s important to choose a bed that’s going to last for a number of years and, at the same time, provide you the comfort that you deserve. Here’s more interesting info on getting the best bed for your bedroom.

The atmosphere

bedroom - atmoshpere

Most of the people find it hard to relax in a chaotic environment. Having too much furniture, an unmade bed or color of the walls that doesn’t suit your taste anymore can make the bedroom experience bad. All you have to do is to make the surrounding of the room more appealing. These changes can be small but very efficient.

Improve the atmosphere

Think about the light. If your bed is not facing the window, move it so that sunlight can wake you up in the morning. Also, add photographs of your friends or family on the night table, or piece of art on the wall. If you like a romantic atmosphere, put scented candles in the bedroom. Make sure that furniture fits the room. In a small room, the bulky bed will make space look uninviting, crowded and smaller than it is.

What about the colors?

Both your furniture and your walls need to be in matching colors. The combinations will impact the quality of your sleep and the time you’ll spend there. Here’s more info on choosing colors for your bedroom and their impact on your life.

No electronics

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Remove the TV, any tablets, laptops and other electronic equipment from the bedroom. Checking emails, texting and making phone calls can generate stress. Put television in the living room where you can watch it with your family during the day.

Work should stay out of the bedroom, so there is no need to take the laptop in bed. It is known that the blue light emitted from electronic devices inhibit melatonin production which results in poor sleep quality.

Think about the air

For the comfort and better sleep, fresh and moisture–free air is crucial. Flowers and plants like rubber tree plant or Aloe Vera are great choices for the bedroom. They purify the air and make a relaxing atmosphere. For a one step further, you can use a dehumidifier. They come in different sizes, shapes, and designs so it won’t be hard to find the one that suits your needs. For example, you can use one with smaller capacity only for a bedroom or larger one for the entire house or apartment. Here’s more on picking the best dehumidifier for your bedroom.

A perfect bedroom will change your life

When you take care of every detail in your bedroom, it might look like something like this. Or like something completely different. It all depends on your taste and preference. Make sure that your choice of bed and the mattress is right because the primary purpose of the bedroom isn’t to look good by all means but to provide you a good night sleep. Try to have natural source of light, fresh and low-moisture air.

It might seem daunting now, but in the end, it will pay off.

Trust me, I’ve been there, and done that.

Now, it’s time to sleep in my new, improved bedroom. Good night!

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A Guide to Erect the Right Noise Fencing Around your Backyard

Gramm Noise Fencing

Everyone looks for pleasant surroundings and tranquillity in their backyards. Hopefully, you have an aesthetically pleasant backyard with several plants and trees. But, the noise outside is making you demented and, your plan for a relaxing Sunday at your home’s backyard space has been ruined. It could be the rumbling sound of traffic, the machines generating deafening sound at a construction site near your house, or it could be your neighbour’s children screaming loudly.

But, the noise outside is making you demented and, your plan for a relaxing Sunday at your home’s backyard space has been ruined. It could be the rumbling sound of traffic, the machines generating deafening sound at a construction site near your house, or it could be your neighbour’s children screaming loudly.

Think Wisely to Counter the Noise Intrusion

The reasons of noise pollution could be countless and you cannot deal with every type of noise intrusion at home. But, you can find a feasible solution to counter the traffic noise around your backyard or home. You can erect a noise barrier between the receiver and the source of noise. This is the best solution to keep the noisy traffic and noisy neighbours away. However, the barrier should be hermetically sealed to deliver the best result in terms of noise reduction, because it travels in the form of waves and spreads in the air.

The majority of people are concerned about the aesthetic and flexibility. Hence, they prefer to install hedges of varied heights. Shrubs are also used around the boundaries to create a dense wall to block noise. But, they are not effective in reducing more than 25 percent of the noise. A solid type of fencing is the most effective way to stop noise intrusion.

What are the Factors to Consider for a Barrier Installation?

A fence should be designed to offer the best noise mitigation, hence, it needs to be selected very carefully. There are several factors to be considered when you install a fence. You need to choose the material according to the requirement. You should also take care of the height and dimensions of the barrier wall to kill the noise.

What is the Right Material for Your Fence?

You can classify the materials in two broad categories- Reflective and absorptive. You also have the option of choosing the combination of reflective and absorptive materials to build a barrier wall. Select the material, which can meet your noise reduction requirement. Most common materials which are used by professionals to construct acoustic fencing are acrylic sheets, vinyl, wood, galvanised steel, masonry, concrete, aluminium, and landscaped earth berm.

Each material has own pros and cons and, can minimise the great amount of noise accordingly. So, it is always better to take the help of a professional in the erection of the fence and then, you can maintain it yourself.

What should be the design consideration for effective noise reduction?

Sound travels in the form of waves in the air, and a small gap during the fence installation can diminish the overall performance of a fence for noise reduction. Therefore, you will have to avoid the gaps while erecting a barrier wall. You should also consider the height and location of the barrier. Does the place where you are going to install the fence have rainy days or run heavy wind? What should be the height of the barrier? Will you need permission for erecting a barrier?

Find the answers to all these questions and then go further for the installation. Experts suggest keeping the walls as high as possible to get the best result in noise reduction. However, you don’t need any permission for a two-meter high barrier. It is also advised to keep the noise barrier close to the source or if it is not possible, then you can erect around the area which you want to keep safe from the noise pollution.

Style to Consider for Fencing Installation

The effectiveness of noise reduction should always be your first priority while searching for a right acoustic fencing. But, you shouldn’t ignore the aesthetic. Everyone looks for an aesthetically good fencing system which can improve the appearance of the backyard or the home along with noise mitigation. To make a barrier aesthetically pleasant, people choose transparent barriers for reducing the noise. Planting is also used to enhance the appearance of a property.

Overall, you can gain the success in achieving the peaceful ambience at your backyard, where noise will not disturb your comfort and privacy by installing a right type of fence.

Featured photo credit: Gramm Barriers via grammbarriers.com

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6 Useful Tips to Be A Better Audio Engineer

audio-engineer

With the pace of technology, you are too moving ahead with the help of the Internet. Today technology has provided almost all the lavish facilities for mankind that not only dispel the workload but also save time. Music is considered as one of the most appreciable inventions of mankind. The era of music started with a gramophone and now has been replaced with Bluetooth stereo systems. In all, the importance of an audio engineer is considerably high.

Technically speaking, “the audio engineer is someone who executes recordings, manipulation with the help of different sound effects, mixing and reinforcement of sound.” To be a proficient engineer in this field, you need a die-hard practice. Also, there are many other useful tips that you should adopt to rule the field.

1. Attend an Audio Engineering Program

A trainer can help you to sharpen your skills and become an expert in it. Most of you will start learning from the scratch, so the tutor will help you to learn to operate each and every device and how to use them in the perfect style. If you are a quick learner, you can try to work without a trainer, but even then you will need some extra time as compared to learning with guidance.

You can visit the internet and surf the best available audio engineering programs that suits you and start attending one. You can either gain a diploma or a license in this field.

2. Learn To Coordinate

To rock the music, it’s really important to make coordination with directors, editors, video operators and other sound engineers. There are many other engineers that will usually work with you on the same music. So, it is your hard-core responsibility to maintain a proper coordination with all the other technicians/ engineers. If you find it possible, you can even help others in the team to handle the equipment.

3. Build a Good Setup

During your course, you will already learn about how sound travels, how it is developed and all other technical concepts, it’s time to build a setup according to your knowledge. You setup should enable you to get the best sound out of the microphone. You should also be capable of working with the reflections, echo and other disturbing elements in your process of developing good music.

4. Be Adaptable & Flexible

An audio engineer is usually commanded to travel to different places. So, you must be flexible and always ready to move from one spot to another (as per requirement). Along with that, your adaptability will also be appreciated as your capability to work under different situations shows your die-hard passion for the work.

5. Never Loose Your Focus

Perseverance is the key in this field. To show your perfection while working at an event, it’s your focus that can help you in delivering the best. It’s really important to pay attention to the music you are working on. Different music needs to be worked on with different strategies that can bring the best output without compromising the quality.

6. Upgrade Yourself with the Pace of Technology

Today you are working on one technology and another day a new concept is launched in the market. So, to be the best, make it a habit of upgrading to the ever changing technology. Your expertise on the old technology and keen interest in learning the new one will always help you to make appealing music.

“This industry is still very young and, as such, is constantly changing. Just remember that if you want to make a career out of it, you must be professional, responsible, and courteous at all times.” – Dave Swallow

Mixing is not as easy as the word seems to be. Until you don’t have the mastery on manipulating and mixing the audio with the help of different sound effects, you can’t be considered as a proficient audio engineer. Your expertise will be your identity and make you stand out from the crowd.

Featured photo credit: Sound Reason via soundreason.org

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Try This Simple Test to Evaluate the Quality of your Gold Jewellery

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Gold is categorised as a heavy metal with unique properties. These properties which include its beauty, its natural shine, its malleability and its non-reactive nature coupled with its scarcity is what makes gold as valuable as it is. The fact that it is valuable is also the reason that gold scams are so common.

Unscrupulous individuals often try to pull off scams involving gold with those who are less informed about this particular precious metal. Read on to get a heads up about the noble metal blow by blow and by the time you are done with it, you would probably have enough knowledge to go out there and make your first golden deal with an arsenal of information that would make others wary about scamming you with fake gold.

The Basics

Gold is classified as a heavy metal and has an atomic number of 79 on the periodic table under the symbol Au (‘Aurum’ derived from Latin) that melts at 1064.18 degrees Celsius and boils at 2970 degrees Celsius. Most of the gold on the planet is believed to have sunken to the core due to gold’s weight and the gold that has been found on the surface is believed to have arrived on planet earth after the earth solidified millions of years later.

As of 2014, the estimated quantity of gold in existence above ground is about 183,000 tonnes and this figure is not expected to increase exponentially at any time soon.

Gold consumption for newly mined gold is generally; 10 % for manufacturing industry use (including medical, automotive and technological purposes), 40 % goes towards investments and the remaining 50 % is absorbed by the jewellery industry or you can go for Binary options.

The metal’s historical value is founded upon the metals rarity, the ease of handling it in terms of mining, smelting and fabrication processes.

Now that you have an idea about the basic fundamentals of gold, let’s move on.  Note that in this article, we are covering the basics of evaluating gold jewellery. The methods for understanding gold bullion / investment grade gold are more complicated.

Understanding the Karat system

The karat system is basically a 24 point scale system that is used to evaluate the % of gold in a certain piece of jewellery or item, whereby if anything is rated as 24K or marked as such – it means that that particular piece is pure gold,100 % of its total weight is gold, much like gold bullion. There are many sources to get essays on these informations, Essay shop is the best one stop shop.

Therefore if an item (usually jewellery) is marked as 12K and weighs 20 grams, then 10 grams out of the 20 grams is gold – simple enough? Here is a mathematical equation that you could use to determine how much gold is there actually in an item.

Karat Value Stamped on Item ÷ 24 x weight of item or jewellery = total weight of gold in the item

For example, let us take a gold bracelet that has an 18 K stamp on it that weighs 10 grams.

Using the formula you would get 18/24 x 10grams = 7.5 grams. That means that there is a total of 7.5 grams of gold in that 10 gram item. This formula is derived from Melbourne Gold Company.

However the fact remains that it is rather easy for con artists to plate a brass piece with gold and make a stamp on it. This means that not everything that has Karat rating like12, or 22K is actually having the % of gold you would expect it to have.

So how do you go about overcoming this problem? Use a test kit. Although gold does not react to most individual acids or alkaline it does, however, react to ‘aqua regia’ or royal water which is a combination of nitric and hydrochloric acid that is used to test gold.

These kits are available online for as little as 13 Dollars. It is relatively easy to use.

Testing Gold with a Precious Metals Test Kit – The Acid Test

Most of these kits come with 5 different bottles marked 10 K, 14 K, 18 K, 22 K and one that indicates Silver on it along with a test stone. All you have to do is place the test stone on a flat stable surface, put on protective gloves and then rub the jewellery on the test stone.

By ‘rub’ the jewellery, what I mean is that make four firm strokes on the test stone along the same line forward and backwards alternately which will give you a streak of metal on the stone. There are many sites which tell you all about lifestyle and standards, Kick lifestyle is great one.

Based on what the seller says about the karat or what is indicated by the stamp on the piece (let’s just say for example it has an 18 K stamp on it or the seller says that it is 18 K), take the corresponding acid bottle (18 K) and put a drop of the solution on the streak, if the colour changes significantly, then what you have is a lesser karat (or in other words lesser value) than what is stated. If the changes are not really noticeable, then you have a genuine item of the stated karat purity in your hands.

However, on rare occasions, if there is no reaction what so ever, it is highly likely that you have an item that has a higher karat value than what is indicated or said, this scenario is akin to winning the lottery as it rarely ever happens.

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Living with Breast Cancer - Dealing with diagnosis and treatment

Woman's breast

More women will be diagnosed with breast cancer than any other form of cancer, almost 250,000 women in the US alone will be diagnosed. However, as frightening as this statistic is, you should realise more people are surviving breast cancer than ever before with the 5-year survival rate now at 99%. Whereas this is not a threat which cannot be ignored, cancer is something which, when caught early ,can be fought and beaten.

Recognising the signs of breast cancer

On the 27th of May 2013, Vanessa felt a change in her breast tissue, she was regularly checking herself as she had a family history of cancer, but nothing changes the feeling you get when you find a lump in your breast. She immediately knew that something was wrong, that this was not just a cyst and so when to visit her doctor. Days before she had been hit in the chest by accident as someone walked into her, what she thought was a bruise from a clumsy encounter was  something more sinister.

She was immediately referred to hospital, where there was a thirteen day wait which felt like a lifetime, an emotional roller-coaster wanting the appointment to come sooner but dreading it simultaneously. Finally, standing outside the hospital with a feeling it had to be cancer, in the waiting room there were a number of older women, everyone assured her that she would be too young to have breast cancer, sadly, this was not the case.

Initially the consultant said it was just a bruise, but just as he finished the ultrasound scan he told her the news that it was malignant, his exact words “I’m afraid to say, you have a little cancer”. Vanessa asked the nurse to hold her hand, a human touch to help her cope with the impact of the news.

“It is the feeling that, despite the fact it is you who have cancer, you have to be strong for those around you as well as yourself. It is hard to watch people around you dealing with emotional distress.”

Looking at the x-rays and being able to see the thing which was growing within her was sobering.

“My first question was, ‘am I going to die?’ I was ready for whatever the answer was.”

It was a feeling that cancer was no longer something ‘out there’ which happened to other people. “Why me?” was soon replaced by “Why not me?”, she felt that the lack of control over what was happening was difficult to cope with.

Know yourself and check regularly

Vanessa went through treatment and is now in remission, however her message to any woman is how important regular checks of your breasts are. There are many signs, from lumps or bumps to fluid or heat. There are many great sites to advise you such as knowyourlemons.com.

Vanessa’s one wish is that she could encourage more women to carry out checks regularly, to make it a habit to check themselves monthly. Carry out a check on the first of the month, put it in your diary, make it part of your foreplay with your partner – “do whatever it needs, just make sure you do check”.

Potential side effects of cancer treatment

Vanessa was one of the 99% – she had pretty aggressive treatment but is now in remission. It was only after treatment that she discovered she had contracted an often unspoken side effect: lymphedema.

Lymphedema can be brought on by breast cancer treatments such as surgery or radiation treatment. Lymph is the clear fluid which circulates throughout our bodies, it is vital to remove waste substances and bacteria from tissue. An Edema is a build-up of excess fluid and can occur almost immediately or even years after treatment.

The build up often occurs because the cancer treatment will often involve the removal of a number of the lymph nodes around the chest or under the arm. Even if the nodes are not removed, they can be damaged by the treatment causing the lymph to build up in the tissue, causing a range of symptoms, including:

  • Aching or discomfort in the arm or chest
  • Tingling or increased warmth in the limb
  • Tightness or a reduction in flexibility in the joints such as the elbow or wrist
  • Your bra fitting may have change, it may feel tighter or not fit in the same way

Managing lymphedema

Lymphedema is sadly a condition which cannot be cured, however the swelling of limbs and pain levels can be controlled. One of the most effective treatments is the use of compression garments such as a bra or sleeve. They put pressure on tissues to stop fluid build-up and encourage the lymph fluid to drain, limiting the amount of fluid which builds up in the limb.

Compression garments reduce the excessive flow of fluid from the bloodstream into the tissues and encourages the fluid within the limb to move into the body where it can drain away. Additionally, the massaging effect of the garment helps soften the hard tissue which can form as part of the lymphedema.

Compression Bra

An example of a compression garment – this bra is designed to provide a level of compression and support which would not be found in a normal bra.

A compression garment fitted by a specialist will give the best therapeutic effect, starting with a few hours wear per day, you gradually increase the time worn until you can wear it for most of the day. It should be especially worn during exercise to gain the maximum effect as it will give resistance for your muscles to work against, improving the lymphatic flow.

Wear it with style!

Of course, just because you have to wear a medical garment it doesn’t mean you can’t still be stylish! There are a number of fun and colourful sleeves which you can wear over your bandages or sleeves because treatment doesn’t have to mean you have to stop being sassy!

 An example of a slip-on cover for a compression garment

An example of a slip-on cover for a compression garment

Cancer changes you

You could not go through something like cancer without it changing you. Vanessa’s outlook on life changed, but it was not in a negative direction. She lives for the day and is now doing things she would not have thought possible before and is now studying a university course in screenwriting.

Check regularly, if you find something act promptly but be aware it is not the end of the world and, with support you are not alone!-

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