By Riva Preil
Can you believe that Labor Day has come and gone? Yes, dear readers, summer is officially over. But boy, was it an amazing and memorable summer!
Believe it or not, when asked about the highlight of my summer, I unequivocally and enthusiastically respond that it was my lymphedema certification course. (#PTnerd. And darn proud of it too). Fortunately, I had the wonderful opportunity to return to class this summer and learn some pretty incredible, stimulating, and practical material. Touro College, right here in New York City, hosted a course taught by The Academy of Lymphatics, one of the highly recognized training centers in the world of lymphedema. The course was an intensive nine day class which was three classes condensed into one. In addition, each participant was required to complete seven modules which included extensive textbook reading. Each module contained a written online examination which we were required to complete prior to attending the class. I found this approach extremely beneficial, because it allowed me to begin with a strong foundation.
The course itself was fascinating! The instructor, Marina Maduro, and her assistant, Kirat Shah, are excellent educators who were clearly well versed in the material and who explained difficult concepts well. I would be one to know; let’s just say I am not shy when it comes to asking questions, and I challenged them on many a concept that they clarified and explained clearly.
You are probably wondering, okay Riva, so what did you ACTUALLY learn, in a nutshell, in this course? Let’s start off by first discussing the lymphatic system itself. I like to call the lymphatic system “the secondary circulatory system.†It is an OPEN system without a central pump. The primary circulatory system, which consists of the heart, blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries), are responsible for transporting fluids, nutrients, gases, and waste products throughout the body. It is a CLOSED system with a pump (the heart)…
To learn more, stay tuned for my next post!