Friday, June 20, 2014
Horowhenua Chronicle
Living on the Land
13
Horowhenua Country Rural women reaching out LVN1106124fwcottle
By
FRANKIE WEBB frankie.webb@chronicle.co.nz Sue Cottle wears a variety of hats, some people say it includes a halo. The farmer (milking goats daily), wife, mother, grandmother, registered nurse, palliative care supporter, therapeutic masseuse and much more, says she likes to have one day off a week. Those lucky enough to know Sue weren’t surprised when she decided she wanted to do more for her patients. Many of her patients suffered from lymphoedema (accumulated fluid). “I saw how painful it is, how it can result in continuous infections, how it can make people feel about their appearance” she said. “Oedema is like dirty water, sitting in a drain.” Already qualified in therapeutic massage, Sue wanted to learn how to disperse lymphoedema for her patients. Never one to leap into anything, considerable research confirmed the Vodder technique of massage would fulfil her needs. She paid her own way to become a trained therapist, even though it entailed a month in Australia. Accepted as a student at the Dr Vodder School, she studied fulltime and qualified in August last year. Returning home she wasted no time offering her service and, as usual, free of
RURAL WOMEN HELPING RURAL WOMEN: Mary Kilsby, centre, Chairman of the Muhunoa East Rural Women NZ, and member Fay Dalgliesh, left, with Sue Cottle who has touched their lives and so many other people’s they wanted to give her something back. PHOTO : FRANKIE WEBB charge. “This isn’t a cure for oedema,” Sue said. “But it gives relief for a time.” Cancer survivor, and local Rural Women member, Fay Dalgliesh heard about Sue’s work. The women met when Rural Woman catered for Sue and Grahame’s daughter’s wedding. “I booked in a treatment and the feeling was amazing,” Fay said. “The awful heaviness in my arm was gone.” It is 10 years since Fay won her battle with breast cancer, the price being the removal of her lymph nodes and resulting oedema in her right arm. “I didn’t think it was fair Sue put so much effort and expense into her training and was doing everything for nothing,” Fay said. She bought Sue a laser applicator, but felt it wasn’t enough. Speaking with Muhunoa East Rural Woman Chairman Mary Kilsby, Fay discovered Sue had given therapeutic massage to Mary’s late husband during his terminal illness. “I knew our national organisation had trust funds and applied to get some for Sue,” Mary said. “There was no hesitation, I also received funding from the provincial area as well.” Sue is humbled by the contribution, she feels well rewarded with the relief her therapy brings to patients.
MLD Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) is a non-invasive massage technique. It involves moving the skin over the underlying tissues using the muscles and structure of the existing lymphatics to clear accumulated fluid. It was developed in the 1920s and 1930s by Dr Emil and Estrid Vodder, who set up training schools in Austria, Australia, Asdonk and Germany in the 1950s. MLD is one of the CDT (Complex or Combined Decongestive Therapies) for lymphoedema and lipoedema which reduces swelling, promotes healing and reduces pain. It eases most of the tissue swelling associated with trauma and surgery speeding the healing rate of damaged structures. It is not suited for anyone with untreated malignant disease, right-side cardiac insufficiency, thrombosis or acute infection.
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