Winter-days in Walchsee

Our lovely Koby Blanchfield (Instructor) getting her techniques checked. Yes, we all go back to 'the source' for refinement and improvement no matter how long we have been teaching! One of the things that keeps the standard of training so high among our teachers.

The Dr Vodder Akadamie hosts an International Teacher Meeting and Lymphology Conference every 18 months, so in alternative years we have "Winterdays" and "Summerdays". I was not looking forward to the Austrian Alps mid-winter as I have absolutely no snow gear and they've had the deepest snowfall for decades! Glad I only had to trek as far as the closest restaurant in my snow-inappropriate shoes.

But it was all worth it for the joy of spending time with my fellow teachers, learning and sharing with them. And it really was a winter wonderland, I've put some scenery at the end of the blog and on the Moving Lymph Facebook page.

Winterdays was a 1.5 day conference,

attended by around 200 lympologists and therapists, mostly from western Europe. This year's program was titled MLD Unde Venis - Quo Vadis? How has the knowledge of MLD / CDT and its practical application changed since the 1980s?

Deepest snow falls in decades but the sun came out for the first day of our conference. This is three of our teachers coming out of the venue, Sandra McDonald (waiving), Gay-Lee Gulbransen & Koby Blanchfield.

Sessions followed the theme of reviewing where we've been and looking forward to where lymphology is headed and how that relates to our therapy. There were updates on the role of the endothelium in lymphatic function and on the initial-lymph-plexus connective-tissue continuum. Predictably there were reports on surgical procedures and much discussion about ICG imaging. There was research by therapists for therapists, thought provoking discussion around evidence based practice and we were all encouraged to get more case reports published.

You can find the full program online and I'd be happy to elaborate on a specific session in a future blog if you make a request using the comments section at the bottom of this page.

Then we had a 2 day International teacher meeting.

Dr Vodder Teachers in the reception area at the Wittlinger Therapiezentrum

There were over 30 of us from- I can't remember how many countries. It really is a big international family but with such great distances between us its easy to feel we are working in isolation sometimes. So its always great to get together, talk and practice with each other. We all strive to improve our techniques and its such a boost to be able to get some corrections and guidance from the Wittlinger family.

Our mentor Prof Hildegard Wittlinger led many of the practical sessions.

Apart from staying accredited, my main motivation for turning up is to work with Hildegard again. Words can't express how amazing this woman is. I think the clock is running backwards on her now, she looks younger and more vibrant every time I see her!

The snow plows did a great job of keeping all the roads and driveways open so I managed to get wet feet in deepish snow only once. It really was very beautiful.

ABOVE. Driving into the Tyrol from Munich the day after there were record snow falls. RIGHT The road outside the clinic.

Three views from my balcony. LEFT just after I arrived. ABOVE The first morning. BELOW at dawn on my last day.

ABOVE View of the peaks of the 'Kaiser Winkle' from the clinic car park. The jutting corner is the new wing fitted for bariatric patients. RIGHT After all the work we enjoy a social moment with Hildegard.

A night out for dinner with the crew from the North American School - and a couple of ringers...

By the last night there had been some rain and the snow started to 'dissolve' a little