Kate Maas LMT

08/12/2026

🌎✈️ Considering traveling out of the country for surgery?

A little reminder from your postoperative massage therapist: check what the U.S. Department of State says about your destination before you go.

Not because a travel advisory automatically means don’t go.

And not because I’m here to tell you where you should or shouldn’t have surgery. ❤️

People travel for medical care for all kinds of reasons. Ultimately, you get to decide what feels right for you.

I just want you to have as much information as possible when you make that decision.

🔎 Read beyond the advisory level.
Why was it issued? Does it apply to the entire country or certain areas? Where is the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate?

And remember: you’re not traveling as just a tourist.

You’re traveling as a surgical patient. 🩹

You’ll potentially be recovering, taking medications, managing incisions, and relying on other people for transportation and care.

💆‍♀️ That includes your postoperative massage care.

Massage therapy isn’t regulated the same way everywhere. Training, licensing, scope of practice, terminology, and professional oversight can vary significantly between countries.

That doesn’t mean the care is bad.

There are incredibly talented practitioners all over the world. 🌿

It simply means that if your experience is different from what you’re accustomed to in the United States, understanding the system you’re in can give you some important context.

Ask questions. Know who’s providing your care, what their training is, what they’re doing and who you should contact if something falls outside of their role.

And have a little backup plan. 🧭

📄 Keep copies of your important documents and medical records.
📱 Make sure someone at home knows where you’re staying.
🏥 Know where you would go if you needed medical care.
✈️ Have a plan in case you aren’t ready to fly home when expected.
💳 Understand what your insurance will—and won’t—cover abroad.

None of this is meant to make traveling for surgery scary.

It’s about giving yourself options.

Go informed. Ask questions. Know your resources. Have a plan. And then make the decision that’s right for you. ❤️🌎

🔖 SAVE THESE RESOURCES

🌎 U.S. Department of State — Travel Advisories
travel.state.gov

📲 Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
step.state.gov

🩺 CDC — Medical Tourism / Traveling for Medical Care
cdc.gov/travel

🛡️ Travel health & medical evacuation insurance
Check your existing coverage before purchasing additional coverage and read the exclusions carefully.

Save this for your pre-op planning—or send it to someone considering surgery abroad. ✈️🩹

07/12/2026

If anyone tries this, please report back.

https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2026/07/09/sniffing-chocolate-workout-easier

07/06/2026

Has anyone been following Kelsey's remarkable journey across the Pacific 🚣‍♂️ ?

I had no prior knowledge of ocean rowing until May this year. I find Kelsey's words of facing and conquering fears truly motivating.

What fears have you faced and overcome this year?
For me, it was tackling my Statistics 📈 course.

07/05/2026

Use the Caprini Risk Score to assess your risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and blood clots after surgery. Try our free online tool to lower your risk.

07/05/2026

GoodRx reveals seven medications that are known to cause swollen ankles and when you should contact your healthcare team.

06/24/2026

💦 Total Knee Replacement Recovery Update 💦

Client X came in 2.5 months post-op from a total knee replacement. Up until this point, she had completed a series of Lymphatic Drainage sessions and Physical Therapy.

📍 She presented with:
• Tenderness at the scar site to the point that she was unable to work on it
• Feeling overwhelmed and just “over it”
• Difficulty getting her knee past a 120-degree bend

🏊‍♀️ After receiving clearance to get in the pool, we completed a 60-minute Aquatic Therapy session and scar tissue work in the water.

✨ We started with some basic movements from Watsu. After further assessment in the water, we found that:
• She was able to move her knee further back than she could on land
• The water environment made it possible to work on the scar tissue site without pain

📞 Following up the next day, Client X reported:
• She was able to bend her knee to 130 degrees during Physical Therapy
• She was able to work on her scar site without pain and feeling revived!

Sometimes changing the environment changes what’s possible. 💙

06/23/2026

06/17/2026

🧠 New Research: GLP-1s May Do More Than Help With Weight Loss

Emerging research suggests that GLP-1 medications, such as semaglutide, may have a direct effect on the lymphatic system.

🔬 Researchers found that lymphatic vessels contain GLP-1 receptors and that activating these receptors improved the pumping function of lymphatic vessels in preclinical studies.

Why does this matter? The lymphatic system plays a major role in:

💧 Moving excess fluid
🛡️ Supporting immune function
🔥 Helping regulate inflammation
✨ Assisting with tissue healing and recovery

While this study does not prove that GLP-1 medications treat lymphedema or post-surgical swelling in humans, it opens an exciting avenue of research. It may help explain why some people report feeling less puffy or experiencing improvements in swelling and inflammation while taking these medications.

As someone who works in postoperative recovery and lymphatic health, I’m fascinated by the growing understanding that metabolic health and lymphatic function are deeply interconnected.

💭 It’ll be interesting to see where this research leads in the coming years.

This post is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.

06/04/2026

For anyone that takes the Penn Exit please take note.

Via the Iowa Department of Transportation:

Weather permitting, the ramp from I-380 northbound to Penn St. will be closed for up to 3 months, beginning the morning of Wednesday, June 3. During this closure, construction crews will be working to pave and connect the new ramp.

While the ramp is closed, traffic will be detoured to Exit 2, Forevergreen Rd, and routed north on Hwy 965 to Penn St. See the map provided below for additional detour details.

Some resources to help navigate this project are included in the comments ⤵️

06/03/2026

Jaw clenching isn’t always “just stress.”

Many people experience:

* headaches
* facial tension
* tooth sensitivity
* tightness around the temples
* neck pain
* grinding/clenching
* pressure around the ears

Buccal massage works both externally and intraorally to help address tension patterns that are often overlooked.

Sometimes healing starts with learning how to notice what your body has been trying to say all along.

✨ Evening & weekend availability available.