Stage IV MBC Fitness
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Hello All,
I am new to stage IV (20Dec17) and new to this thread (today).
I am slow to exercise and love to eat. But I know it is extrmely important to get with the program.
My first goal has been to get myself into the "Normal" BMI range. After working on it for more than 4 mos, I am happy to report I met my goal yesterday. 25 pounds down, BMI dipped from overweight to normal.
Very excited.
Moving on to next goal: Start exercising!
Warmly,
V
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Hi V! Welcome. And 25lbs down is freakin miracle with everything on your plate! I am so impressed!! Enjoy your accomplishment!
Regular moderate exercise is our mantra here. 20 minutes is enough to make a difference. Exercise is medicine for us not a personal challenge.
All - I met with a specialist in cancer metabolism and immunotherapy yesterday in Japan to discuss how to support my immunotherapy treatment with the kind of lifestyle strategies we work on in this forum. These are the principles embraced by the Japanese who focus on fighting cancer by strengthening the immune system. No big surprises but some interesting emphasis.
- Maintain a high core body temperature ... saunas, warm food, warm clothing. Yay for me and my hot yoga routine.
- Balanced food - avoid ketogenic diets or alkaline diets or any "cancer diet" that eliminates large groups of food and keeps you from eating what you feel you need. This specialist in cancer metabolism feels you can't starve cancer. In any competition with healthy cells over resources, cancer will win. So if you are depleted in any nutrient, the healthy cells will take the hit. Focus on feeding the healthy cells not starving the cancer.
- Gut health - yogurt, probiotics, etc have all been proven to enhance the immune system as far as the Japanese are concerned. There is no debate on this point in Japan.
- Regular moderate exercise. Practice aerobic exercise where the cells are using oxygen to work. Don't push yourself into an anaerobic state where lactic acid builds up as this can be harmful for cancer patients.
- Good sleep patterns ... 8-10 hours per day of quality sleep.
- Manage infections. There are two big issues here ...
- Dental hygiene - gum disease competes with cancer immune surveillance for immune system resources. Practice excellent dental hygiene - regular brushing and flossing and a good mouthwash with some alcohol to battle infection.
- Stay on top of UTIs which also interfere with the immune mechanisms that control cancer.
- Lead a happy life. Your mental state drives your immune status.
I think we should all start with #7 today and lead a happy life. I have a day off from treatment today. Headed to the spa for some sauna time and to splash around in the pool with my daughter.
>Z<
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Wow V...what a great start!
Z- Hope the pool was perfect for you both! Sending good mojo for all your treatments, too! Time to hit the sauna and hot yoga classes. The letrozole seems to cause body heat😜
The only exercise today was shlepping luggage through airports coming back from CO. DH and I decided to get an apartment in Colorado Springs for a year...yay!!! I want to be nearby to help her when the baby comes. I was exhausted at age 25 and she is 37.
I actually took a short (breathless) hike yesterday so i could smell and hug a ponderosa pine tree. So silly, but I cried for joy. It may have been lack of oxygen.
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Great tips Z, thanks! I probably need to work on 1 and 2 the most. Temp has always been low 96.6-97.5 and I admittedly like bread and cheese far too much.
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lwrite - you are straight A+'s on the lead a happy life, hugging ponderosas and marrying a supportive guy.
back at ya illimae. we all have work to do but your exercise regime is awesome.
>Z<
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Welcome, V - and way to go on your weight loss goals. We all just do what we can and forgive ourselves on the days we can't.
Z- those tips are awesome, and I think number 7 is probably the biggest key! You all play a part in keeping my good vibes up!
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Welcome and congrats, V! Yes, you overcame great odds to lose those 25 pounds. Iwrite, hugs to you and the ponderosa tree. Z, great to have a day off. Wishing you luck on the treatments. Thanks for the list, so on point. My comments with the voice of long experience;
1. Like Iwrite the meds gave me extreme hot flashes. Tamoxifen was the worst. I am totally hyperthermically conditioned after 10 years. I don't like saunas though because it can send me to hot flash hell. The heat is abating though so I may have to reconsider my stance on saunas.
2. I do try to starve cancer but not through any specific diet but through time and calorie restrictions with sufficient nutrition, i.e, I am not starving myself. I even managed to gain weight while fasting 17 hours a day. Obviously I was not restricting calories enough. I've cut back to 12-13 hour fasts.
4. Cancers could just as well be feeding on lactate as well as glucose, ketones, too. I was a little alarmed when I was told I was building up lactate too quickly during a treadmill test. So I won't be trying to break any world records.
6.1 Drinking wine may protect teeth by destroying bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease, new research suggests.
7. Point 6 (as revised) makes me very happy.
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Lol, Heidi, my dentist should be happy too.
I’ve been home taking care of DH this week after a minor surgery, my step goals aren’t being met but I am getting plenty of rest.
Trying to get things straight now, I managed to gain 20 lbs since November, not sure if it was holiday eating, tamoxifen or a recently dxd hypothyroid condition (I suspect caused by rads to a supraclavicular node). Maybe a combination of all 3, either way, much work to be done.
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Interesting Heidi. He said that it is important to use a mouthwash that has alcohol ... sounds like a glass of wine to me!
>Z<
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Gotta say this.
If any of you have lost lymph nodes to surgery, please proceed cautiously with treatments that involve high temps. It's a huge risk, even if you have not previously experienced symptoms of lymphedema.
I've never had full-blown lymphedema but over the past eleven years since my BMX I have learned there are boundaries I have to respect to keep from setting myself up for nonreversible problems. Like-- I wear a compression sleeve on flights, keep my left arm out of hot bath water, never sleep on that side, don't overexert or lift heavy things with that arm, never clap vigorously, etc. When I do, I feel the heaviness creeping in just enough to keep me on my toes.
All that to say... a while back I bought an expensive biomat with the intent to heat up my mets areas-- spine and hip bones, etc. Even though I was careful to keep my arms off the mat, I quickly discovered that even 15-20 minutes on the mat can make them grow alarmingly heavy, sluggish, and achy-- worse than anything else I've ever done!
Nothing could persuade me to get into a sauna or try hot yoga! It's frustrating because I would love to do those things if I could.
Just take care if you've had a mastectomy, friends.
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Great list Z! Hot yoga is on my to do board.
what??? Wine is medicIne? I think there is a proseco split in my future
. Went in the wagon about a year ago and it's been fine, but heck...if it's good for me then I'm in!Lulu- good to know about the heat issues. No surgery since mine was de novo. Hate that so many here must deal with these post op issues and Mets..
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Lulu - Important comment regarding heat and lymphedema.
They are insane about saunas here. They have huge spas with multiple floors and saunas and steam rooms of various types. With baths of course. The hot baths are the core of the obsession and the saunas are available in some of the better facilities to ramp it up a notch.
One of the Japanese doctors in worked at MDAnderson in Houston for three years. He was so desperate for a high temperature Japanese sauna that he put a heater and a chair in the shed behind his rental. He setup one of those tanks they use to feed horses next door ... filled it with water an ice. Had the whole routine going on in his backyard for three years. As if Houston is not a sauna already.
I imagine he was sparsely clothed running between his tool shed and that tub of ice water ... the neighbors would have loved the scene.
>Z<
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Z, that is hilarious!
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Saunas? High heat? I’m getting hot flashes just reading about it.
A friend sent me some info about a “sprint triathlon” for breast cancer survivors this summer. This is an opportunity to meet with a group that provides trainers and group-workouts to get you ready. It sounds like a good reason to stay in shape and to commiserate with other folks in our situation. For me, it’s also an opportunity to create a more specific goal beyond step counts and the general, “get off the couch”. I’m super goal oriented, so this is probably the right thing for me. This is only a mini-triathlon ( 0.25m swim, 5m bike, 3m run). I’m confident that I can do it except for the run. Need to talk with my MO about running. The pounding of running on pavement with mets to my femur and vertebrae sounds like a bad idea. I might have to walk through that portion of the race.
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Midwest Laura - What a great goal. There is a way to moderate it, if needed, it the whole thing is 100% beneficial. You got this. Keep us posted.
Yeah, heat works for me but it is not for everyone. Nothing is for everyone.
>Z<
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Laura, looks like the best thing for you, with the modifications.
Lulubee, sorry it did not work out with the biomat and thanks for the reminder on lymphedema. When I get into hot pools I keep my arm above the water. And for the short periods I can stand steam rooms, I use the cold water hose to cool my arm. Luckily these measures work for me.
Z, funny story.
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I have been sidelined with a stress fracture to one of the metatarsal bones in my foot which is no doubt from walking on the treadmill through the winter. It bums me out because while it heals, I cannot get in my hour walks. I have read it may take six to eight weeks to heal. I have one of those air boots so I feel quite Herman Munster-ish as I plod around. Not sure what exercise to turn to, but I need to find an alternative. The treadmill surface and steady rythm was harder on my feet than walking through town in nice weather. Before next winter comes, I will look in to getting a recumbent bike as it shouldn't be as hard on the feet, or joints for that matter.
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Divine, yikes on the foot injury! My 95 year old father had a home trainer which looked like this.
He used it to pedal for 15 minutes at a time. But one can also use it for the arms. You may not last an hour but you can get your heart rate up.
This one is pretty cool if you ask me! I did use an arm ergometer at the gym when it was too painful to walk.0 -
So much great inspiration here, as always.
Z, we really like the list of things to consider to strengthen your immune system.
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Hello Ladies, I have not been using BC.org much in the last couple of months, but started getting caught up with this thread and am checking in. Its so inspiring to read everyone's challenges and activities, coupled with thoutful decisions about going easy when needed. Z, I think your consistent advice to dial in one's activity level based on current conditions is invaluable.
So, I had a bit of progression in scans I had last week, and am stopping Doxil and starting Halaven. My biggest issue has been accumulated fatigue from chemo, and I am trying to keep my walking up, despite times of exhaustion. I am aiming to vary things more and to keep at it, now that I read everyone's stories. Vitality is a bit relative now, but still the central goal of how I live. Thanks so much for telling it like it really is, and keeping active.
Hugs to all, Mame
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Mame -
Good to hear from you. It is tough to work out with the accumulated fatigue from chemo. It's really necessary, but the workout adapts to what you can do.
I did my regular 50 minute hilly hike in the morning, but slept for two hours afterwards. Yoga happens if and when it happens these days. Maybe every other day. I am very tired as well. I am sure cancer and treatment is a piece of it, but its also a very bad allergy season here. There are layers to some of these vaguer symptoms and not everything is cancer.
>Z<
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Joined a gym today, only $25/mo (0 down and full access) through my medical insurance companies fitness program. So far, I think I’ll try the Aqua Fit class and definitely the row machines
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go illimae!
>Z<
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Mrs. M: sorry to hear about the fracture. I bought a recumbent elliptical to get me through the winter. I love it!!! If you're able to spend a bit, you can buy one in which you can set the pedals to the lightest resistance while adding a boost for your arms. In that way, you can get a reasonable cardio workout, some arm toning, and still be gentle on those feet.
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Illimae- Hope you love your gym!
Z and Mame- The exhaustion still comes out of the blue. Decent sleep, exercise, healthy food and some wine and still so tired. Sending ((())).
Divine- Sorry to hear about the stress fracture- no good deed goes unpunished! Hope you heal soon- you don't need the aggravation.
Hi Laura, Heidi and Lulu.
Swam today---totally lost the groove I had last year in the pool
. Down from a mile nonstop to 1/3 mile with many breaks. Starting from scratch, but starting at least.0 -
Haha, Iwrite, true, no good deed goes unpunished!
As for your swimming, starting back is a good place to be so most definitely give yourself credit for that. Staying active is the plus no matter at what level.
zarovka, I like how you describe that there are layers to the vague symptoms we sometimes have. Allergy season is definitely something that must be factored in.
Illimae, sounds like a great bargain on the gym.
Midwest Laura, I’d love to hear more about your recumbent bike such as the brand, where you bought it, and what it costs, if you wouldn’t mind sharing. When dh shopped around for a new treadmill last year, I checked out recumbent bikes and it was then that I realized their advantages.
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Mrs. M, I bought an Octane Fitness xRide - XR6xi. It’s the fancy one with the added arm and leg boosts. I connect via Bluetooth to my phone or iPad to record my workout because I like to track my time, distance and calories. There are lots of preprogrammed workouts. Hills & valleys, calorie goal, distance goal, time goal, random intensity, and 30:30, which is my favorite. (30 seconds slow with low intensity followed by 30 seconds of fast, high intensity. It’s supposed to simulate a walk + run sequence) You can adjust the intesity of all of them. You can also design your own workout including the number of intervals along with the time and intensity of each. Finally, this model comes with arm and leg boosts. You can click the button and the machine ratchets up the intensity of your arms only, legs only, or random intervals of each. Pfew! Those boosts are intense, but they come in very short cycles. I thought they might help you to relax your foot while keeping your arms on shape. No matter your condition, you can always leave the feet or arms off the machine altogether. (It comes with a foot rest for an arms-only workout.)
http://www.octanefitness.com/home/products/recumbe...
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Hi All,
Several ladies from the Ibrance forum have highly recommended me to join the Stage V fitness forum to get physically prepared for the Ibrance/Femera regime.
So here I am: originally dx with Stage IIA back in 2007 (when I was 30) and was dx with mets to bone/spine, lung and brain in Feb (now 41)... I am scheduled to begin SRS/cyber knife next week and followed by Ibrance/Femera on 4/9.
A little bit about myself: I was fairly fit and active prior to the mets dx.. I worked out about 6x/week, alternating among 30 min treadmill, power walk (4 miles during weekend), casual racquetball and basketball..
Pleural effusion led to my met dx, and I was told by my primary to take it easy (not to work out) as my lung did not inflate back to normal size, therefore, I haven't exercised for a month except some modest pace walking during the weekend. My MO has since okayed me to resume working out. I plan to start with15 min stationary bicycle tomorrow (figure it will be easier on the joints...)
I am looking for tips/suggestions/recommendations of activities to help me build my strength. I have lost quite a bit weight since early Feb and is way now below my normal weight, so I am thinking about things like weights and strength exercises to build muscle? the goal is to return to my low end of normal weight (gain ~5lbs or 5% body weight) for now, then go from there.
I tried yoga during my original dx but decided it just wasn't my cup of tea, other than that, I am open to any type of activities.
I have also revamped my diet: mostly low fat, high protein white meat with occasion lean red meet and carbs and lots of veggies, fruits and healthy snacks.
Thank you all,
Linda (aka Chowdog )
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Hi Chowdog - You have it figured out. From here on out, it's all about health ... exercise as medicine. We show up and do what we can with where we are. With a partially inflated lung, things will be different. Adapting the way we approach exercise has been a challenge for me and many people here who were running (half) marathons and generally pushing their physical limits in the past.
Fat is not bad, it depends on the fat. Certain fats are highly beneficial to your health. I am not sure a low fat diet is the way to go when you are trying to get your weight back up to normal, or ever given the importance of certain fats to nutrition. Consider adding healthy fats like Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
I am struggling myself. I (probably) have a gall bladder issue. Absolutely no desire to eat fats, probably because the bile is not making it to my intestines. Bile is necessary to digest fat. Losing weight as a result. Still not below normal. I had some body fat to spare, but I recognize I have to turn the trend around at some point. That will involve eating fat. Headed to a gastroenterologist to try to get to bottom of this abdominal thing.
Welcome. Keep us updated on how your exercise plan develops. It helps everyone.
>Z<
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Zarovaka,
thank you for your suggestions. I'll definitely look into to introduce more healthy fat into my diet. And big thanks for starting the fitness forum. I'll keep everybody posted as I make progress.
Linda
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