Stage IV MBC Fitness
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gumdoctor - great job on the treadmill. no guilt please ... our routines all go up and down and then we scrape ourselves back up. look forward. moderate and adjust when pain presents. keep going.
celebrate life - we're THRILLED with baby steps. the hardest time and the most important time to workout is when the TMs etc are going the wrong way. mentally. physically. the workout is not going to be your personal best. proceed with a very gentle, loving attitude focused on self care. i can't tell you how many times I've been thrown back to zero these past few weeks.
keep us posted.
Katharine
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iwrite - So good to hear you are doing Pilates. I just completed an 8 wk mindfulness class. The instructors said yoga is a big part of mindfulness but they were not qualified to teach yoga. So we did not get any of that component of the course.
I was able to walk 30 min on the treadmill today. Used light wrist weights and active arm movements and inclined half of the time. The same spots hurt as yesterday but not as intense. I was able to keep going until I hit 30 min. I am very pleasantly surprised and pleased. Looking forward to more....
Warmly, V
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go gumdoctor.
i got my 50 minute hike in today. yoga may happen, not sure. maybe 30 minutes. dealing with diagnostics that are going the wrong way really gets to the head.
>Z<
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Z,
To a smaller extent, I do know how things do a number on our minds. I have been in self-imposed exile this week for this very reason. Had a mini meltdown with husband last Fri. Not at him but at the universe. Some days are so very hard...still learning how to do this and "live" with it.
Warmly, V
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Gumdoctor - A healthy breakdown periodically is a sensible response. Just keep moving as best you can....
>Z<
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gumdoctor, it's a good sign if the pain gets less on the treadmill. Maybe 45 minutes would be better? There are 45 min. virtual treadmill walks on Youtube, like one in Paris or Pompeii.
Z, you will feel better once all the diagnostics leads you to a new treatment path. Hang in there!
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Good Morning All -
Thank you so much for the encouragement. Woke up with same pains this morning so took some Naproxen (what MO recommended), waited 30 min (did other things around the house) then got on the treadmill. No pain. YEAH!!! Did 2 20 min sessions with a 5 min break in between. Drank 2 bottles of water during (I am not a great water drinker...). Not ideal but I am very pleased I could do 40 min altogether. More than I have done in several years (pre-cancer before JUL 2014).
Pretty excited.and 3 days in a row. WOO HOO!!!
My weight loss is definitely holding which is great. Have certainly reached a plateau though. Hoping exercise will break through the plateau. I am sitting on the high end of "normal" BMI and would like to get it down more. 6 more pounds will move me down to next BMI level. Hoping I can stay focused on this and keep moving in the right direction.
You all are SO INSPIRING to me. Thank you so much for your courage and willingness to share your journey. You are all such amazing women. I am hinkred to be able to spend time with you here.
Warmly, V
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Gumdoctor, welcome and great job on the activity. Breakdowns are definitely allowed and necessary sometimes to get pent up stress out of our bodies.
I am happy to report I am still walking, up to 90 minutes most days to grab those 10000 steps. I use a free app called Pacer since I do not have a fitbit. I find it interesting. I usually start with a 30 minute walk as a warmup and an hour after breakfast. I have needed these steps since I started gamma knife to my brain for some progression. I am having 5 treatments in total and have done 2 so far. I have not had any SE from either the steroid (only 2mg) or the treatment. I credit the physical activity for that.
Great to see everyone else here as well. I should check in more often as everyone motivates me to keep going.
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Hi All - I had some awesome activity this week! My husband I were able to take a trip to Arizona while my 15-year-old son went to stay with his grandparents over his spring break. We knew we were going to do a lot of hiking and hoped to do some backpacking. On one of our first hikes I started out slowly and was having some difficulty with uphills. I was a bit worried that my scarred lungs would not be up to the task of all that we had planned, but I hit my stride on day two! I put in about around 20,000 steps every day for 5 days and had some amazing experiences visiting two national parks, four national monuments, 2 national recreation areas, and one state park. Highlights included:
Hiking down the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon almost to Skeleton Point - 5 miles round trip with 2,000 vertical feet in elevation gain from the turnaround point to the rim. Cold and blustery, but totally worth it!
Hiking the Baldwin/Templeton trail in Sedona to Cathedral Rock and climbing up its steep rock face to the top of the saddle.
Backpacking into Sabino Canyon outside of Tucson - about 8 total miles with a fully loaded pack (about 23 lbs).
I had been to Arizona just briefly before but I was astounded at just how beautiful and fascinating it is. So much ancient history and native culture coupled with jaw-dropping scenery. I can't wait to go back and explore more!
A huge discovery I made is my new trail shoes. I have some neuropathy in my feet from all the chemo drugs I've had over the years, and I was worried it would flare up big time with all the hiking we had planned, but I purchased some Altra Lone Peak trail running shoes that were amazingly comfortable and kept my feet completely happy over the entire trip. I didn't even bother bringing a pair of "camp" shoes on my backpack overnight because my feet were totally comfortable wearing them the whole day from morning to night. Just a little tip for anybody else out there with difficult feet!
It was fabulous, and I'm grateful to you all for keeping me motivated and moving so that I could experience the joys of being out in the wilds!
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Yay, DGHoff! That’s quite the adventure and thanks for the shoes tip
Did you and DH tent camp? I have trouble without my temperpedic but certainly admire your dedication and spirit.
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Mara - thanks for the update. we always know who to look for for inspiration when we need to move through tough treatments. you are amazing.
DG Hoff - Great picture, great activity.
I got a hike in and 30 minutes of light yoga. My normal practice is 90 minutes and intense but it's amazing how much I get out of 30 minutes. It's all I can do at the moment. Shaky and tired, but I am moving.
>Z<
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Llmae- yes! We did tent it in the backcountry. My air mattress, down bag, and itty bitty tent made for a cozy night, and it got down to 40 degrees overnight! Not exactly luxury, but such sweet solitude out in the desert canyons.
Z- 30 minutes is good. Heck, 15 is good if that's all the day allows.
Mara- you are right that the exercise makes a difference in managing side effects. Hope your next treatments are all easy to take.
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Thank you for the pix DG!
Mara and Gumdoc, Illimae and Z- You inspire every day. We all know about the bad das and how hard it is to force ourselves to exercise!
Illimae and Z- sending good mojo for upcoming treatments!!
Being outside is good medicine for the soul. Yoga class this morning and the sun is shining so maybe some yard work later
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DG, the picture are great.
Thanks Z, DG and lwrite for the kind words. Though I am not happy about the rads, walking outside (even in the rain), makes me feel good. I have four days off of rads due to easter so will continue walking every day. As we all agree, moving is the best no matter how we do it. I feel way less stressed and no SE yet from the steroid or the treatment. If what I do inspires others, that is just an added benefit for all of us.
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DGHoff, that is truly one of the most spectacular photos ever!!!!
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Whoa! That is a GREAT picture. You are the Queen of the Canyon, DG.
Gumdoctor, you go, girl. Make that 50 minutes next time or the time after.
Mara, hoping Treatment no. 3 goes well. All the walking should help. Fingers crossed.
Hiked to a restaurant for lunch.
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It is still cold and wintery here but got out for a nice 2.5 mile Easter walk. Didn't feel much like Easter with my mittens, down coat, boots, and scarf, but I probably walked faster than usual to stay warm so it's all good, I guess! Hope your Easters are more mild wherever you may be!
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Thanks Heidi!
DG, was cold for me here. Wore two layers of fleece pants. Managed 5 miles broke up in two walks. Felt good since was still sunny out. No SE from rads or steroids other than mild tinnitus. I can deal with that. Will stay feeling good as long as possible.
Hope everyone has a good Easter!
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Hiking and bouldering today in Joshua’s Tree. We put in 4 miles and I feel good overall. I can walk forever if it’s flat but add incline for any period of time and I feel weak. Need to improve this
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go Jen! Flat is fine. Hills are icing.
Z
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Hi All,
I haven’t posted on this thread much but have been doing okay thanks to the dog. My steps are pretty consistent regardless as bow wow must get her exercise. But I am thrilled to report that my activity levels have ramped up considerably. After struggling with finding the right treatment, I have found Faslodex to be my godsend. My energy level is great and my SOB is gone! Hooray!
Now,my next challenge is keeping up the exercise and not gaining a ton of weight in May. I’ve booked a 12 day cruise. First time on the floating hotel but can’t wait.
Hugs to all. Pat.
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Pat, I love cruising. And you can find lots of ways to exercise on the ship and take walks in the ports. Enjoy!
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Sadiesservant, you will have to post a pic of your cruise activities for our vicarious pleasure. I can't wait for you to go.
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Just returned from mat yoga and procrastinating on the cabinet painting job that is waiting patiently.
Felt a leg lump during stretching exercise in class! (It was a dryer sheet.) Then felt a huge lump on sacrum during a roll down move! (It was a zipper on my leggings.
Paranoia is definitely a side effect of cancer...
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That's for sure Kathryn. To combat this, I default to non cancer blame until I am told something different. Helps me to cope better and not be on guard 24/7. If I have a day where I am unwell, I tend to blame medication, poor sleep and previous treatment.
I only managed an hour of exercise, got a bunch of stuff coming from fedex, amazon etc that I am trying to be home for. Went crazy on some wig orders but they are my new obsession. Must learn to stop shopping though. Did 2 outdoor 20 min walks while someone waited around the house and then walked in the house alone for approx 20 mins. No treadmill so it was like pacing to music but still counts.
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Mara - It all counts!!
Hey Pat.. nice work.
Hey Kathryn - it's reasonable to be afraid. I wouldn't knock yourself for that. But if you can find a way to trick yourself out of that thinking, go for it.
>Z<
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Yes, keeping mind sane is part of the cancer journey. How do we keep coping?
I walked my dog today for almost 2 miles! Then I gardened for over an hour. Most exercise I have done in a while and it felt good.
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Great coping strategies, Celebrate!
Mara, now I will have to look at wigs from Amazon. Often they don't deliver to Switzerland but they seem to be doing so more and more, but still expensive. They just partnered with the Swiss Post so we'll have a much bigger selection soon at lower prices.
Iwrite, I do know about those paranoia-driven panic attacks. These days they are not so acute for me but still can cause a little emotional havoc.
Have been putting in a lot of steps today looking for my phone. I may have to spring clean unexpectedly. Hope I find it soon.
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Wow I got behind in my reading of everyone's tremendous activities.
I went thru a wig phase during my stage III treament. I bought 4 and amer cancer soc gave me one. The wigs I bought were very expensive but worth it to help me feel better and more confident and more "normal." I have one I still wear that makes me feel 20 yrs younger...you can't put a dollar figure on that.
Stayed with husband for several days (we live 3 hrs apart) and did no official activity. Came back 2 days ago and walked 45 minutes straight on treadmill yesterday. Did not push too hard so I could get my full 45 min in. Now that I have accomplished this goal, I can work on getting my heart rate up,at least a little.
Coping is so important...part of my fitness has been mental and emotional fitness. I just finished a mindfulness course. Practicing what I learned and learning more. I too enjoy gardening but spring is nowhere in sight. I planted 60+ bulbs last October and impatiently waiting for them to bloom. They have sprouted but are very delayed. My sweet husband bought an inexpensive greenhouse for both houses and I put more bulbs in it in the garage. Tulips in the picture are the beautiful result...this is my reading chair in the sunroom. This is one of my favorite places...
I have also been working on my crafts. Before MBC, I was planning to set up an Etsy shop and made many preparations. Everything got put on hold in the past year but now, it seems I need to work on my crafts and decorating more than ever. I feel calmer and haplier just looking at the picture of the reading chair and tulips
Need to sign off and get on the treadmill
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I have been snowshoeing in the forest behind my house almost everyday this past winter, staying out an hour or so. Unfortunately for me, almost everyone else is happy though, the snow is melting
I'm going to have to find another exercise. I may try to swim. If the ticks weren't so bad I would continue to go hiking in the woods. 
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