Stage IV MBC Fitness
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Got in a two mile walk in the woods yesterday morning...the trees really want to bud out but I think they are afraid it will snow again. Three clumps of blooming wild flowers showed hope! Gardening today. Z- hope the antibiotics have kicked in and you feel better. You have had more than your share recently. Illimae- radiation day exercise...WOW. Jen -nice going on 5 miles of walking And water aerobics 😊
TIme to get off the couch! Happy Sunday
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Hello everyone. I finished my 4.5 day fast this morning and had my first day of food in a while. Digesting is exhausting. Fell asleep 3 times. 6500 steps today, somehow. I did better on the fast with 20K and 15K steps monday and tuesday. Hoping a good night sleep and a massage will get me off the couch tomorrow.
The big problem at the moment is sun sensitivity. Every time I step outside I burn. I can't use sunscreen because I get a reaction. I got so fried getting my 35K steps early this week. I realized I just have to limit when I can walk to the early morning and late evening this works only when it works. Shopping sun protection clothing to see if that helps.
Keep moving!
>Z<
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Z-Time for you to catch a break! Hope you can find some ways to adapt and enjoy being outdoors!
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Bumping this thread.
Hiking has been my primary exercise lately. I went back to the pool yesterday and did a half mile and then sat in the hot tub for awhile. Really hoping that my bad liver test results won't put a stop to my Colorado plans. Returnin to see docs this week
Hiking today as it's going to be sunny.
Z- hope you can enjoy some N.M. family time, sunshine (with protection)and activities between consultations! Thinking of you with all the recent news.
Illimae- how are you doing?
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Hi all, I’m well. I made my step goal everyday during the workweek and have been swimming at the beach for a few days. We leave in 3 hours to go parasailing and I’m afraid of heights 😬 but having a great time on vacation!
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Enjoy your flight!!
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Iwrite, hope the doc has some good news for you, on the liver and on your Colorado plans. Illimae, love your oversized sunglasses and the beach photos. Good luck parasailing! You are a strong woman. I can't swim so I would probably never get to try parasailing. Z, hope your family is spoiling you on Mother's Day.
Zumba today and some weight training.
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Thank you all, and keep moving. It inspires me.
I've been doing pretty darn well given incessant travel and medical procedures. Mostly making my step goal. Getting yoga in most days, sometimes 1.5 to 2 hour sessions. I am just amazed at how yoga seems to help with everything ... sleeping well, reducing crazy cramping in my calves and feet, eliminating extreme fatigue during the day. Hard to get to it some days, but can't get over what it does for me in my otherwise compromised physical state.
Muscle fatigue comes quickly on chemo. 10K steps used to be nothing. But now I feel it.
>Z<
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Thanks, Z, for the needed reminder about yoga today. I needed that. Hugs, Mam
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Z, I hear you on the fatigue when on systemic chemo. I was lucky that I got steroids with the first chemo which helped me on walking and stationary bike energy levels. When steroids were done with my targeted therapy, it too a while to feel my strength come back. Glad the yoga is helping.
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Hi All,
Nice hearing about everyone’s travels. I’m off to the UK in a week for a British Isles cruise. It’s my first cruise experience and I must admit that I’m a bit concerned that there will be a bit too much sitting and too much food. However, keeping pretty busy in the lead up. Thankfully I am doing well as I am also in the middle of a reno. Logged more than 30,000 steps on Thursday!
Wishing you all a good week.
Pat.
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Florida fun!
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Missing my pickleball and walking. HUGE blisters on both feet from chemo, 😢 I am afraid they will stop treatment.... I can't play pickleball, so my qol sucks.... oh, what to do.
Love hearing from everyone else about their activities. You all rock and keep on keeping on!
Therese
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Love the parasailing pics, llmae! Awesome!
I know we all have had ups and downs with treatment related issues, but I'm always inspired by all of you! I had a couple of really good weeks of good weather and hitting my step goal and beyond every day, and then it got cold and rainy, and I fell off the wagon a little bit. Still kept up with some daily yoga, but I got back to walking this weekend which felt really good.
Z and others who get leg cramps, I learned about a home remedy this weekend that, supposedly, works well. If you put a bar of fragranced soap underneath your bed sheets, it is supposed to stop your leg cramps. Some people swear by it even though there is no explanation for why it works. Some studies are showing that it does, though! Worth trying. I tried it last night and didn't have any major leg cramps. Seems like they were staring up but never got into full-blown cramp mode. I also use Hyland's Leg Cramps pills which seem to work, and I'm told quinine water works too. I'll try anything as those cramps are downright painful!
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DGHoff - I never expected such a lineup of crazy home remedies from the likes of you... and therefore I will methodicaly try them all. The hylands leg cramp pills have quinine in them, so they are probably the same thing without the added sugar. Not into sugar these days.
Yoga keeps the cramps from developing into full bore painful cramps, but I feel them getting ready to strike ...
Bar of soap under bed,
>Z<
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Thanks Heidi! I hope to know this week whether a treatment change is in order. Theresa- So sorry to hear about blisters from chemo! It certainly would make walking too painful...
DG- we have been lucky here with weather lately, but 90 miles north it’s 20 degrees colder! I think the tulips gave up in Chicago. Can only imagine how cold it is in MPLS.
You are right about the soap! The travel sized bar on top of the mattress pad and under the bottom sheet worked for me. I had forgotten and started using a supplement...magnesium, but the free soap is less expensive!
Illimae- Congrats on the parasailing!! Looks like fun
Pat- Enjoy the cruise! There is lots of walking on those trips so you’ll still get it your steps
DH and I walked 2 miles in a local nature preserve yesterday. Carpets of wildflowers everywhere and birds singing in the canopy. It was gorgeous. Topped it off with a hamburger at a bar near the lake.
Will be trying my race car driving skills (79 mph in six lanes of traffic) this afternoon in Chicago. Does “death gripping” my steering wheel burn calories?
Z- So glad the yoga is helping you!
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Been off this thread for awhile, too fatigued to keep at my walking for about a month. Started Gemzar two weeks ago, which puts me down and out for the two days after the dose, so we are giving it two more doses before evaluating. This past weekend was like having influenza, but today feel ok. I walked 2.6 hilly miles with two neighbors just now. Back in the saddle, as it were! I love evrybody's contributions here, its a strong and helpful thread. Hugs, Mame
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So good to see you Mame! Enjoy the beautiful spring days.
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Glad to see you Mame!
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MameMe- Nice work. I am doing chemo. It's exhausting but I find if I can drag myself through any sort of exercise routine I get my energy back.
>Z<
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Well I finished 25 rads 12 days ago and can finally wear a sports bra again to partake in a normal gym class!! It was strength but I only used 3 kg dumbbells to try to ease back in. 🏋️ Though we did do sort of planks where u r on ur toes for 30 secs and straight arms in rings hanging about a foot off the ground. I was a bit worried about my arm but seems ok. It was SO GOOD to do a normal class again. And now that I can tolerate a bra again I can get back to my normal active (stage 4) life, hooray 🎉
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Thankyou, Iwrite, Mara and Z, for your warm welcomes. I feel ok today, meaning I may actually make an optional drive to town to do errands. I have been avoiding driving, which is not like me. I will get as many steps in as I can today. 🛋 ⌚️ 🚗☕️🏃 ... hugs,
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Go MameMe.
On day 4 of fasting. I water fast for 4.5 days before and after chemo infusions. Usually on day 4, I am a ball of energy but not today. Not much getting done. Yesterday, the day of the chemo itself, I got 16K steps including about 4K during the 30 minute IV. Down from my usual 20K, but I did a better yoga workout. My feeling is that yoga that gets blood flow to the abdomen/liver (where my mets are) is as important as exercise on chemo day. The idea is to improve the flow of blood, and therefore drugs, to the tumors which have impaired blood supply on the day/hours when the amount of drug in your drug is very high.
On the subject of cramps and fragrant bars of soap, my cramps have been reduced by keeping that fragrant bar of soap around while I sleep. I keep it beside me on the bed and grab it when I feel a cramp coming on and bring it to my nose to smell. I can usually get the legs to relax instead of cramp. If my legs do cramp, I smell the bar of soap, focus on the smell and the cramp slowly recedes. It's as if the act of smelling interferes with the brain signals causing the cramping. I can immerse myself in the smell and distract my brain from signaling to my legs to cramp, or maybe the brain can't smell something good and cramp at the same time? It's weird as heck but its working. Thank you DGHoff! and everyone here.
There is a funny story behind the bar of soap. We needed change for a 20. I told my 12 year old to go buy something at the farmers market, expecting her to get a $2 glass of cider. She comes back with this $9!?! bar of soap. I was annoyed. The smell, however, is intoxicating and apparently my little angel is looking out for me as usual. Chamomile herb wonderfulness. Super intense.
>Z<
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Quickly on the cramps - if you do get a full-blown cramp, rub the dry bar of soap on it! It helps me every time.
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hi bestbird. Will do!
>Z<
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Bella, great news on being done with rads! Big Milestone. Mameme, welcome back on the saddle!
Z, so sweet of you daughter. Dove soap bar under the sheets worked for me, too.
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Thank you, Heidi. Today I did a two mile hilly walk with neighbors, then went to get a biopsy of a scalp met. Back home now, ready to nap, but otherwise ok! OK is soooo much better than it used to be! Gemzar has a pattern, hits me hard days 2 and 3, but energy sort of dribbles back after that. One more dose on Fri., then a week off. Yes.
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Glad the soap trick is working! Seems to be keeping me cramp-free at night too! I often get them during yoga practice too, so I'm going to keep a bar handy! Tonight and tomorrow will be the real test as I just had treatment today and the next two days are the worst for cramping, especially in the right side of my diaphragm. If this keeps those cramps at bay, I will sing the praises of soap around the world
It might have something to do with the fragrance. Gets the brain into relaxation mindset, I think!
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How did the soap work out, DGHoff?
I saw an advertisement in front of my drugstore for Magnesium oil spray against cramps. Anybody try this?
I've recently gotten my Tamoxifen dose reduced from 10 mg to 5 due to changes in my endometrium. I don't cramp as badly since (just baby cramps that don't become adult cramps).
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Soap seems the most immediately helpful because when I feel one coming on I hold it to my nose and cramps seem to relax. Also taking magnesiun and the recommended quinine pills but hard to evaluate impact. In any case, leg cramps are now manageable. Thanks for the advice.
Z
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