Stage IV MBC Fitness
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KatyK - beautiful pictures! I am so happy that you got out there! Love that blue sky. I would just love to go on a camping trip. LoriCA - a 10 day backpacking trip in the Wind River mountains in Wyoming is on my bucket list. (the short one...I want to go next summer.) I did that trip with my dad a million years ago and loved it. I have been tell my husband that I need a REAL adventure - I suggested Mt. Kilamajaro, and he reminded me that perhaps we should start with something in our own backyard instead of traveling to Kenya. (always the logical one.... ) I would love to hear what you did and where you went in Wyoming. And... I am so impressed with KarPC for going solo. I wish I had the courage to do that. I go on my "girls hiking trips" but that usually involves about 12 women, and doing it alone sounds very peaceful.
On my cramps - I actually haven't had Perjeta for years. My SE's were pretty severe, and my oncologist didn't think the benefits of adding it to Herceptin outweighed them, so I've been getting Herceptin only for about 5 years. Mine seem to happen in cycles too - worse after an infusion, and better a few weeks after... and ALOT better if I happen to skip one. I know now that the Herceptin does make my neuropathy worse. Mine isn't painful - my right foot is just totally numb and cramps easily. I take one Lyrica a day, and that totally helps. I used to take more, but I gained a ton of weight so I have cut back as much as I can. One in the morning does the trick in terms of taking away the numbness.
LovefromPhilly - so impressed with the Abs class. If I did THAT, I would completely and totally cramp up!
You are all so inspiring with your commitment to staying active on an every day basis. I wish I didn't work.... I'm so tired when I get home that I can't do anything. I am going to take the dog on a walk now.... that counts, right? Headed to California this weekend for an anniversary get-away - surprise weekend from my husband. I don't know what we are doing but I emphasized that I hoped it was going to include lots of outdoor activity!
XO
Andrea
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Andrea I'm so jealous and impressed that you can do a ten day backpacking trip! I can't even imagine trying to hike carrying that much weight these days. I'm still working on being able to carry all of my gear again! It doesn't help mentally that when I talked to my doctor about doing strength training again and how much weight was safe for me to use, he said there's no real way to tell how well my weight-bearing bones have healed and how much weight and stress they can handle except to just try haha! I guess that means I'll find out the hard way if I put too much stress on my bones. I've already lost close to an inch in height from spinal compression.
My trip was nothing that would impress an outdoorswoman like yourself. I usually primitive (dry) camp in the backcountry of the Mojave, but for this trip I wussed out and rented an RV so I could be comfortable in case I had a bad day and needed to crash. Since it was my first time back out I wanted to keep things as stress-free and comfortable as possible so I could ease back into it and see how I handled everything. We have a friend who lives at the base of the Tetons and we used his property as basecamp for a couple days, then moved to the Colter Bay Campground (not RV park) which was the perfect location for spending time in both Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone. As far as campgrounds go, I was impressed because the sites are large and well spread out with good privacy so it was a good compromise. So many organized campgrounds here in California have small sites that are right on top of each other, crowded and noisy, and I avoid them like the plague. We had driven my Jeep 1000+ miles to get there, and we had fun exploring a few jeep trails far away from the crowds. Hikes were short, never more than 3-4 miles on flat terrain. It was our first time in Wyoming so we did the tourist thing in Yellowstone but spent most of our time exploring Grand Teton NP and Bridger-Teton National Forest. About 4 days in I crashed hard one night in so much pain that I couldn't even see straight or tell my husband why I was going straight to bed, and I realized I just needed to do a better job pacing myself instead of getting frustrated that I couldn't do as much as I used to do, especially since I'm sure the altitude played a role. Still managed to be up and out at 5am every morning and didn't get back to camp until well after sunset each night, but I've been going through a period of getting very frustrated with myself whenever I hit a wall.
Camped a bit further down there was an older man with a Jeep. One night he stopped by to ask about some of the modifications on my Jeep and we got to talking. Turns out his wife had recently died of breast cancer, now he takes his RV, Jeep, boat and dog and spends most of his time out in nature. We bonded over Jeeps and breast cancer and talked for hours, there's a certain peace in talking with someone who truly understands what you are going through. Found myself hoping that my husband will be like him after I'm gone, I'm so afraid that he'll spend all his time at home sitting in front of the TV without me.
Qigong class last night was painful, d*mn spasms didn't help. Woke up stiff & sore so will do just some light stretching today (Qigong warmup exercises) to try to loosen things up. I can definitely see a difference in how I handle physical activity depending on where I am in my treatment cycle. As we were leaving class my 80 year old teacher said "Just wait until you're my age" and I wanted to cry. One can hope, right? The class is hosted by my hospital's Women's Center and almost everyone there is a cancer "survivor" but I'm the only Stage IV person and the only one still in active treatment. She's a retired RN and I thought she understood when we talked about the bone mets throughout my skeleton and how that might affect my ability to do certain movements, but I guess she doesn't understand the bigger Stage IV picture.
You all inspire me so much with the things you are doing. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and can get outside and enjoy some beautiful fall weather!
Lori
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LoriCA - sounds like a good trip to Yellowstone and Tetons. And it is not wussing out using an RV. Anyway you can get out or enjoy life is what counts! My DH and I bought a camping van last summer when I got diagnosed and I love it, even more than I thought I would! I enjoyed the backpack this past week but now we are getting ready for a van trip and I’m excited about that too! Starting a trip at an Idaho state park with family and then my DH will continue on our way to Yellowstone and maybe to Tetons if we want. I want to sit by the Madison river in Yellowstone really early in the morning with my coffee and watch for critters. We saw wolves there in June with our grandkids. Will be delightful in the van with good food and coffee, no freeze dried food! I am cooking up a storm to take food with us, which is nice as there is a freezer. I have made burritos, enchiladas, chicken wild rice soup, and eggplant parmigiana. Might make an apple pie tomorrow. Hope to get in many nice hikes.
Today I did a work out at home with some dumbbells, bosu ball,etc. I really needed to stretch and do some yoga. It felt good to do that. I enjoy going to the gym but sometimes it is just easier to stay at home when I am busy. As long as I’m moving!0 -
KatyK that sounds like heaven to me! I did spend a couple evenings on the banks of the Snake River watching for wildlife and it was sooo peaceful and relaxing, but in the mornings I was always in a rush to get somewhere and beat the crowds to the parking lots. There wasn't enough time to see everything I wanted to see, which is a perfect excuse for a return trip.
Since my 20s I've always kept a small gym in my house so I never have the excuse that I don't feel like going to the gym. It's a godsend now, I wouldn't get nearly as much exercise if I had to motivate myself to leave the house for a daily workout, especially during the summer when it's often too hot even for walking outdoors.
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lorica- I feel like the spasms have decreased over time. I don’t get them as much as I used to, and they don’t last as long either. Maybe my body is finally getting used to this stuff. I am also learning not to tense up when they happen but to relax and just let the pain wave subside.
Today was a good day! Over 18,000 steps! Lots of walking
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DGHoff- that’s a lot of steps!
Just got back from a mtn bike ride and it surprised me how well it went. I was feeling a bit fatigued and not really wanting to go but as I rode I warmed up and did a 9 mile ride with some good hills - one hill is long, 1.5 miles and of course has to get steeper as you go up, but I made it. And fun to ride down. Shower time and then off for van camping trip and critter watching! Hope to see bears, mtn lions, and wolves, oh my!😀 Also plan on getting in some good hikes.
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LoriCA - don't be too impressed yet! I haven't actually DONE the backpacking trip, but my goal for next summer. I think I am farther out from you since diagnosis. Mine was 6 years ago. I also lost a full inch in compressions! My first summer back I went to play tennis with one of my kids an broke my hip the second I stepped onto the court. SO painful. Since then it's been better. We did a short backpacking trip in Italy a couple years ago. Basically carried a big day pack loaded with stuff for a few days, and that was find. I love camper vans, too.... believe me. We'd like to buy a used one (or okay, MAYBE a new one) and go all the way up the coast of California, Oregon, Washington and then to Idaho and Montana and Wyoming. We talk about it all the time and buy little books on "van life". KatyK, your next trip sounds amazing with all that yummy food!
Just got back from my short anniversary weekend. We went to Point Reyes National Seashore north of San Francisco. IT was gorgeous! No camping - we staying in the Point Reyes Lodge. We did a ten mile hike the first day, and I was a little bummed because it was so foggy that you really couldn't see anything, and the terrain wasn't very interesting. We did see herds of elk, which was pretty cool. The next day was beautiful and sunny but we only had time for a short hike.... and today I am back in Denver. It was a fun weekend, though. I am trying to plan my week and figure out how I can encorporate swimming and yoga into it.... something more than my normal running.
Hope everyone had a good weekend, free from those lovely spasms! I am going to see my doctor tomorrow and have another conversation with her about them, just to see if she has any suggestions.
XO
Andrea
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Andrea that must have been frightening (not to mention painful). That kind of random break is one of my fears. It's even more impressive that you feel up to doing a ten day backpacking trip after healing from a broken hip! Interested to hear what your doctor has to say about the intercostal spasms.
Struggling with fatigue this round, have only been doing 30 minutes on treadmill every other day but still making sure I go to my 1,5 hour Qigong class no matter how tired I am.
Lori
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LoriCA - SO painful.... I couldn't walk for several days. But, that was a few years ago... I think I am just really in need of an adventure and some time in the middle of nowhere. I haven't loaded up a 40 (50?) pound pack yet and put it on my back.... probably I'd better start some strength training and weight lifting this winter. I've done nothing this week - not even a walk with Lucie, the dog. It's so hard during the week. I am going to do some yoga/stretching before bed and call it a day and hope to get up tomorrow and run, even if just a little way.
Hope everyone is having a great week! I've always thought fall was the best time for outdoor activity, so looking forward to hearing about what everyone is doing.
XO
Andrea
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Have been out of commission since last week with serious back issues. I can barely hobble around the house, let alone get any kind of real exercise. I was fine when I woke up the first morning, but when I tried to stand up after my first cup of coffee the pain hit. I started having occasional back problems a few years ago, thought it was due to getting old but in hindsight it may have actually been caused by the mets growing in my spine. I see my MO Tuesday before my infusion and see what he thinks about it. Until then I'm going to continue to tell myself it's just from getting old.
Disappointed to be sidelined just when I felt that I was making good progress, but the pain is easing up a little today so hope to be back to my old routine soon.
Hope the rest of you got outside and enjoyed some beautiful fall weather!
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Good morning everyone. Back from a lovely week long camping van trip. It is easier than backpacking😜. We camped in some beautiful places in Idaho and in Yellowstone. Got in some great hikes and when I wanted to and was feeling good I picked up the pace to get my heart rate up, felt good to do that. I love being out in the autumn and we saw lots of beautiful foliage. I can be terrible keeping up with stretching and strength on trips but I did do some good stretches and yoga poses and even a few strength moves a few mornings. A picnic table can be used for dips! I also did squats and planks. We enjoyed both sunrise and sunset along the Madison river while watching bison. Did not see a lot of wildlife this trip but incredible landscapes everywhere. Had thought about a longer trip but weather changed so we decided to come home. I will also say it was so nice to have all the meals done ahead of time and just heat them up.
LoriCA- I hope your back is feeling better. I have found that my body remembers injuries from years ago. I have a place on my lower back that I have sprained twice and have to be careful with that spot. Some back exercises and stretching do help me. Feel better soon!
Andi67- Rooting for you and getting in a backpack! I so enjoyed our backpack a few weeks ago but I don’t think I can carry a heavy pack any more. For two nights my pack weighed 16 pounds. It would of course be heavier if we were out longer but honestly two nights is enough and three is my max now. Last spring we really wanted to do another Grand Canyon backpack so we invested in lighter gear and it really helped. Of course my DH carries more weight but he is a pack horse! And I carry the food so my pack gets lighter!
Might get out this morning for a walk or bike ride, not sure yet as I’m still enjoying sitting with my coffee!0 -
Lori, so glad you're seeing your doctor soon. Be sure to complain big time. J
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Lori hope your back feels better ASAP! Please keep us posted on how your appointment goes tomorrow.
I have been on and off again exercising. I had a wisdom tooth out about 3 weeks ago and didn’t exercise a lot the week after to help prevent any issues with the procedure. Then started back up with cardio kickboxing, yoga, Zumba and some good walks.
I was supposed to go to yoga today at 5:30pm but just woke up from a nap. Whoopsie! Didn’t make it! Tomorrow I’ll get to cardio kickboxing.
I’ve been a little fatigued in the mid-afternoon.
Naps are delicious!
I’m a bit jealous of all the folks getting in those amazing fall foliage hikes in the beautiful parts of the world. You are so lucky to live in places of such gorgeous natural beauty
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LoriCA - I am so glad you are seeing your oncologist tomorrow, and hope that you are feeling better soon. Back pain is the worst.... completely debilitating. My Stage IV alert started with back pain that I chose to ignore, thinking it was a sports injury (and at the time I had an oncologist who, when I complained to him about my back pain, patted me ON the back and told me to "go get that looked at....). I ignored mine for six months (stupid, and really in denial) until I could barely walk …. anyway, really glad that you are going to get some answers and hope that you can get something for the pain.
KatyK, what an amazing week you just had! I am so happy for you and so, so envious! Believe me, I don't need a backpack THAT bad! I can be up for van camping. Sounds beautiful. We had so much fun in Bozeman a few weeks ago. You live in such an amazing part of the country! I use picnic tables for push ups sometimes, too! I think that is why I am anxious to backpack; although I do run and hike, I don't do much for strength and core training, and I am really bad about yoga (which I have mentioned) and the gym. I just love to be outside, and so I figure if I have a goal and know that I am going to be carrying a 35-40 pounds (too much?) backpack, it might motivate me.
LovefromPhilly - I was going to run today and didn't make it either. It's actually been cold and foggy in Denver, and that doesn't entice me to do much, so no run for me. I did run over the weekend, but I need to find it in me SOMEWHERE to do some yoga or to swim.
I had sort of a bad week last week - my oncologist misdiagnosed my PET scan (radiologist two weeks ago misdiagnosed CT scan.... prompting my oncologist to suggest PET scan)… anyway, I had one early in the morning - went by myself because husband out of town - went back a few hours later. She read the results before radiologist did and thought she saw progression to my lungs. (first radiologist had thought I had something in my perionatal area... abdomen, basically...he was wrong too. Nothing there) For three hours I was a total basket case... as was the rest of my family... and then she called (I was in a meeting and didn't answer) and then texted to tell me that she'd made a mistake - the radiologist had read it and I was fine... still totally NED. There is more to the story, but that's it in a nutshell. I swear, that day took so much out of me....even though relieved, I was SO drained all week.
Thanks for letting me vent, and for the continued motivation!
XO
Andrea
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Thanks all, back is finally easing up a bit today. At least I can finally walk without being hunched over while gasping in pain, just getting small twinges now. Geez back pain is the worst! I'm pretty sure it's musculature, not bone. My MO thinks the cramps, intercostal spasms and back pain are all related and we're giving a muscle relaxant a try to see if that helps calm things down. The cramps and spasms were increasing in severity and frequency over the past couple months and I was starting to get very cranky, so hopefully this works. A spasm hit while I was sitting in his office and I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head when he saw how painful it was haha!
KatyK so glad that you got to watch wildlife on the river at sunrise and sunset. Sounds like a fantastic trip!
Andrea I responded in another thread but again I'm so happy to hear that you are still NED after six years on Herceptin and after that scare. You give me hope! I am sorry about how all of that went down though. What a rollercoaster of emotions you went through!
LoveFromPhilly I can only dream about being able to do kick boxing right now! Where do you get that energy?? That's fantastic!
Hoping my back is ready for Qigong by Thursday night so I can start stretching things out again. Still taking it easy until then.
Lori
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Did not sleep great last night because I saw results of my latest tumor marker went up again. Damn it!! I’ll have to call in to see if it’s significant. I’m surprised because latest scans were good and I’m feeling good. I hate cancer! I got to the gym this morning and it went better than I thought it would. And in the afternoon I met a friend for a nice long walk along our greenbelt path in town. It was very pretty along the river with nice autumn colors.
LoriCA, glad you are getting some relief from your back pain.
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good morning everyone!
Welp - I didn't make it to yoga on Monday or cardio kickboxing on Tuesday :-/ but I'm about to go to Zumba in an hour!
Lori - very glad to hear your back in starting to feel better!
Andi - geeeeeez what a terrible scare! I'm so sorry you went through that. I would've been freaking out and exhausted for an entire month from that ordeal.
Katy - I have heard so often on these boards that TMs aren't a great indicator to go by. I actually only had my tumors markers checked on time at first diagnosis and my MO hasn't run these labs again since. Sounds like TMs flare quite often for people but it doesn't necessarily mean anything. Our bodies are so crazy! Hoping this is simply a flare and nothing more for you!
Hugs all! Love
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Love from philly- yes, I’ve also heard that TM can be unreliable so I’m trying to keep it in perspective and not freak out. I haven’t called yet but I might tomorrow. Hope you had a good Zumba class!
Nice autumn day here with perfect temps., sunshine and foliage. So got out on the mtn bike for a long, hard ride with my DH and a good friend (she has also had cancer so really gets what I’m going through). It’s one of my favorite loop rides and I hadn’t done it in quite some time. 18 miles with some long and brutal hills - there was some walking. But I felt quite good - once in a while felt a glimpse of how I used to be on the bike, but also just happy to be out there! Now I’m home, hungry and in need of a shower!
What were the rest of you up to today?
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I’ve got a milesformetavivor virtual 5k this month that I need to get started on, next week I’m getting the hubs to join me at the gym and I have my 2nd Dia De Los Muertos 5k on 10/28.
Missing our original poster Zarkova ☹️ Hoping she’s ok.
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Illimae- good luck with the 5ks.
Actually cloudy and rainy here today. First time in months. So a good day for the gym. Felt good to move and stretch after my long bike ride yesterday.
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Yoga yesterday and planted 70+bulbs today...it felt like exercise
I’m so impressed with you all!! Thanks for your inspiration
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Iwrite - Good reminder for me to plant bulbs...here in Colorado we are running out of time! We just moved into a house that sits on almost an acre and the yards and gardens are beautiful. I have no idea what might have been planted here already, but I LOVE late spring time tulips, so I need to get on it.
I ran Wednesday, walked Lucie yesterday and am going to go on a quick run this morning, and then off to Oregon to meet my mom for a family wedding. It's a winery, so I have a sinking feeling that I will get too little exercise and perhaps a little too much wine this weekend, but I am going to try to get in a run or a hike or something tomorrow before the wedding.
What does everyone else have planned for the weekend? Hope you all get in some good activity and lots of relaxation.
XO
Andi
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Andi- look for deer resistant varieties or spray them when they first come up. Seems crazy, but to have a pretty cut flower garden you have to spray so much stinky stuff on them they can’t be brought inside. The deer ate all the flowers off five rose bushes in my daughters yard in the Springs. Ugh.
On the other hand it’s Colorado and beautiful
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Good reminder on the bulbs, I have some to plant as well. Deer enjoyed my green beans and tomatoes this year. Typically they don’t come into our yard until early fall but this year they showed up early. One year I planted ornamental kale and cabbage and the deer really appreciated that! Won’t do that again! So feeling a bit lazy this morning and enjoying not rushing off anywhere. Still in my robe and drinking coffee. A bit too chilly to bike yet, maybe later. We have our grandkids spending tonight and they will stay most of Saturday Our grandson is really enjoying mtn biking so would be fun to get him out for a little ride. And Sunday weather looking quite nice for a ride. Hope you all have a fun day and weekend. And Andi 67 a wedding at an Oregon winery sounds great! OR makes wonderful Pinot noir which is often my favorite.
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Yesterday afternoon DH and I went for a nice long walk on the local greenbelt that runs along the river. It was mostly cloudy but still a beautiful autumn afternoon with nice foliage colors. And a funny squirrel story - we walked by a tree with a couple of squirrels chasing each other and then heard a big splash as one of them fell in the river! He easily climbed back up the tree looking quite bedraggled! Funny! It is nice to be able to get out in the afternoons now as well as morning since it has cooled off. I typically like to exercise in the morning when I have more energy, always been a morning person,but we had our grandkids over and did not get out until afternoon. Might get out for a mtn bike ride this morning. On my last few days of my Ibrance cycle and think I get a little fatigue near the end of the cycle.
What are others up to this weekend
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Enjoyed the beautiful autumn day here with a short mtn bike on the trails near our home. Such a great resource! It was sunny but chilly, in the low 40’s. Felt a bit fatigued but really wanted to be out and enjoy the day as it may be cloudy and rainy the next couple of days. I hope the rest of you have had a nice weekend and were able to do some nice moving whether a walk, hike, bike, yoga, Zumba, etc. keep moving ladies and tell us about it here. Inspiring to hear how capable we can all be and tough too!0
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Man, I am beat up! DH and I helped a friend paint his house this weekend (sat & sun). I probably spent about 15 hours on bathrooms, doorways and baseboards and I feel every minute of it in my knees, back and shoulders. I easily got over 10,000 steps both days, next step is hot tea and a soak in the tub.
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I'm back from Oregon. KatyK - Pino Noir is my favorite too, and since it was at a winery there were some really good ones. Beautiful day - cold but the sun came out and it was up on a hill surrounded by rolling vineyards. I think I could live in Oregon! I did get in a 4.3 mile run yesterday morning - just around the town of McMinnville (super cute town). Good thing, because the food at the wedding was amazing too and I am pretty sure I ate my weight in it. ....... spent today traveling and came back to cold and rainy Denver. It's supposed to rain all week.... I am not a run on a treadmill person. I need encouragement to get that Yoga mat out or better yet, get in the pool and swim! I HAVE TO DO IT!!!
The bulbs will have to wait until next weekend, when it's supposed to be nice again. Glad you all had good weekends... mountain biking, walking and grandchildren sound wonderful. (I don't have any.... hopefully someday....)
XO
Andrea
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DH and I enjoyed a nice long walk on the greenbelt on the other side of town today. The river and trees looked so pretty. Supposed torain tomorrow so wanted to get out today. Then stopped to get groceries on the way home.
Andi67- so glad you had fun in OR and enjoyed some nice Pinot our. I just picked up an OR Pinot noir today. I have heard McMinville is a nice town, may have to go check it out.
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A very rainy day here, first real hard rain in months. Kind of nice. So did a work out in the gym. Got a call from the nurse about my rising TM. The plan is to see results when it is done next week and make a decision based on that. May be time to change treatment and also may have scans done sooner. The last time I saw MO things looked good so I didn’t have an appointment with her until December and now this shit! I really hate cancer!! Family coming for dinner so that will be nice.0
