Stage IV MBC Fitness
Comments
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That is a good idea to have and I will keep that in mind for sure. I have not had to walk in the dark yet but that could change if appointments for the cancer clinic fell in the morning. I love the Discodog reference, that is great. Reminds me of the oldie but goodie Disco Duck song.
In all seriousness, I really should think about being more visible as it gets darker, I'll see what the canadian amazon has as far as arm bands for sure.
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I had a wonderful paddle board with friends on Veteran's day. We did a car shuttle and paddled down a creek to the ocean. Loads of birds. And I fell off the paddle board for the first time. It was shallow where the creek fed into the bay, my fin got stuck in the mud and I fell off backwards into the water/mud. I guess I'm now an official paddle boarder. I was soaked,covered in mud from head to toe and it was about 45 F. Fortunately, a friend had a dry jacket. But I did have good laugh. A handsome guy came by in a kayak while I was waist deep in the water/mud and trying to get back on the board. Hesaid that he was a kayak guide and that it might be a good idea if I took lessons with him. Hmmm.
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I am glad you are all right and had a good laugh and were not hurt. The guy giving you lessons may be an added bonus. I am glad as well that you were not hurt as well but enjoyed the overall experience.
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Mara I am glad you had a nice time with your friend, wow 5km walking is amazing. I second you, for me is also different walking with a company now, when I started walking I was in bad shape, being slow, getting fatigued easily with not much breath so I started solo, and with covid on top i have to continue avoid crowds!
great you improve anemia with nutritions, I'd like to learn more about it. I hope the infusion went well.Sunshine, I like “disco-dog"
)) , share some photos of your dog in the disco outfit if you like.
Lehrski, I support the kayak lesson too!
))) I do pt exercise daily, I feel I am able to do the exercise better than past few months with few breaks, and walking 20-30 minutes every other day. I am happy with this plan for now but I am hopeful to be able to work out more near soon!
Happy Friday the 13th everyone 👻
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Ibeatit, I eat a lot of cooked spinach. I buy it bagged and keep it in the freezer. Because I don't like large pieces of spinach I squish up the frozen spinach which breaks it up. My main supper meal consists of black beans (1/2 cup), a handful of shredded cheese, I go for nacho, sprinkle the spinach overtop and microwave for 2 mins 30 seconds. When I bring it out, I add a dollop of queso (tostitos is my fave) and add a handful of tortilla chips. It is a good filling meal and with the beans and spinach everyday at least once a day, my anemia is gone. I also sometimes add a cooked hamburger that is grinded up into the mix when I feel like more protein. I never honestly get tired of it.
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Thanks, mara! Now I have to run back to the store for spinach! Haha, just kidding, of course, but that sounds really good!
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Sunshine, it is really good and you don't have to make a huge meal out of it. I made a snack of lunch with just the beans, shred cheese, crumbled chips and queso. Small amounts of each are still very filling and satisfying. I have not tired of this meal and it is the main thing I eat at home.
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sounds delicious and easy to fix, thanks Mara.
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I am going to take advantage of the nice weather, though cool and walk up to the Harvey's for breakfast, have not long distance walked since Wednesday which was a couple of miles. I need to get out of the house so if I go up now, I can be home in the afternoon for surveys and such or finishing laundry that I let pile up yesterday. I am going to wear my New Balance shoes this time as they will hold my feet in better alignment. I think the slip on walking shoes are comfortable but I think I need something heavier duty. Total walk round trip will be 12K or 7.5 miles round trip with a rest when I eat my meal and then just head home. My friend Debbie who is 70 almost can walk 15 km per day, albeit she has always walked long distance, I would like to get to her strength.
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good luck Mara. It is so good and inspirational to have positive friends around, like your friend Debbie. my mom was also a big walking person and I miss those days we went for a walk in the park together.
I did my 20 minutes walk under sunshine thought it was good for my creaky knees. Today’s plan is to do pt exercise see how it goes then I might add some challenging movements.0 -
I did my 12km, 7.5 mile round trip walk. It was very hilly. I was walking to a restaurant and then had my breakfast which was lunch. The hills are steep both to and from, just in different spots. The part on the empty stomach actually was less tiring for me. No rest breaks. Walking home after was harder, I think because some of the blood was working to digest food so there was that. Then about 1/3 way into my walk home, some asshole was unhappy that I was not crossing the intersection quick enough so he accelerated quickly and turned toward me. Scared the hell out of me. So I then had hills to deal with, digestion AND this stress. By the time I got home, I was stooped over walking, could not straighten my back.
Other than the jerk, the walk was productive and I am none the worse for wear and will continue walking long distance. I will NOT let a jerk like that stop me from walking. If I can do it, anyone can.
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I got on the bike today and did 35 minutes. After weighing in on Monday and seeing up another 6lbs since early August, its time to sort this out. Consistency and the little things - so a bit of fasting (to 15 hours), cutting out extra snacking, easy daily cycling, and keeping up my stretching and light weights.
My first year of grad school I gained a bunch of weight - then I lost almost 50 lbs by just starting to go to the gym at lunch for a half hour to do the elliptical. The secret that kept me going (other than relieving brain fog), was always going at lunch when Maury was on. You can't stop in the middle of a workout if you don't know who the father is! So to recreate that I started rewatching Falcon Crest while pedalling. Each episode is almost an hour so I can either stop in the middle (and no cheating and finishing in the evenings!) or go the whole way.
Maura - that is really crappy of that driver, but Im glad to see that you stayed cool and did you. Consistency!
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oh that’s so bad people lose their temper so quickly that jerk should be ashamed of himself, I hope you are ok now. Take some deep breathing exercises, that helps me with stress.
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Sondra, using the elliptical during Maury would be awesome, as you say, you could not stop before knowing who the father was. I will admit a cried a bit from being startled but turned off the waterworks and got back to the walking.
I am not trying to lose weight now, I don't want to get bigger but the diet I am on, beans, spinach, shredded cheese with crunched up chips and queso keeps me going further than I thought was possible. I am happy for you in losing weight on your bike. Possibly, I will lose some weight if I walk first thing and only have my own body fat and muscle for the energy since I will be in ketosis already. We shall see.
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Mara, I'm going to make a grocery store run today. Spinach is on the list along with some tortilla chips (haven't decided which flavor yet). I have black beans and shredded cheese (Mexi-blend). When you say "queso" do you mean something like sour cream? Do you nuke the beans with the spinach on top of them? I, too, don't like big "chunks" of spinach, so the frozen chopped stuff might work.
I'm looking forward to this! I hope I can find little, lunch box sized bags of chips. I don't have a problem with sweet stuff, but I do have an issue with salty, crunchy stuff so I don't want a Family Size bag of Doritos in the house. I finally tossed some 2 year old Halloween candy - mini Snickers bars. I've always been drawn to savory over sweet. I saw on Amazon that I can buy the "vending machine" pack of Doritos, but I think that's like 40 bags! I don't think I want 40 bags! Maybe Smart and Final (do you have those?) would have some of the single serve packs in smaller quantities.
BTW, I saw, for the first time, a commercial for the Cuubi! I'm still loving mine, so thank you again for that recommendation.
Cheers,
Carol
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I am thinking Tostitos salsa con queso. Comes in a jar, should be located either the aisle where chips are kept or possibly the mexican section. Most grocery stores carry this.
Most convenience of variety stores should carry individual doritos. I like the zesty cheese.
I can definitely empathize about eating a lot of foods we crave and them not lasting. I am OK with keep the chips around as I don't snack on them, they just get put on my meals.
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As far as how I nuke it all, I put about 1/3 to 1/2 cup beans (usually black for me), I then add a handful of shredded cheese, your choice of flavour, I use nacho. After that I pull out my bag of spinach from the freezer and squish the bag, usually breaks it up and of course stays fresh in t he freezer. So beans first on the plate, shred cheese next and put spinach on top. Put these in the microwave approx 2 min 30 seconds on high. Cheese will melt. I then take some crushed tortilla or doritos, both are good. Add some salt, just a couple of shakes, use a generous spoonful of queso on top and then just stir and combine it all. It looks messy but is so delicious.
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I can't wait! Thank you so much!
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You are very welcome, let me know how it tastes. It is very filling for sure. I eat it every day but there is not that much else I enjoy eating that I would prepare.
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I haven't been on this thread in so long.....I am sure nobody remembers me. I had back surgery last April, right smack dab in the middle of Covid. In the hospital for a week, alone of course. Spinal fusion to lower back - too many years of running, and then cancer attacked the area. Finally gave out in March. Timing not great, although so little going on anyway I didn't feel like I was missing out. Surgery was 100% successful and I am pain free for the first time since I was about 30. ( I am 53) I haven't managed to run again but I did get back to hiking this last summer, walking (went 5 miles today)... a little yoga recently got a Pelaton, so now doing that. I loved catching up on what you all have been doing over the last 7-8 months and how everyone is coping with Covid. So glad to see this threat is still going strong! XO
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Welcome back Andi
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hi Andi, great to hear from you!
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Andi, I joined this great thread few months ago, I’m pretty sure people asked about you
I am glad to hear your surgery was successful and you are doing well. ladies here, especially Mara encouraged me to keep moving even with small movements and I see the difference in myself physically and emotionally. At the beginning My goal and expectation of myself were high, like back to where I was before cancer, running 3-5 miles 2-3 times per week, like reach that point really quick! Now with encouragement of ladies I am trying to kick fatigue and leg numbness and back pain with daily pt exercises and 20-30 minutes walking, I know it is small but good 0 -
Andi welcome back, we certainly have missed you around here but nice to hear about being pain free and able to be so active. Hiking 5 miles is nothing to sneeze at.
Ibeatit, 20 to 30 mins is so good and certainly not little. Everything helps.
I did not walk today, I really screwed up my back when I wound up stooped over walking a hilly route. I am going to cut back the amount of walking this way and insert a bus here and there. Maybe just walk 3 miles instead of 7 or 8. There is a park close to me that has a fantastically steep hill. It is a challenge to get up but the trip to the park and up the hill and home is not super long and once up the hill, it is flat. That is more manageable. I did improve the back and stiffness by pedaling my cubii from the couch, did surveys as I pedaled. Got in 3 hours and called it a day, loosened me up a bit. Back is feeling better for sure. Someone on another thread suggested walking sticks so I may look into that in the future for sure, work arms and legs more.
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Mara, i am a long-suffering of lower back stiffness, it happened since my 20s when I was sport-crazy. No matter how hard I do core experience or other pt s, it is with me since then. I just manage it. Best for me is to lay down bend my knees 90 degree/ lay legs on the chair until my back feels better, then other natural massage yoga-ish movements would help. Walking poles are also good but for long walking can be tiring I mean carrying them. For me walking up hill pressures on my knees more, but down hill does to my lower back. I hope you are feeling better today.
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ibeatit, my back is feeling better. I took today as a rest day so no exercise, just housework, surveys etc. Thanks for asking.
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Andi - I remember you! And I am curious about your back surgery - did they stick in a titanium cage or was it rods and pins? I finally got a good look at my scans and similar situation of years of high impact sports and cancer in the lower lumbar. No pain currently but I can't imagine my number won't come up for spine surgery, although my father had a 3 level fusion (same vertebrae as mine even) due to degenerative spondylolisthesis so if it comes to that I wouldn't be the first in the family!
Aren't those Pelotons cool though? We went a slightly different route for indoor cycling, but my friend has one and I tried it out. Honestly though,cycling has done the most to strengthen my lower back and keep it moving correctly!
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Sondra F - you sound just like me! That is what I had - grade 3 spondy (not everyone knows what that is, and alot to spell) that apparently I had had forever and was getting worse and worse.... combined with cancer in the area. I had pain on and off forever and I too knew that at some point I was going to end up having the surgery. I got a titanium cage. I about DIED when I got a look at my xrays and MRI's. My lower back was literally falling apart. My upper back isn't much better - I have scoliosis as a result of cancer, but I am not in any pain because of it and you really can't tell when you are looking at me. I thought about doing both areas at once since I had to go through the surgery anyway, and the doctor said I would gain TWO inches if I did my upper back. It was rather tempting, but because I don't have pain in that area, I didn't do it. Mine was also level 3...... did your fathers work for him? It is such a relief to be out of pain.
And yes, we love the Peloton. Very cool.... very motivating and nice to have something we can do indoors as I really think Colorado is headed for another lockdown. I am hoping it helps to strengthen my legs, too... no running this year has made them a bit weak.
Thank you for all the welcomes! It is great to see everyone again.
XO
Andi
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Hi Andi -
I do find it weird how cancer seemed to rock up exactly where I had degeneration started (and a disk blow out too already). There probably is some medical reasoning im sure. Actually, when she showed me my scans it was such a pretty looking spine until she scrolled down and I saw the mess at L3 and below!
Dad had his surgery in the late 80s and a few top ups since, but overall it held him together (at least in that area!). Mom mentioned there is some concern from the doctors that the hardware is starting to age, and I've noticed dad is a bit shorter than he was, but he isn't in any abnormal pain.
Someone else on the forum (maaki I think?) got a Ti cage as well due to her mets.
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Sondra, so there's a pathophysiology theory about this. It goes back to Virchow (a really famous dr from ages ago) postulating that chronic injury and inflammation can lead to cancer. That's because during tissue repair, the cells have to turn off the anti-proliferation genes which normally stop them from growing out of control. The theory goes that if you have a lot of injury/inflammation the tissue is trying to repair and too many cells have their "stop replicating" signals turned off & that is essentially cancer. So cancer is a wound that both never heals but also keeps on making cells .... There is some biochemistry evidence for this as many of the proteins implicated in metastatic cancers are also the ones involved in inflammation.
We also have a couple examples where chronic tissue injury - like Barrett's esophagus - is associated with cancer development.That might be a reason why areas of injury or damage might be potential sites of metastasis.
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