Exercise and well being during chemo and radiation

Jackbirdie

Lynn- I should have bought a big tub too! I'm on my fourth jar. Love it for so many things. Put you down on my mojo calendar for the 25th. I hate surgery too. Big you're stronger than you were before

littleblueflowers

Big shout out to octogirl and Sloan starting chemo! Glad you aren't feeling too bad!

Katy, you are improving so fast! Good work!

You guys are awesom! All ya all!

1 hr stairmaster. Bunch of slow walking around looking for stuff. Not a great excercise day want to hit it hard befor my skin falls off...

ksusan

Octo and Sloan, glad you've had this week's treatments. How about some delicious coconut oil to celebrate?

slothabouttown

http://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Before-Mastering...=sr_1_1/187-1094983-3051661?ie=UTF8&qid=1441849688&sr=8-1&keywords=better+than+before

I'm reading this book about how to cultivate new habits (like exercise.) The main idea is that if you can turn something into a habit you will do it without thinking, there's no negotiating or procrastinating or guilt around the thing.

I can tell that a number of women on this thread are in the habit of exercise. You are the rock stars. I frequently fall out of the routine of my morning walk, but I stay connected to this thread because its often the kick in the pants I need to get out there, I'm hoping this book might provide some strategies I can use to make exercise a habit. I haven't gotten far enough into it to give it a glowing recommendation, but it is interesting so far.

pboi

38 min T @ 3-3.8 mph = 2.1 mi walk/run

Sloth...your post hit home for me. I for one was not in the habit of exercise. But since this thread started in mid July something, it is slowly becoming a habit for me, and I too keep coming here because it does help keep me accountable and I'm learning a lot about all sorts of other things too! Thanks to you all for your support! 😊

PB

ksusan

Most behavior change takes about 2 months to reinforce, but exercise takes 6. Tracking exercise is associated with sticking to it

Sloan15

oh no. Our air quality is supposed to be 150 until Friday because of the fires (under 50 is good, so 150 is REALLY bad). Anyone have a you tube link for aerobic exercise for people who are daily walkers but not runners? I need to get up and exercise so I'm not so pooped in my day 4 and 5 post chemo days.

Ksusan, funny you should mention coconut oil. I actually made eye to jar contact with a container of it in the grocery shelf today and said, "Now what the heck would that be for?" Aside from all the jokes my husband and I made, what is it for?

Jackbirdie

Italychick is the expert in coconut oil. She had us putting it everywhere!

Rashes

Nails

Sore bottoms

To help with sex

I think she out it in her mouth snd then scraped her tongue to keep her mouth free of sores

Massage into bald head at night with some lavender tincture to help with sleep

You can also cook with it.

Theresa- are you out there? What am I missing ???

ksusan

• Healthy cooking oil (medium-chain triglyceride--acts more like monounsaturated)
• Anti-constipation agent
• All-body moisturizer
• Scalp moisturizer
• Toenail moisturizer (during/after chemo)
• Vaginal dryness reliever
• Anal fissure reliever

Good stuff!

slothabouttown

K Susan were you a daily walker before diagnosis or is this a recent habit you've taken up. If so you're past the 6 month mark and I certainly place you in the rock star category.

Sloan, coconut oil was the mascot emollient of the March chemo group. We used it for everything from cooking to those things you and your husband joked about. If you entered it as a search term on this site you'd probably have some pretty amusing reading! It was especially useful for hands and feet, bald heads, crusty noses, nether regions and when infused with lavender oil made an excellent sleep aid.

ksusan

I've been walking more days than not for the past few years. To reinforce it initially, I had some books (paper, electronic, and audio) that I was only allowed to read while I was on the treadmill.

9/9:

• Fitbit steps [incl. long walk]
• stretches + 30 crunches + 125 pedals
• .5 hr T (2.3 MPH)

= 10.25 miles

Italychick

lol, coconut oil. Well, if you eat enough of it, you don't need a laxative either. I used it pretty much everywhere except my face, but my facial skin is pretty sensitive. My husband puts it in his coffee - I don't do that. I think Katy and ksusan covered most of the uses for it. It is also great for mouth gums, swish in your mouth as long as you can and spit it out, preferably in a garbage can because I think it can clog drains. My husband brushes his teeth with it.

Even though it seems greasy, it washes out of stuff great. It is actually a base for some soaps. Best diaper rash stuff there is. My grandkids call it coconoit oil and tell me grandma my butt hurts, can you put coconoit oil on it lol.

I use it as a lotion on my leather furniture. Not chemo related, but... Works on zippers that get stuck.

Highly anti fungal, so wherever there is a fungus, it can be used.

And yes, helps great with sex lol!

octogirl

Day 1 post first chemo treatment: Walked 1.5 miles. Steroids made it easy, I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but it felt good to walk. And that distance was a particular accomplishment given that the temps are already approaching 80 at 7 am (projected high 103) and the air is very poor quality from Sierra wildfires. I have a sensitivity to wood smoke and probably would have skipped the walk if not for the fact that I promised myself I would do my best to walk throughout chemo. And the steroids definitely helped. One foot in front of the other....

Octogirl

Sloan15

ok. Sounds like I need to get some coconut oil!

ksusan

queenmomcat

There must be a song out there for coconut oil (ducks and runs). To make my post forum appropriate 30 minutes on the elliptical machine and an 8-repetition round of the Nautilus machines. A very soggy hour or so in the gym--for some reason I seem to be sweating a lot more than I did before surgery and rads. I don't think it's just the fact that September in Michigan can still be pretty warm.

littleblueflowers

Ksusan, actually that meme is true. Only thing in my life it hasn't improved is my bank account, although its so cheap comparitivly, I guess I rubbed it on that too in a manner of speaking..

ksusan

All right, friends, I'm off to my love with a boxing glove, or in any event, walking to lunch with my wife and then a PT visit.

Jackbirdie

Octo- ATTAGIRL!!!! So proud of you. Steroids or no. Especially with the poor air quality. I'm thinking of you an extra special lot this week. A virtual mojo drip ordered for you...

K- that meme was toooo funny..... I'm paperless, or I'd be dripping some over my bank statements too. Better not try it on my iPad or I might lose contact with my most important link to my so-called sanity! Hope you had a lovely lunch with your lady love.

I was very sore from PT yesterday. I wanted to keep going at the time, and she wisely made me stop.

So I did my 1 hour granny yoga and a bit o' gardening and calling it a day. I did warn all of you in the beginning I am such a wuss and starting at such a low fitness level. Sometimes I feel unworthy to participate on this thread. That's probably why I post pictures of pretty vegetables and kitties. You're not fooled, though, any of you. Are you?

littleblueflowers

Nope, Katy- No one is fooled! You can't hide the fact that you are strong and getting stronger, beautiful, kind, and a good gardener and furbaby mother from us! We know the truth! You are amazing and tough!

Jackbirdie

awwww. Sniff... Thank ooo..

KBeee

5 mile walk today. 1/3 done with rads...basically, the easy part is done.

Jackbirdie

Kbee- celebrate every milestone! I'm celebrating with you. You are a freaking Rock Star in my book.

I just have to decide what kind of celebration. A little glass of wine? A little ice cream? Mmmmmmm.

queenmomcat

Jacbirdie: nope, not fooled here either--I too see someone strong and getting stronger. Inside and out.

Jackbirdie

Thanks Q! 🙋🙋

Jackbirdie

under the general heading of well- being

Step 1- Lovely homemade organic limoncello. Peels macerated in grain alcohol.

1 more week until Step 2

queenmomcat

Is step 3 invite your BC friends over? (a good limoncello is a thing of the deities)

Jackbirdie

Q- yes!!! step 3 is a tasting with friends. And you all are the best among them. The only ones who get it. Still.

My door in Oregon is always open for this, and a number of other reasons.

Here is/was dinner. My one perfect yellow squash. Olive oil, sea salt, garlic, fresh mint, fresh cilantro, lemon, shaved Parmesan. I am in squash heaven.

littleblueflowers

No excercise today. I had to get home befor 8 pm. Must been a well being day. Did dishes, cleaned cat boxes, got groceries, folded laundry, loved on the cats made kombucha watered lawn cleaned bathroom. And schmaltzed. Yep. That.

ksusan

Katy, it's about what works now in each of our lives. I feel very positive about you and what you do for your health (and the health of others), and hope you do, too. I was just thinking this thread needs a Jack and Tutti infusion, and there you were macerating lemon peels!

I've walked 9.5 miles so far today--home to lunch (I had unsweetened organic yogurt with fresh fruit) to PT to downtown. I was up last night dealing with a Work Thing until 4 AM, so I may or may not put in my treadmill time tonight. PT will now permit me to use a resistance band and add more low-level weights. She wants me rowing again when my skin is healed.

I just tried to eat a piece of fish. Ick, ick, ick. I really don't like most fish. After spitting it out (as politely as possible), I am now going to eat apples and gjetost, and a handful of emergency meat (no, not the in-case-of-earthquake Spam, but the Italian dry salami). Garnished with tamoxifen and Vitamin D.