Stage 4 Fitness 2016

LvinAZ44

hi all. I am heading a hard time doing anything but sitting. My body feels like I'm 90. I don't think I'll ever feel good again! Is it better to exercise thru the pain? Will it help with the aches? I have 4 treatments left and can't wait.

MaryK87

thanks a lot for your advises steelerose and nancy. I tried power walking and somewhat managed to do it 30 minutes a day. but im afraid it wont help me with my weight gain issue as im already looking ridiculously puffy after JUST 2 chemos (sigh).

lvinAZ44! I am having same issues and I also have 4 treatments left. with a diagnosis of bone mets, I don't think doing hard exercises will be a good idea due to risk of fractures. you can start walking like me and increase the time as soon as you feel you can do it.

fujiimama

Just got a call from our YMCA and scheduled an interview to participate in our live strong program. 🏃🏄 💃

teacher911

Fujiimama, I am glad to hear your Y offers the LiveStrong Program. My local Y does not so I would have to travel 25 miles to go to one that does. Please let me know if you think it is a good program. It sounds good from what I've read, but I guess it is expensive to train people so not every Y has it. I hope you enjoy it! Michele

nancyh

LvinAZ - to the question of exercising through the pain versus taking it easy, my two cents is gently push yourself, but not so much that you feel miserable. For me, exercise didn't make me necessarily feel better, but it didn't make me feel worse, so why not do it because it certainly boosted my spirits. Getting out for a 20 - 30 minute walk in the fresh air gave me time to clear my head and usually, once I got going, the aches and pains would be a little better.

MaryK - totally get the frustration around weight gain, I think it is one of the most awful things we have to deal with because chemo usually causes weight gain even though people have a preconception that it causes weight loss. I had good luck doing on-line weight watchers because it kept me honest on my calories (have to log everything) plus it gave me bonus points for exercise. I was able to find a handful of low-cal snacks that would tide over my appetite, but that were still tasty enough to not make me feel like I was constantly depriving myself. For me, crunchy snacks like fresh apples, celery and carrot sticks were good fillers and low-cal soups like Progresso light were great for hot food that was comforting and filled me up. I also lived on Egg Beater omelettes and veggie sausage for easy protein that made me feel full longer.

Fuji - awesome news about the Y!! Enjoy!

Andi67

Hello everybody... so good to see all you familiar "faces" again. I miss this thread and feel like I don't have anytime to post.... mostly because I am working so much. Ugh.  I did go snowcat skiing in Canada in January with my boys. In spite of the fact that we were there to scatter my dads ashes, we had a wonderful time. Snow was amazing; we were truly in the middle of nowhere with only 12 other people, the boys thought they'd died and gone to heaven with four feet of new snow and miles of untracked power, and best of all I could actually DO it. When the snowcat got to the top of the mountain the first day I was truly panicked, as I hadn't skied anything like it in ten years, let a alone post cancer/chemo/bone compressions, etc. But - all good... it was amazing.  More skiing here in Colorado and a weekend in Utah. I had to put my big hike on hold as my husband is looking for a new job and won't commit to going with me (Kilamajaro, anyone? ) so I've signed up for a half marathon in May; the Santa Barbara wine country marathon. I am afraid I may be crawling by the end, but at least there will be wine waiting for me! I've been running and have worked my way up to 8 miles, but VERY slow and painful... not what it used to be. I keep thinking about Nancy and Springlake girl and the marathons they have run and it gives me hope.

LivAZ44 - I agree with Nancy on the gentle exercise. I still (three years later) feel like I am 90 when I wake up, but after I get moving it gets a lot better. And going through chemo, all I did was sit... truly .... in one chair for six monthes. I felt so terrible I thought I couldn't walk to the mailbox. I'm realizing now how detrimental that actually was... although I was one that lost 25 pounds during chemo, my metabolism literally shut down and I lost all of my muscle mass since all I did was sit.... so I am paying that price now. I have gained back the 25 pounds and more and find it impossible to lose weight.l (not that I am not very grateful to be alive....but  still get frustrated sometimes.) I am not sure my muscles will ever be what they were. So if you can, any gentle movement will help....

MaryK87  - hang in there. I had extensive bone mets as well. I just had a bone scan a few weeks ago, and although I am NED for the time being, when I read the results I am reminded of how extensive (EVERYWHERE) the cancer actually was.  Really good that you are stil walking/doing gentle exercise. I get the weight gain frustration, believe me.

Everyone else - really good to hear that you are all active and off to a good start in 2016.  I promise to be more "active" on this tread!

XO

Andi

LindaE54

WOW Andie, you've come a long way! I'm truly impressed with all you're doing.

No more ice or snow on the streets, so will walk outside more. I live in the mountain, nothing flat around here. Can't walk the same distance in the same amount of time outside vs the treadmill, but the sunshine and fresh is well worth it. I feel as if the treadmill training has helped, not so out of breath.

Andi67

This is the one thread that I can not read for a month and not get behind on! Where is everybody and what are you all doing now that the weather is finally a little nicer? ( at least here in Colorado it is) I am still training for the 1/2 marathon, which is two weeks away. I ran 10 miles yesterday.... very slowly... I have finally resigned myself to the fact that I can no longer complete a 1/2 in under 2 hours.... not sure I can complete one at all, but we'll see. I might just skip the run, and hang out at the finish line drinking wine and cheering my friends on.  Today when I got out of bed I felt like I was 140 instead of only 90.  We'll see how it goes, but it might be time to hang up the running shoes and hike, finally get in the swimming pool, and actually go to the yoga classes that I have paid for.

Hoping everyone is having a good spring!

XO

Andi

Andi67

Hello ladies,

I am hoping that all of you will see this. I'd like to continue this thread, or start a new one, as a tribute to our amazing friend Nancy. Her legacy.  I believe she started original thread back in 2014. (?)  In spite of our sadness of continuing  on without her, I know she would want to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and KEEP MOVING. What do you all think? Should I start a new one and rename it .... with her name in it, of course? I haven't ever started a thread before so also want to make sure I am not breaking any of the rules.

I miss her and her inspirational, encouraging posts... her spirit and her energy.

Please let me know what you think.

XO

Andrea

Heidihill

YES, Andi! I think this thread will be fine.

zarovka

I was moving to a new home for the last three weeks. I was active but not maintaining my yoga, weightlifting, aerobic routine. I got sicker and sicker over the three weeks. Low energy, bad side effects. Nausea, exhaustion, hot flashes, neuropathy, weird skin things.

This week I have focused on getting my exercise routine back in place. Energy coming back, side effects reduced. I do feel that focused exercise is necessary to move the toxins from these drugs through my systems. It seems like they build up in my system when I don't move.

I've also started manual lymphatic drainage. That helped reduce the nausea/exhaustion enough to get through an exercise routine.

For me, personally, exercise is hard but it has been slippery slope when I do not exercise. Thank you all on this forum for the support and inspiration to keep going ...

>Z<

ShazzaKelly

it's been so long since I've posted in this thread and I've been so lazy with no good reason. My weights been steadily creeping up the nearly 3 years I've been on Taxol and and my activity levels have got less and less.

I've agreed to do a 21k Breast cancer walk on the 8th of October with a group of friends, have downloaded a tracker to my phone and gone for my first walk in ages in the rain this morning, now I just need you girls to keep me honest.

Nancy was an inspiration to me and I hope we can keep this thread going in her honor

zarovka

Go Shazza.

I am doing well this week, working out once or twice a day 5 of 7 days. It's the Ibrance that keeps me honest because I feel like crap when I don't workout. I made surprising progress with my fitness in the past couple of weeks even though the workouts are light.

>Z<

BionicBunny

it's good to see this thread becoming active again. It has always been one of my favorites.

I 've been trying to walk more consistently this year, and am on my out for one soon. I've also been biking regularly, plenty of miles but nothing very fast or difficult. The seat on my road bike is flat and hard, which didn't use to be a problem. It is still good for my "butt bones", even with the hip replacement, but the front of the seat puts too much pressure on extremely dry, fragile skin-ouch! I've bought new bike shorts and have added some extra padding to the front of the seat, so it is better than it was, but definitely still needs improvement. So, do any of you bikers have suggestions, or recommendations for a comfortable women's road bike seat? I would appreciate your help-thanks!

Zarovka and Shazza-It's great to read your posts. Hope all is going well.

teacher911

Hello Fitness Friends,

It's good to see people posting again. I know it was hard to say goodbye to Nancy, she was so kind to everyone. Bionic Bunny I am not a biker so no advice to give, but glad to hear you are staying active. I am walking, kayaking and doing nautilus a few times a week. Summer is so much easier for me to stay active. My husband and I are off to Iceland and Scotland for a few weeks. I hope to be doing a lot of hiking out in the beautiful countryside. I hope everyone is doing well.

Michele

Andi67

Hi Heidi, Z, Bionic, Shazza and Michele.... so great to see all of you again. Thank you for helping to keep this thread going in honor of Nancy. I think we should just finish what she started in 2016 and in 2017 we can rename as a tribute to her.

Michele - Iceland and Scotland sound amazing. So many people are going to Iceland now and just love it. You are right - it's so much easier to stay active in the summer. I've been hiking quite a bit, too. Yesterday I woke up feeling completely anxious, depressed and teary, so I went for a six mile run, walked the dog, and then did a tennis drill for two hours and by the time I was done, I felt so much better. ( a little dehydrated, but happier.)

Bionic - I have a bike but haven't really ridden since I was diagnosed Stage IV. I keep thinking I am going to get back on it, but I don't. Sorry I can't give advice on the bike seat. Have you tried the gel kind? I think that is supposed to be a lot softer.

As usual, my goals are swimming and yoga....I really need to work those in...I continue to do what is in my comfort zone, and I know both of those would be better for my body.

Shazza - I am glad to see you again. It has been a long time! I know what you mean about the weight thing. I never used to struggle with mine until recently - the chemo put me right into menopause, and with it came about 10 extra pounds. I am determined to get it off, but it is SO hard.

Z - I love your picture and Heidi, I hope you are enjoying a beautiful summer!

XO

Andrea

zarovka

Yoga and swimming are the best exercises for moving lymph around, according to the physical therapist who does my lymphatic drainage.

Keep moving ladies!

>Z<

ShazzaKelly

Well winter finally arrived in New Zealand with torrential rain and flash floods. Most of my exercise involved the treadmill and Pilates this weekbut today dawned crisp and clear so I ventured outside for a 7 km walk.

zarovka

fantastic lake! fantastic walk. i made it to my favorite yoga class and walked for 40 minutes. not feeling great so that was quite an accomplishment for me.

BionicBunny

Gorgeous photo Shazzakelly. Glad you were able to go out for a walk.

Zarovka, that is so good to that you are able to keep at it despite not feeling well. Hope you feel better soon.

I have been biking, walking, and doing a little swimming. My daughter and i went for a swim in the lake near us. It was fun but cold, and very exhausting!

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

ShazzaKelly

more wet and wild weather here last week meant most of my exercise was in doors but my weekend was spent in the Deep South of New Zealand and good but freezing weather meant a couple of off piste walks

zarovka

Wow that would get me out for a walk. Beautiful!

Andi67

Shazza - so beautiful! You are so lucky! I haven't been very good for the last week...I've been with my husband in California - we are in the process of relocating ( I think. I am just about to pull the plug.) and I spent all last week looking at rental properties. I did get in some walks on the beach, but I think the stress of the week offset them. I am back in Denver now.... playing tennis tomorrow night and doing a 14 mile hike on Sunday, so hopefully that will boost my spirits a little.

XO

Andrea

Brendatrue

"National Geographic Emerging Explorer and Adventurer of the Year Wasfia Nazreen doesn't just climb for the thrill; she climbs for a cause. The first Bangladeshi to scale the Seven Summits, Wasfia has made it her purpose to brave these climbs for the sake of something larger - for the women of Bangladesh. Lyrical and poetic, this short documentary, shot entirely on an iPhone 6S, is a reflective character portrait that takes us from the depths of Wasfia's struggles to the highest peaks on the planet, as we explore what it means to pursue the unknown."

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/short-film-showcase/a-womans-epic-journey-to-climb-7-mountains-shot-on-a-phone?utm_source=NatGeocom&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=video_20160715_a&utm_campaign=Content&utm_rd=1897000270

I decided to post this 13minute film in remembrance of all those who have been a part of the fitness threads and are no longer part of our immediate world, as inspiration for all of us who continue to pursue fitness/wholeness in whatever ways we are able, and in honor of a remarkable woman who has made climbing the Seven Summits part of her dedication to promoting a brighter future for the girls of her country.

zarovka

Thank you brenda!

I spent the day chasing pokemon in austin with my kids. Talk about a workout. And it was 100 degrees.

Back out tomorrow.

>Z<

Andi67

Brenda - I am so happy to see you again, and started crying the second I started reading your post, without even watching the documentary....thank you! What a perfect tribute. I will watch later today. In the meantime.... I am so glad you are back and wonder how you are doing...? Hope all is as well as it can possibly be.

XOXO

Andrea

ShazzaKelly

Brenda thanks for posting that. So awe inspiring and the perfect tribute.

I've had to contend with wild winter weather and a head cold this week but have managed to exercise most days. I've just got home from Sunday morning yoga. It's pouring with rain. Think the rest of the day will be spent knitting. Does that count as exercise.

Just one photo from my walks this week. A pukeko. A crazy looking swamp hen that inhabit these parts. I've been chased by a few in my time

Hope everyone is doing well. Enjoy the Pokemon hunting Z it's hugely popular here too

Heidihill

Gorgeous pictures, Shazzakelly! Great to hear from you Brendatrue! Thanks for the link and also thanks for the poem "Grief" you posted on the D&D thread.

Summer just started this week for us. I had been away though taking care of my dad who passed away two weeks ago. He caught pneumonia twice and succumbed to the second one at 95 years old. The good news is that DD learned how to cook while I was away!

I hadn't had a chance to plan a vacation so we are enjoying the great weather we're having at home. Did a long bike ride with DD yesterday.

Iwrite

Love the pictures ShazzaKelly! Knitting does count as exercise...treatments can cause stiffness in the fingers. :-)

Thank you ladies! This is a good place to get inspired to keep moving! These days I'm swimming (1/3 - 1/2 mile) 4-5 days a week and doing some physical therapy for lower back pain. Had to stop kettle bells, walking and yoga as any weight bearing effort causes issues with left leg pain and weakness. I did get it scanned and they say it's "old lady" degenerative disc stuff due to lack of estrogen. We will see...I hope they are right as the alternatives are worse.

I love to swim (did it in college) and it does ease aches and pains. (Maybe that is because of the hot tub therapy after the laps.)

Gardening is the other exercise...battling the bugs could be a full time job. Morally I'm opposed to pesticides, but visually it pains me to see holes eaten in the leaves and flowers. If I can take poison to kill cancer it seems totally fair to use it to kill insects! It's all relative :-)

Hope you receive a burst of positive exercise induced endorphins today!

Brendatrue

Greetings to all, new friends and old alike,

I did not even know this 2016 thread existed until I saw it a few days ago when I was looking for the old thread to post the documentary link. When I watched the documentary, I knew immediately that I wanted to share it with those in the fitness thread. Although I won't ever again be strong enough to climb an actual real-world mountain or hike into another actual real-world gorge, I'm still climbing the mountain of being as whole and strong as I can be and hiking out of the gorge of setbacks. Although I've maintained NED status for a while now, I'm still dealing with challenges related to cardiac disease, a difficult to manage systemic microvascular condition (which has whacked me with TIAs from time to time), chronic fatigue, advancing degenerative disc disease, and blah, blah, blah. I'm often thrilled with myself when I am able to do thirty minutes of modified yoga or pilates, proud of myself when I am able to walk 1.5 miles with the use of nitro, unembarrassed when my exercise is limited to stretching, accepting when I am able to do little more than breathe and blink on the toughest days. I feel grateful that I've managed to keep "mildly" active, although my days are often structured around rest and getting the basics done. I know that not everyone is able to do what I do, and I know that others do lots more. I think it was Theodore Roosevelt who said, "Comparison is the thief of joy," and I've held onto that quote since I first read it.

I've enjoyed reading all of your posts, meeting new folks, reconnecting with you "old" folks. Andrea, thanks for asking about me. I appreciate it. Heidihill, I am always glad when a poem or quote I am contemplating or living with in some way touches someone else when shared. The poem "Grief" really touches me on many levels, and I am glad you read it and found comfort in it. I hope your father's death was peaceful and that you have a lifetime of memories to soften your grief.