Exercise - Working Back to it After or During Treatment

TwoHobbies, so happy your key story had a happy ending. My DH and son bought me a gadget that helps me track my keys so I'll never lose them. It ties in to an iPhone app. Called Proximo. 

Gritgirl don't overdo it! (You are inspiring me, however) 

I cannot believe it.  Prior to my BMX a month ago I ran 5 miles a day. For the past month I either sat on my butt or walked on an incline for an hour. My surgeon told me that beginning today I can start running again - with or without a bra depending on my comfort. My plan is to go out on the trail, start walking, break into a short run, see how I feel and do a walk / run of some sort. I'm frankly surprised that she said to get started so soon but my body is eager to get going. If you don't hear back from me, send in the Mounties!  

Warrior woman....you will most likely do just fine.  I cheered a lady on earlier this year as she ran throughout chemo.  She was bummed that she only came in THIRD in her age group when she did a 5k towards the end.  She is not running at the moment, but working up to 10 mile walks with her dogs post exchange surgery.  She is in her late 60s.

She did all the dog trials over the summer.  Had some not fun days, but she was fine doing them all.  I think her dog caught on so she did splendidly.

I cycled throughout chemo.  Again, some not fun days.  But I think it really helped.  Let us know how your run went. - Claire

Happy New Year gritgirl and everyone 

Thank you all for helping me get through a difficult first year.

My new year  resolution will not be more exercise or diet this year.  I just intend to make the most of everyday I have, Thats one thing this year has taught me.

I will raise a glass at my midnight to all my brave friends.

Mara x

Happy New Year with lots of health and fitness everyone! 

The weather is pretty nice here (for January) but I had my first infusion of Zometa on Tuesday and it really flattened me. My temperature went over 101 the next day, so when I called the consulting nurse I was told to go to ER. After about 4 hours they decided I did not have the flu or a raging infection and sent me home again. It was by then after ten at night and I was so pooped I went right to bed and didn't bother to fix any dinner. Yesterday was another low day, and today I feel nearly normal again except weak & wobbly, so my exercise is going to be shopping and laundry and change the sheets, which is about all I'm fit for now. I really feel like any gains I made during the summer and fall have gone right down the tubes since I started the taxol. I had a CT yesterday and will get the results next week. I sure hope I haven't lost my hair and the little stamina I had built up all for nothing.

Happy New Year, all.   Curveball and Gritgirl I'm sorry you're in sucky chemoland.   My exercise has been shoveling snow and blowing snow as we had constant snow for three days.  Mara, we had 18 inches and already had about 5 or 6 on the ground.  Next we're going into freezing cold where the high is supposed to be -10.   I will not be walking in that! 

I swore to my husband I couldn't shovel because of my surgery but then I went and pushed some around.  It wasn't too bad.  I may be ready to start lifting light weights at the gym.

GritGirl - I like gyms more than working out at home.  I prefer running outside on trails the most but when the weather isn't right the gym is a good option.  I do get bored there so if I'm not terribly motivated I will bring my Kindle or watch TV.  Years ago I went with friends and it was a social event making it more fun.

I'm starting chemo shortly and it will be important that I keep moving.  I have made such great progress in my recovery and I refuse to let the chemo kick me back down.

And if chemo gets really bad, unfortunately you vacation in Chemohell, which is when you go even farther south of Sucky, Chemoland.  That's where I was much of the summer. 

Curveball I forgot to mention I had an incident with the fever once too and I never got any kind of sickness.  I think it was my body reacting to the chemo.  Of course they don't know that when you present with the fever.  I had missed one dose of steroid so I wonder if that had anything to do with it. 

Warriorwoman fantastic that you can get a run in, but if you don't feel like it when you start chemo, well it just is that way sometimes and you have to adjust your expectations. 

Rhody I'm in Chicago.   Today it is pretty pleasant so I'm going out to walk my dog after lunch.  Tomorrow and Monday are supposed to be extremely cold - like the high will be -10.  Yes minus 10.  So this is my last chance for exercise outside for a few days.   

@TwoHobbies, I spent a couple of weeks last winter in Hell, Chemoland. There's a Hell in California and another one in Michigan, not to mention Hell, Grand Cayman Island, so why not Hell, Chemoland? I wouldn't call it a vacation though! I ended up in the hospital with a toxic reaction to one of my meds and actually had to be knocked out and ventilated overnight because my blood oxygen was so low from all the gunk in my lungs. It was definitely no picnic. That started off with a fever too, but it didn't go back down by itself. This time around, they took a chest Xray of me at the ER and said I might have just a touch of pneumonia. I have a sneaking suspicion that vulnerable lungs may run in my family. I've seen the death certificates of a number of my ancestors in the course of genealogical research and quite a number of them on both sides were carried off by tuberculosis.

Is Zolodex the same thing as Zometa (i.e. zolendronic acid—a bone booster)?

I can think of a slogan for our marketing campaign: Chemoland—a trip you'll never forget*!

Now I am just being silly. I got more minor chores done today, but I think I may have overdone it, so I'm going to be a real slacker tomorrow. Church, a few items to pick up at the grocery on the way home, and that's it. I don't know whether I have chemo fatigue, in which case taking it easy won't really relieve it, or if I'm actually getting over a slight illness or reaction to that new med, in which case it might make matters worse if I keep going in spite of feeling tired.

*unless you experience cognitive side effects during or after your stay

@MaraUK, I can get out of the door easy-peasy. Actually the climate where I live is rather similar to the southern parts of the UK. It's cool and cloudy in the winter, and rains much more often than it snows. When it does snow, the amount is usually measured in inches rather than feet, except up in the mountains.  In 2008 we did have a crazy storm where it snowed on top of the snow and then snowed some more, with record low temperatures that prevented the snow from melting. But even in 2008, I could get my door open.

hi everyone! I've been reading your posts...I wish I loved exercising. I never have. I eat healthy so I don't have issues with weight but getting back to, or for that matter, into an exercise routine after surgery has been really daunting. Fortunately, I live in Florida and out weather has been really nice. I started taking my 20 month old daughter out for a walk around our neighborhood 1-2x/ day. We also have a 2-story home so I have to go up and down several times a day and just got cleared to pick up my 23 lbs toddler. I'm glad that I'm getting back to some activity. Hopefully, I can increase it in the next few weeks and months. Ladies...Keep up your good work as little or as much as you can:)