Stage 4 Fitness 2015

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  • ShazzaKelly
    ShazzaKelly Member Posts: 909
    edited January 2015

    Brandall that is amazing good work. For those of use that don't run naturally I think the 5 & 10 k are a better option.

    I too need to work on my eating this year. I've always had a pretty good diet but exhaustion from treatment and the poor me's have resulted in some rubbish returning to my diet. I've been thinking about the vegan before 6 eating style as it is quite easy for me to eat well during working hours and then return to normal eating with the family at night. As a stage 4 I don't feel the need to deprive my self to much if I want a G&T I'll have one. I don't believe diet cures cancer but do feel that a good diet makes us feel better and helps us get through treatment .

    What's everyone else doing food wise?

  • ReadingMama
    ReadingMama Member Posts: 573
    edited January 2015

    congrats on the half marathons! That is great. I agree with saying I wouldn't have been able to do one at 20, much less now. Running is def not my thing.

    But I skied again on Monday, a little over an hour and no nap after this time. Ice skating is a good idea also. I would do the trampoline, but I would SO need to wear a maxi pad!


  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2015

    Congratulations Brandall! You rock!

    I'm just happy that I've managed to exercise in some way every day for the last week & a half; can't imagine doing a half-marathon, whew!

  • nred2002
    nred2002 Member Posts: 59
    edited January 2015

    Good for you! Mile 10-13 is absolutely the toughest. I had signed up for a race in Columbia, SC in March and still hope to do that. Halaven be kind to me!

  • Brendatrue
    Brendatrue Member Posts: 1,830
    edited January 2015

    Ooooooooh...long days dealing with so many medical appointments! I know you wonderful women can relate. Reading all the recent posts has been fun and inspiring, and the comments about my situation are especially heart warming (yes, pun intended, as is the sincerity). Springlakegirl, thanks so much for sharing your personal heart experience and helping to keep my hope building. I started a new med, which has been more tolerable than the first one, and I had been doing 30 minutes of gentle exercise daily for the last days, until today. I relapsed! I spent the morning at the hospital, and I came home just whacked. Every time I exert myself, I feel unsteady or in pain. BOO HISS! My plan is to creep slowly to bed, then do some gentle stretches and breathing exercises while I am lying down. By the way, I'm still in the midst of a cardiac workup, with a pulmonary function study and an exercise treadmill test yet to go. (My cardiologist didn't think the nuclear stress test gave him the info he needed, so I get to go the exercise route. Thankfully I've recovered from the cardiac cath!) My echo showed mild to moderate diastolic dysfunction, which is probably related to radiation therapy more so than aging. The cardiologist is still hunting, however, because he believes something else is making me have all these symptoms. My new oncologist agrees with me and my cardiologist that we need to make sure that cancer is not contributing to all this havoc being wreaked within my body, so now I get to have MRI cervical and thoracic spine as well as CT chest, abdomen, and pelvis early next week, too. I need a vacation from doctors and hospitals for a while!

  • RonnieKay
    RonnieKay Member Posts: 2,067
    edited January 2015

    Busy dr schedule, Brenda, and so sad you had to take a trip to the hospital, but glad you read your body well & it's a good thing they want to get an answer as to your heart having to work so hard...I like your drs & they obviously love you!

    Sky zone fans (Andi & Kjones), I wet my pants at the end of the Seahawk game...can't imagine what could happen on a trampoline...LOL!!!

    Brandall & Spring...WOOHOO! You're inspiring...even if you never do another, Brandall...you did it! Spring...don't I remember a pic of your last one? Brandall...most of us run around sea level & would croak at your altitude!!! Is it a little like Tom Brady using deflated footballs???? Ok...just excited for the big game!

    Running, skiing, swimming, jumping, it's all amazing! I ended up at er last Sunday (early to not miss game) for leg pain...very not serious, but big veins (and chemo) have made my onc make me conscience of swelling, redness, heat. After another Doppler, it's a leaking baker's cyst that gets inflamed when I overdo...which I did in CA. Coming home to cold weather walks, I think, may not have helped. So doing dreadmill inside...hate it! Today though...cleaning...and typing!!!

  • fujiimama
    fujiimama Member Posts: 800
    edited January 2015


    All you runners my sincerest applause 👏

    Ronniekay- I think I got twenty minutes of cardio those last two. I'm excited to see the Seahawks at the superbowl. Now they need to win. If they pull it off, they'll bookend the 12th year of my marriage with Superbowl wins. Yes, I got married on groundhogs day.

    Brenda- hope they get to the heart ❤ of the issues. I'm glad you've got a team that's willing to work. I'll be keeping you in my daily prayers.

  • RonnieKay
    RonnieKay Member Posts: 2,067
    edited January 2015

    Well, would love nothing more than to remember your Anniversary with a championship, Fujii! I gave birth the day the Sonics won the NBA championship...a million years ago!

    I worked (played) at grandson's school all day today. PE...OMG...ran, skipped, lunged laps, threw balls, lots of cardio to Rolling Stones!!! The teachers obviously a child of the 70s, like me...I loved it & now am on the couch...for the night!

  • TarheelMichelle
    TarheelMichelle Member Posts: 871
    edited January 2015

    hey everybody, I think I'll join you.

    I'm in recovery mode.

    I was running 10+ miles a week last fall, working toward a goal of a first half-marathon in 2015. Slight progression led to spinal radiation, new meds, lung infections. My last run was Nov. 29. Esophagus damage equals no real meals since November, either. Sad/challenging. Challenging/sad.

    I'm trying to stay positive as I heal. Started a project to deliver free gift bags to women undergoing treatment. At least it's winter, so not a gorgeous day for a run. I just can't do anything, not even Pilates or yoga. The radiation hurt my esophagus inside and out, so just leaning over hurts, damn it. My goal is to run again, don't care how fast or how far. My new purple Nikes are waiting. I discovered running after my Stage IV diagnosis and it's been such a blessing. Love the way my legs look for 1st time in my life.

    Your posts will keep me motivated. I'll be cheering you on, every step, because every step is a victory.

  • steelrose
    steelrose Member Posts: 3,798
    edited January 2015

    Hey Michelle, my skin mets buddy! I'm glad to see you here, but sorry you've been having troubles. Ugh, it never ends.

    You all inspire me AND make me smile. And to the runners... wow! So impressed. I'm more of a walker myself, but I'll admire you as you dash by:)

    I've been doing my yoga and barre work. I have to do it first thing in the morning though before the Gabapentin totally wears off (nerve damage) or I'm toast. But I feel so much better exercising than not. It's mental as much as it is physical for me.

    Keep going, everyone!

    Rose.

  • RonnieKay
    RonnieKay Member Posts: 2,067
    edited January 2015

    Second Tarheel I've met in two weeks! Michelle...you're definitely facing your challenges & you'll overcome! Hope resting & your goodness to others will fill your days until you're ready to run! Spring is around the corner & perfect time to bare your legs :) Steel...my slightly numb toes love walking in warmth...I'm wanting spring to come too! Barre work sounds awesome

  • RosesToeses
    RosesToeses Member Posts: 721
    edited January 2015

    I have to admit, I'm a little overwhelmed with how fast this thread moves, I don't want to ignore anyone's posts so it's making me a little intimidated to post myself! But I did want to come back and say how inspired I am by what everyone's doing.

    Rose, I've been thinking about Barre classes and think in the fall, if my bones are still stable, I may take a ballet class, I'm glad to hear Barre's been good for you. And Michelle, wishing you good healing and a return to running soon.

    I read this article the other day and found it pretty inspirational--it's about some lab studies about a hormone released during exercise and it's cancer fighting ability. I know a lot of us have had progression while exercising, but still, it seemed like good motivation to me!

    I'm still walking outside or at the mall, or getting on the damn Nordic Track. We're supposed to get 2 feet of snow in the next couple of days, though, so it looks like it will either be Nordic Track or some heavy resistance walking for me!

  • kebab
    kebab Member Posts: 873
    edited January 2015

    Well done everyone!! I have been really proud of myself this week. I found a beginner step-aerobic routine on youtube that I've modified so I can do it without the actual step. I went from pausing it multiple times so I could catch my breath and collapsing in exhaustion at the end, to actually being kind of surprised when the cool-down starts "so soon". I haven't been dieting per se, but I've been logging what I eat on a web site that tracks calories, and it just makes me think a bit more about what I'm eating. I've lost 5 pounds already! I know it probably won't continue at that pace, but it's a good, encouraging start for me.

    My hubby and I are attending a Scottish country dance ball in 2 weeks, and I really want to be able to dance! I'll be working hard on getting my stamina built up for the next little while.

    Keep up the great work everybody!

  • BionicBunny
    BionicBunny Member Posts: 146
    edited January 2015

    Roses-I read the article and was very encouraged by the possibilities there. It will help to keep me moving when I am feeling lazy.

    I had my port removed last Thursday so haven't done too much. DD and I did a short walk on Friday. Yesterday it was cold but sunny so DH and I went for a short bike ride. Today a friend and I went to the gym for an inside bike ride and a short walk on the treadmill. I am doing everything slow and easy but just moving feels good.

    Will probably be having my new port placed sometime this week, along with having some veins opened up so that will mean a few quiet days. Sometimes we just have to rest and mend, but it is so not fun:)

    Hope everyone has a good week.


  • steelrose
    steelrose Member Posts: 3,798
    edited January 2015

    Yay, Kebab! That Scottish country dance ball sounds like fun. Keep up the good work so you can dance the night away.

    RosesToeses... It's interesting because when I was learning to walk again after spinal surgery, the physical therapist would have me do ballet exercises to strengthen my legs.Those exercises got me on my feet again and I've been doing them ever since! I hope you're able to take a ballet class in the fall.

    Stay safe and warm, everyone on the east coast. Time for the Nordic Track and treadmill!


  • Heidihill
    Heidihill Member Posts: 5,476
    edited January 2015

    Belated congrats to our runners!  Kebab, love that you're "training" to spend a night country dancing. Wish I could see it. Michelle, hope those purple Nikes will soon feel your warm feet. Roses, I saw that article, too, and as I mentioned on another thread, in my case, they actually see the brown fat produced by irisin on my scans. Now I wonder if others here having scans have been told they have brown fat. It would probably be easier to see if you're shivering in the machine, which I usually do as they keep the room so cold and I'm on the edge of panic. 

  • ShazzaKelly
    ShazzaKelly Member Posts: 909
    edited January 2015

    I've just spent 5 days in Melbourne Australia with some girlfriend and boy did we get some walking in. Mind you we got plenty of eating in too, Thai, Vietnamese, japanese, Spanish and Italian.

    I had a one on one session with my Physio today on the Pilates reformer and I realise now I've been neglecting my upper body a bit. We also did my fitness assesment for the paddle boarding course I'm hoping to do. It especially designed for Breast cancer paients and looks like it could be a lot of fun.

  • Andi67
    Andi67 Member Posts: 423
    edited January 2015

    This thread moves so fast. Huge congratulations to Brandall and Springlake.... I want to see pictures! What an accomplishment... I am so impressed and happy for you! Yay! I love going from 5280 feet to sea level.... so much more air down there!

    I managed to run 3 miles last weekend..... so it's getting a little better. I took my son to see the University of Arizona in Tucson... HUGE campus... by the end of the day after the campus tour and then a dorm tour and then a little shopping we had walked 11.1 miles.... and I was in little boots with heels. I almost collapsed when we got back to the hotel - I was so tired. Then water yoga and my one lap of swimming on Tuesday... and nothing yesterday, unless constant cleaning counts.... I think I forgot to mention one other fitness goal of 2015 here at my house... Lucy, our new now 10 week old Newfoundland puppy. She keeps all of us on our toes, mostly cleaning up pee and poop but I am really hoping she is going to get the hang of the potty training thing SOON, before she turns into a BIG Newfoundland puppy.

    TarheelsMichelle  - I had three weeks of radiation straight through my esophagus a little over two years ago.....I couldn't eat for weeks... everything burned when it went down. The pain was terrible.  There is a medicine that you can take before you eat that sort of coats your throat and esophagus. I don't know the real name...we called it Swish Swish for some reason... but if you don't already have it you should ask about it.  It tasted horrible, but did make numb everything so that I could get some things down. I hope it heals quickly! I seem to remember it took a month or so.... ?

    SteelRose - I am curious about the Gabapentin. How long have you been taking it? What do you mean when you say it wears off? I have significant nerve damage... pretty bad neuropathy... still... after two years. It's been getting better recently, but I am still taking Lyrica, which seems to help a little. 3 times a day... but it never really "wears off".  My neuropathy is way, way worse when I run... I have to try to stay on dirt trails. Anyway, I have been considering trying Gabapentin.....so wondering if it really works for you?

    RonnieKay - I'll be thinking about you on Sunday and will cheering for the Seahawks. (THIS time! )

     

    Hope everybody else is having a good week!

    XO

    Andrea

     


     

  • MicheTheVanquisher
    MicheTheVanquisher Member Posts: 105
    edited January 2015

    Maine is ridiculously beautiful right now. We have clear cold weather, blue sky and new fluffy light snow to ski in! And I'm so grateful I can ski. And not only that I only have to walk out the back door, put on my skis and off I go. A little, a lot, it doesn't matter, just so I can glide quickly over the snow. And THANK YOU ALL for posting and inspiring me to do it, 20 minutes or 2 hours, most days whether I feel like it or not. Once I'm out there I always feel good.

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited January 2015

    You are all amazing women! Just wanted to say that !

  • Kjones13
    Kjones13 Member Posts: 1,520
    edited January 2015

    did my intake at the y today for live strong. I talked dad into doing it with me also (he has prostate cancer). Lord, walking up the stairs and aroun the building made my back start hurting and my breathing and heartbeat were already up. So pathetic that I am nervous about 10 min of cardio!

    Keep it up ladies! You are doing awesome!

  • Springlakegirl
    Springlakegirl Member Posts: 216
    edited January 2015

    imageJust got some pictures from my half marathon. Yes, I was tired in this picture, but it was a lot of fun! Going to see if I can run 15 tomorrow. Trying to work up to a marathon in the Spring. So grateful to be able to run!!

  • MicheTheVanquisher
    MicheTheVanquisher Member Posts: 105
    edited January 2015

    Woohoo! You're a champ Springlake!

  • Heidihill
    Heidihill Member Posts: 5,476
    edited January 2015

    Love the pic, springlake! Even matches your avatar. 

  • BionicBunny
    BionicBunny Member Posts: 146
    edited January 2015

    WHOOEE Springlake! You are strong and beautiful in the photo-both feet off the ground. Very inspiring. Thanks for posting.

  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited January 2015

    Springlakegirl, you are such an inspiration!!! I also took a peek at the link on your bio page and absolutely LOVE the video (which brought happy tears for you)!!! Truly inspiring!!!

  • DivineMrsM
    DivineMrsM Member Posts: 9,620
    edited January 2015

    Springlakegirl, I totally love how your feet aren't even touching the ground in your photo.

  • nancyh
    nancyh Member Posts: 2,644
    edited January 2015

    Spring and Brandall - congrats on your half marathons!! Spring, I love the picture of you, you look so strong.

    It is fun to read everyone's posts and be inspired. I've been trying to keep up with running/walking, but mostly I run into obstacles related to treatment. I ended up having a blood transfusion last week, so at least I've got more energy, but taxotere is taking a toll on my body. My brain is giving me a little trouble, 5 new spots showed up on my scan though they are so small we aren't going to do anything about them yet. My other two brain mets look good (we re-treated one with radiation back in Nov and it looks like the treatment worked).

    All that said, I'm trying to exercise an hour a day. I want to build up a base then start adding longer runs because darn it, I'm finishing a half marathon this year, even if they have to push me in a wheelchair!

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2015

    Springlake - I'm so impressed at what you and Brandall have accomplished!

    I'm about to head to the gym for some time on the arc trainer, leg weight machines, and treadmill. Thanks for the inspiration!


  • screech
    screech Member Posts: 212
    edited January 2015

    Whoo hooo springlake and brandall!!! Inspiration for me to do a 5K this year!  I've never been a runner but maybe it's time.....

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