Exercise and well being during chemo and radiation

97 degrees and 19% humidity as 4PM (roughly 36 C). Too hot to make much use of the weekend, especially since I am told to avoid sweating. Maybe I'll think about cleaning the cellars - it's nice and cool down there.

Katy, I was a little tongue-in-cheek with "treat myself" to chemo--and yet there is something about a long stretch when I can't move around oand am forced to do some of my favorite things: read or listen to music, for instance. Or, er, watch the aforementioned show. Speaking of which, when I was wig-shopping and coming to grips with that whole thing, I found a blog titled something like "Hats of Downton Abbey." Not to mention that the amazing Dame Maggie Smith is a BC survivor!

Rainnyc - I understand about downtime for oneself. The few minutes I wait each day for radiation treatment (plus wait times at other medical appts.) are sacrosanct to my crossword books. I will admit that I look forward to the (fortunately brief) drive to/from as well, as I can listen to NPR for a few minutes, then go lose myself in a crossword.

Didn't know that about Dame Maggie, either. Just one more thing to admire about her.

Hopeful... yes, it's funny, isn't it. Our lives get so busy, yet this disease of necessity forces us to slow down, and so we get these pockets of time to ourselves. It's a silver lining, I guess.

So-she-did, sorry about the big D.

5.2 mile walk to day. It was HOT out!!!

Went to Disneyland this weekend, so walked quite a bit on Friday and Saturday.

Took a morning walk with my girls this morning, 1.6 mi.

PB

This morning a big climb and I went almost 4 miles.

This evening was a walk with the dogs and we went 2.1 miles.

6 miles logged today!

you are all so inspirational! Well done. I've been walking most days 30-40 mins and did some gardening and cleaning on the weekend.

Nice and cool this am and did two miles, yay for me!

Good to see you back here, Sharon. I was thinking about you yesterday. It sounds like you had a good weekend.

Octogirl, I know you've not started either radiation or chemo yet (still determining tx. plan, I think?) The one suggestion I'd make, if I haven't already, is to start moisturizing your chest NOW. The better shape your skin is in before you start the easier it will be on you.

With the scars still being quite new, go lightly around them until you get the all clear to start massaging them.

End of lecture for the day, Octo. Glad you had cool enough weather to do a couple of miles and enjoy it!

Sloth - that's frustrating, isn't it, how little some of these devices seem to value some pretty heavy work! My pedometer gives me almost no credit for vacuuming, for instance, although there is a chart I can use to figure out the equivalence. Still, it's not the same as seeing the numbers on the device. Wasn't it nice to have it cool enough to tackle some of those summer projects we've all been chomping at the bit to do?

Walked 2.1 miles this morning before rads. Gonna hit up the gym tonight, either for weight lifting or yoga.

Octo, I started using Emu oil about 3 weeks before radiation - even before I knew for sure that it would be the next step. I use a brand that comes from NZ, which I buy through Amazon, although I prefer to support local businesses. I think the brand is New Zealand Natural (it has an emu on the label).

Frankly, I was reluctant to use an animal product but a) the oil is a by-product of the processing of the birds for food and b) one RO told me they had seen very good results for women using it. Prior to starting RT, I used a light layer in the a.m. followed by more at night. Once I started RT I added pure aloe (liquid, not gel) to the mix and my skin's done "great," per my RO. Other than along the scars it's not painful except for the internal tissue swelling, which really is a pain. I just had tx. #28 today and there's no breakdown, no peeling, very little itching. Even the supraclavicular area, which I was concerned would be fried, is just pink, not red. Not to say it's a cake walk, just that skin issues haven't been nearly as bad as I'd feared.

I also used a product from Vie skin care designed for post-peel healing of skin. It was expensive but my skin seems to like it.

I was told again and again that I would do well because I'm small and that seems to have been the one prediction that could be made with some degree of accuracy.

If you prefer not to use Emu oil, I've heard good things about Jean's Cream, My Girls, Abourdoun Calendula cream, and Elta. You might start reading the summer 2015 radiation thread to get an idea of what people are doing. Frankly, prior to treatment, I don't think it matters too much what you use, but rather that you DO use something. Once treatment starts, you want something with as little alcohol and as few ingredients as possible. Oh, and stay out of the sun as much as you can between now and the start. My RO's nurses really emphasized that point.