Exercise and well being during chemo and radiation

Dear all: I am a hopeless idiot and I somehow un-favorited this thread several days ago and then didn't notice.

First- KSusan: I am so very sorry about your sister. That is devastating news and the only sliver of good there is that she will indeed be lucky to have you for guidance. Your intelligence, humor, and gentle soul will be a beacon for her during this undoubtedly dark time,

Sloth- it's interesting about the melatonin. I have taken it to no effect before for insomnia, but recently read that it may be good to take it for its own sake, just to get the levels up, with tamoxifen. I have no idea what dosage to start with. I threw it all out months before dx. I have also read about sleeping in complete darkness, and already had gone back to using a sleep mask as I have been struggling mightily with sleeplessness and borderline mania. Not that it has helped with exercise. I have been running around a lot lately, but not truly exercising. I did a mile on the elliptical the other day, but, today I did nothing. It's been a struggle this week. Had my dumbass survivorship meeting yesterday and it just made me angry.

Octo- you are doing great and glad to see you are able to exercise some and keep the major SEs at bay.

I see we have several new ladies and I welcome you and apologize that I just got too far behind to welcome you individually. I look forward to getting to know you better. I need to get off the screens and try to maintain some modicum of sleep hygiene. Night all.

Katy, I'm taking ten mg of melatonin at bedtime. I did some research and kept seeing that dose recommended with tamoxifen. I don't have trouble falling asleep, it's staying asleep that's a problem. I move around from bed to sofa to recliner some nights. I guess it's getting better slowly though some nights it's quite frustrating.

I'm one of those people whose docs refused to give any form of meds to help with anxiety. I have asked them many times. I've been told(by my doctors) to drink a glass of wine, take a benadryl (not an option now with tamoxifen) at one point I was sent to the cancer library to get a guided imagery CD, and all along I just wanted a little Ativan or something, anything to take the edge off. Nothing. Ever. Anyway, I've made it this far with melatonin and bedtime tea, maybe someday I'll be glad I never had anything else.

I have been sleeping on my back, with two pillows behind me for over 5 months since expander placement. Not fun! But, it hurts too much to try to turn onto my side. Exchange surgery is in one week, so Imsee back sleeping for a while longer. I have no idea for how long. I just hope it brings relief because these uncomfortable, hard coconuts in an iron bra need to go!

My friend is bipolar and uses a C pac to sleep.

lol at 'build a boob'.

I have a study pillow with a pillow thrown in, a pillow under each arm and one under my knees to make my tummy feel better. Getting in and out of bed to pee is a bi$ch.

Walked all my miles along Crystal Cove State Beach. Beautiful.

I use sunscreen and a hat, and SPF 50 beach shirt, but I don't wear sunscreen on my legs. How are you ladies balancing taking on enough sun to get vit D with sun sensitivity during chemo and/or radiation? (I have 2 more chemo sessions and then 7weeks of radiation).

Ksusan, sorry to hear about your sister's BC. Stinks.

"Build a boob". I think there's a store for that in the mall next to Build a Bear. Yes, there should be an easier way!

And thank you Allison for sharing the bipolar info about your mom. I don't remember ever reading that. And yes Eileen I am painfully aware of myself and under orders to call my shrink's cell phone after 2-3 days of bad sleep. I see him every 3 weeks. For over 6 years now. I have never gotten to a safe place where we could say " see you in 6 months and call me if you have a problem ." He calls it a very brittle case.

I moved to Oregon, a very small town in Oregon, to minimize drama, triggers, chaos and everything else associated with being close to a lot of people and family. I have done well but bc has been a trigger extraordinaire. I am taking fewer meds than before, partly because of two incidences of lithium toxicity, one requiring hospitalization. I no longer take it.

One of my biggest challenges is the goals that I have post bc, because feeling great again, feeling like I can do anything with my life,are dangerously close to signs of mania in my case. It is very hard for me to distinguish the difference between feeling good and feeling too good. It's very subjective. So my only reliable first kind of defense is proper and adequate sleep, made all the more important by the Tsmoxifen connection. I feel everything too much. And sny bipolar person will tell you that the good feelings are addicting in and of themselves.

So I have an arsenal of sleep meds that I try not to use, a cell phone number I try not to use, and a support group that I try to use as much as possible without being annoying. That would be all of you.

Today : 2 miles on the machines at PT.

Attagirl

Lynn- not gross. We will get you through it. You are almost through the gauntlet and you will soon start truly building again.

I bought a sleep mask too after reading about the night light and tamoxifen. Here's what I'd like to know, seriously I can't wrap my head around it....how do they come up with these studies or theories.....I.e.light from under the door will cancel out your tamoxifen? What about wearing socks to bed? Will that increase estrogen production? Or what if my bedroom walls are blue? Does that promote tumor growth? It just seems so random it makes me skeptical. I suppose at some point they've linked sleep hormones with estrogen production and that's the connection?

And then there's the melatonin- we read all over that it compliments tamoxifen, but then if you take too much it can do more harm than good?!?! How are we supposed to navigate through all this conflicting info? Thinking I'll find a naturopath and try to trust their recommendations, because it might be too much to try to figure this business out on my own.

That's my rant for the day. Did my usual dog walk and fitbit steps, hoping to get some help moving the treadmill in this weekend.

it poured all day when I was not at work yesterday. I got on treadmill twice at work and had calls both times. Fail day. Today I will be at a wedding a few hours away so it may not be much better

17 mile bike ride, so glad I got out early before heat crept up. Glad to be back on my bike, but I have a feeling next week will be spin class again. So sick of heat!

And, when is that day? I want my old self back too!

1 hr 15 min stairmaster, so far 40 abs...soooooo glad I can feel my skin that's being radiated because it looks like hell!

Managed to sneak in a 3 mile wal

Guess what, Katy......the mess will be there tomorrow! Unless you have a yard fairy!!!