Exercise
I felt pretty good all week so I focused on being a little more active. It was incredible comparing my workouts last weekend to this weekend. The extra week between chemo and the work out really does help.
Last weekend I did a hike with my friend and the pups at Rabbit Mountain. We picked this because it was close and not very tough. I started huffing and puffing as soon as we started. I just couldn’t catch my breath. We hit a bench halfway through the hike, stopped there, and just turned around. I left deflated that I could be so out of shape.
The next day I went on a 3.5 mile hike with my friend from Colorado Springs. Walking on flat land is so much easier so I didn’t struggled too much. However, I was definitely exhausted after that weekend.
I got in two runs during the week. My run on Wednesday was pathetic. I ran 1.5 miles and by run, I mean run/walk with more walk than run. Being a runner, this is tough to take. I have never been fast, but I at least have been able to log miles.
Thursday was Shoes & Brews day. A couple of friends decided to run with me even though I caveated that my runs are hit or miss. Thankfully this day it was a hit and I was able to go 2.6 miles without much stopping.
Yesterday I went back to Rabbit Mountain to see how my body would respond to the same hike with a week of no treatment. I crushed the hike. I never even started to breathe heavy. It was night and day difference.
Today, I tried to run at the local lake and mostly failed. I am going to blame the strong wind. I just didn’t have it in me and only made it 2 miles with run/walk.
So what I have learned is that exercise will depend on the day and I will just keep trying. I realize it won’t be easy anytime soon, but exercise is my outlet and it was nice to be able to get out.
Changes
This week didn’t bring about many changes in my health. The only thing I really noticed is that most of my hair has officially fallen out. My head still has random patches, which is strange. However, the hair elsewhere has fallen out. This means no more shaving!
One thing I didn’t think about regarding losing hair is losing nose hair. My runny nose just runs now. There is no hair to catch it or slow it down. I am constantly sniffling or needing Kleenex nearby or else it just drips out. It isn’t the end of the world, but I didn’t expect it.
Travel Plans
I think the hardest part of having cancer is that I don’t have any trips on my calendar. It isn’t easy to plan travel when you don’t know how you will feel. Also there is a chance the timeline will change if chemo is cut short (different reasons that could happen). I am the type of person that always has a vacation or two on the calendar.
I have been thinking so much about the second half of the year when I will hopefully be able to travel. I am not considering any long hikes or physically challenging vacations this year because I just don’t know how long it will take my body to recover. This is forcing me to considering different vacations. And I am totally open to suggestions.
Here are my current thoughts:
- Eugene, OR in April for a half marathon with my DC running girls.
- I have accepted that I would be there to cheer and not race. This is also a maybe based on the timeline of chemo/surgery.
- DC/Louisville end of May/beginning of June
- A good friend is getting married in DC at the end of May and my brother and sister-in-law are expecting a baby with a due date of June 1. I really want to make sure this trip happens, but it is also dependent on my treatment schedule. I will probably still be in recovery from surgery but hoping I am far enough along to enjoy these events.
- Post cancer big trip!
- I am still debating what to do here and when I can do it. One of the top contenders is going to Japan. I could watch my friend in the Olympics, hit Disney, and then explore the rest of the country and even get in a hike or two. Other options is a trip to Europe (Ireland/Scotland/Portugal) or Asia (Thailand). If you have any suggestions for a great trip with some activity but nothing crazy, send them my way.
- Disney Food and Wine half marathon in November
- I have officially decided I will do this race in November. If you know me well enough, you know I love Disney (hence why I do Disney travel agent work) and I love running. Why not combine these to end my crazy year. I will be signing up for the American Cancer Society team and raising money for it as well. This is basically my F*CK off cancer trip. Happy to have anyone join if they would like.
Dreaming of vacations keeps me happy all of the time. There are so many places around the US and world that I want to visit. So starting to plan my post cancer trips makes me happy.
Upcoming Week
My last AC treatment is this week! I am so excited to be done with the Red Devil. My treatment is on Tuesday morning and I will meet with the dr as well. I am curious for an update to see if my treatment will be changed or any other info she has. More importantly the Taxol treatments are supposed to be easier so I am not quite as nervous heading into those. Just one more “bad” week to get through!