Walking During Chemotherapy

So back when I was in chemo, and for many years before diagnosis, I used to go for a daily walk. That was when I was healthier (I only had two cancers, not RA and fibro). When I was healthy, I would walk between 4-6 miles each day. Many friends didn't like walking with me because they claimed I walked too far and too fast. My husband would call my walks 'death marches'.

But I digress. During treatment, I walked every day I could. I mean on days I had surgery I didn't always feel up to walking. During chemo, often my walks were shorter because I felt like crap (a technical term). My biggest side effect during chemo was constant nausea and inability to be in the same room as scallions. I did have some neuropathy but not too bad and my finger nails and toe nails took a beating.

Now there is a new study (because we always need more research) that shows that breast cancer patients who go for daily walks during chemo had fewer neuropathy problems than those who did not walk.

"The study, involving more than 300 cancer patients, was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Investigators in the exercise study directly compared the neuropathic symptoms in non-exercisers to the pain among patients who took part in a specialized six-week walking routine with gentle, resistance-band training at home.

The exercisers reported significantly fewer symptoms of neuropathy – which includes shooting or burning pain, tingling, numbness, and sensitivity to cold – and the effects of exercise seemed to be most beneficial for older patients, said lead author Ian Kleckner, Ph.D., a biophysicist and research assistant professor in Wilmot's Cancer Control and Survivorship program."

So maybe I was on to something. The nurses and doctors all appreciated the fact I went for walks and encouraged me to keep walking. Currently oncologists and patients spend more time talking about walking during chemotherapy. A daily walk also provides the benefit of reducing the constipation that often accompanies chemo. 

"Kleckner, a longtime drug-free body builder and former college rugby player, said he's committed to understanding more deeply the benefits of exercise for cancer patients. "Exercise is like a sledgehammer because it affects so many biological and psycho-social pathways at the same time – brain circuitry, inflammation, our social interactions – whereas drugs usually have a specific target," he said. "Our next study is being designed to find out how exercise works, how the body reacts to exercise during cancer treatment, and how exercise affects the brain.""

So my advice is during chemo, go for a walk. In addition to helping with neuropathy, it can help reduce your stress. Actually I think my advice is as soon as you are diagnosed with breast cancer start going for a daily walk.

Why does our health make us write?

But first, a minor detour:

I blog. There are probably 1,000,000 other people out their blogging about their health? There are some who are very good and there are some who are very bad. There are those who meant to blog and startd out with 'Today I have another big scary doctor appointment. I'll fill you in later on what they told me' and we are left hanging with no more blog updates - did they give up their blog, did they lose their internet connection, did the scary doctor give them good news, did they get hit by a bus, did they die (it would be nice to have some sense of completion here), or any other number of reasons? But we would like to know and never will.

Some blogs are funny like Baldylocks (watch her new video on the right!) or Babs (I want a Jillie if I ever have to deal with this again) and allow us to see the humor in all this crap we call cancer. Some are heart wrenching - like Emily - she's too young for this. Some just show us the human side of our health and getting our lives backtogether - like Linda. Some are just plain enjoyable reading - like Debbie or Whitestone. And some are inspiring like Jothy. I can go on and on and on. I read any number of blogs each day. (This is one of the many reasons the internet has become a giant time suck for me.)

I also read the health sections of CNN and the NY Times regularly. I find some writers more inspiring than others. Sometimes they write about an ailment that I don't have - yes there are some I do not have. Today I am inspired by both Elizabeth Cohen who writes the Empowered Patient for CNN and by Christopher Hitchens, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. Elizabeth writes today about why she writes her column - because of the issues she went through after the birth of her child. Christopher writes about his feelings with his diagnosis with what appears to be late stage esophageal cancer (he never says what exactly his diagnosis is - this is my non medical interpretation on what I understand are the facts as he states them).

For whatever the reasons we write or means to write, it allows us to express our feelings as well deal with trauma, stress, our failing bodies, our repetitive trips to the kind doctors who send us off on multiple medical excursions that usually include the words 'its might be a little uncomfortable' or 'you will feel a small pinch' or 'hold still and move as little as possible for the next sixty minutes' (and then your nose itches).

We write because we need to reach out to the outside world and say 'don't forget about me'. Perhaps we also write to inspire others. Or to just say I'm still here and don't plan on going any time soon.
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Well, today we are back in southern MN. I slept well last night and am on my own today - which we know always leads to trouble. My friend went to work. I am at her place by myself. We are having her father and his new wife over for dinner so I do need to cook and stuff but this is my to do list I sent to her at work, in no particular order

1. Figure out the damn tv again - every time I shut it off I have to figure it out again.
2. Finish messing up your kitchen - she thinks I'm rearranging it. (she said I could)
3. Finish waking up - not sure if that will be before or after #2
4. make lemon curd - I found the whipped cream attachment for the mixer. maybe make some pureed berries to go in the layers of the trifle.
5. Roast vegetables for soup - worst case, you can't borrow a blender, what do you think the whipped cream attachment would do to the soup? (And find the damn soup recipe we saw in a TV show on line so it might actually be edible.
6. Weeding - do you have any gardening implements that would help with dandelion removal or should I just search the garage? (No she has clippers only.)
7. Go for a walk to the arboretum
8. Nap
9. Do some work.
10. Finish my blog before noon.

So far I have finished #10.

Ha! I was right all along

Isn't it nice when studies confirm what you were already doing? Here it is: 'Cancer Survivors are Urged to Exercise'. As I may have muttered about a few times, I go for a daily walk. I did go for my daily walk during treatment. I try not to skip a day but sometimes it happens. Currently I claim I walk six days a week - because I have missed a few days here and there due to work schedules and meetings. Anyway, I get out there and walk. I do it for flab prevention and destressing. It is also nice to go to the doctor and have them always say one good thing - 'your blood pressure is nice and low' - in the middle of cancer talk... Its just nice to say 'ha! I was right!'

Now there is another article I was reading that confused me. I admit to being easily confused at time but there is one kind of article that always confuses me. These are the ones on checking for skin cancers. I look at the pictures and look at my skin. And look at the pictures and look at my skin. And look at the pictures and look at my skin. And give up and make a mental note to ask my doctor the next time I see her and usually forget (because I have no brain). And if I do remember, she'll ask me when I last saw a dermatologist and send me over to see one... But that will be months from now and I know this so I'll go back to looking at the pictures and looking at my skin and being confused.

But I digress. What am I doing today? I am working from home. I do have work to do and will attempt to get to it but I am also meeting my husband for lunch and some shopping. Even before that I am going for a walk which I plan on doing as soon as I have a little more coffee and do my damn exercises. I have noticed that a couple of days ago my arm was not feeling too great. I put it down to being stupid and carrying something. But then I realized I had skipped my arm exercises a few times and voila, my arm was aching and sore and feeling puffy. I have learned that I can control this stupid lymphedema with exercises... So maybe they aren't that bad.

Also today: back pain, check! Neck pain, check!

Exercises can be dangerous

Every day I get down on the floor and do my back exercises twice a day with a big exercise ball, then I do my arm exercises standing up, and then I stand on the balance board and balance disk and do my ankle exercises. Well, yesterday I seem to have been lacking that key trait that can be very helpful in life - coordination. As I was getting down on the floor to start my back exercises, I twisted and jolted my back simultaneously in a distinct lack of adeptness and my back gave a nasty jolt which continues to this moment. No I wasn't doing my exercises I was getting ready to do my exercises.

I have no idea what I did. I have pain meds. It is bearable with drugs. My thought is if it still continues Monday, I will call the doctor. No this is nothing to do with the injection I received on Thursday - that actually feels fine. This is a new, never before experienced pain, that is just nasty. This may lead to crankiness as well. In the meantime, I'm just going to take drugs and attempt to go about my day. I have already been informed that I am being whiney but that will just have to do for now.

Yesterday I also went to work, got my nails done, met a friend for a walk, and was supposed to go out to dinner with my parents. My father is recovering from his broken leg and is wheelchair bound. To go out for dinner, we need an able bodied person to put the wheelchair in and out of the car. This was going to be my husband but he ended up working until 10 pm. Grrr! Today I hope we can get out for a walk before it starts raining. I'm just going to take my drugs and ignore my back.