Feel Like I'm Back Twenty Steps

Finally I am feeling better and my post surgery recovery seems almost complete. The signs are there because I actually felt able to bring in the empty trash barrels and recycling bins (put everything in the big barrel and wheel it down the driveway). This is the first time since early October I have felt up to that. My husband even noticed.

I was all set to go to the gym this week for the first time in months but I woke up Monday with a temperature (101.5) and thought I had the flu. It wasn't the flu. It wasn't an ear infection. It was just your basic run of the mill cold. It set me back - I postponed everything from this week to next week and am still dragging around some.

However, I do now feel better but feel horribly out of shape. I lost weight after sitting around for a couple of months and now have a fatter gut. I get tired easily - probably because:
I'm out of shape
I'm recovering from surgery
I'm out of shape
I'm getting over a cold
I'm out of shape
I've sat on my butt for more than 10 weeks
I'm out of shape

But now my goal is to work on getting back in shape. I really need to.

When I was diagnosed with RA and fibromyalgia, I was very pleased at the fact that I had been working out regularly and was in relatively good shape and was better off than many others when diagnosed. Now I feel twenty steps back from where I was. I am not in shape now. It will be ten times harder to get back in shape than without RA and fibromyalgia.

So Monday I go to PT for the second to last time. Tuesday I go to the gym for the first time in 2.5 months. Then with any luck, I will be back to regular gym visits and work on slowly getting back in shape. The key word is 'slowly' but I'll work on getting back those 20 steps.....

Exercise, or Reducing AI's Side Effects

All of us 'lucky' people with hormone positive breast cancer, get the 'benefit' of being able to take hormone therapy or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) such as Femara, Aromasin, etc. These lovely little pills potentially reduce your risk of breast cancer recurrence (that most dreaded of all possibilities).

However these aforementioned lovely little pills cause nice side effects such as bone loss and joint pain. I have friends who had to discontinue AIs because of these side effects. They can be THAT bad.

So a new research study (because we always need more research) has come up with a cure for these issues: Exercise. Parts of me says this is just another reason they want us to exercise. But in this case apparently it really helped women in dealing with the side effects.

Guess what the suggested exercise is: 150 minutes a week of aerobic and resistance exercise. That is the same amount that is suggested for every one for every issue.

I do more than that each week. I do about 180 minutes of cardio and then another 120 minutes of resistance exercise. I have joint pain and osteopenia (the precursor to osteoporosis). I think I would be in horrible shape if I didn't exercise.

I guess this study results in the same message we get all the time: exercise.

Changes I Can Make

My therapist asked me an interesting question the other day - do I eat specific items that could help with my fibromyalgia? I actually thought about it for a minute. (Me, taking other people's advice???? LOL) An email came through my inbox on foods that are beneficial for people with fibromyalgia - I got as far as seeing bananas on the list and I eat one every day.

However that did prompt me to wonder what other changes I could make to my life to help me in some ways. I had thought that once I left my pastry filled job I would lose a few pounds. I did lose a couple pounds but then they reappeared. This indicates to me that I need to rethink my eating habits because the flab is not going to vaporize as I expected.

I am going to think about making some changes to help me feel better - losing weight will help with other health issues. Here's my list of what I want to work on:

- Food and eating habits. Incorporate more 'good' foods and less 'bad' foods. Good foods are ones which may help with fibro and RA as well as lose weight. Lots of whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies and better home made stuff. The problem with me cooking more is I don't have the energy or the stamina to do much more cooking. I'll have to work on this area and figure things out.

- Exercise. I do go to the gym and get an hour of cardio in three times a week. I also then spend another 30 minutes or so doing stretching, free weights, and machines. But I can't go for walks and things like that. Different body parts start hurting once I go too far. I do try to go out and garden and get out in the yard but I want to figure out how can I do more without regretting it. Maybe I should sit down with my physical therapist and get some professional advice.

We already are leaning to the organic, whole food sort of thing so that area is under control. I grew a lot in the garden this year until the drought hit so we didn't get as much food as I thought but this will expand next year. I am not sure what else can I do but I will give it more thought.

I do think I want to explore more changes that I can make to work on this. I think a goal is a good thing and will provide motivation for me.

Finally Some Good News

You can balance out the damage of drinking by exercising. Doesn't this sound too good to be true? It does, and its also true.

New research has been done over years that show:

• It is impossible to stop people from drinking alcohol - in general. They have passed laws and tried all sort so different things. Even in cultures where alcohol is forbidden, alcohol is still drunk and abused. Alcohol abuse causes a lot of damage to people's bodies. 

So researchers went on another tack. What can be done in order to help people's bodies recover from this abuse from drinking alcohol, not even when it is not abused. Meaning when people drink in what are considered 'normal limits'.

Well there is a 'miracle' cure. Its called exercise. Yes, exercise. The results from the study are:

"Exercising the recommended amount "appeared to wipe off completely" the inflated risk of cancer death resulting from alcohol, said Stamatakis. Similar physical activity also offset the increased risk of all-cause mortality linked to drinking. Exercising more provided slightly better results."

I will continue to do my 3 hours of cardio a week. And maybe feel less guilty about drinking wine with dinner.

Exercise for Memory???? Or Cancer Causes Stress.

A new study (because we all new more studies) says that exercise can boost memory for breast cancer patients. What? I exercise and my memory is shot, getting worse every day. I don't believe it.

The theory is that exercise alleviates stress and benefits women psychologically which improves their memory.

"A surprising finding is memory problems appear to be related to the high stress load cancer survivors experience, and may not be specific to chemotherapy or radiation treatments."

That's surprising? To me this is even more important than figuring out that exercise improves memory. Seriously, I could have told you that a cancer diagnosis causes incredible stress. It just amazes me how many people do not get that part. Obviously they haven't been diagnosed with cancer. 

A Relationship Gone Bad

I never used to mind climbing stairs. I would skip elevators and walk up and down stairs so I could pretend I was getting extra exercise. It was no big deal. At all.

After my body decided to go to hell in a hand basket, I would sit in the living room and think about something I want from upstairs..... But delay so I could combine trips to reduce the number of times I needed to climb them.

We moved so I could live mostly on one floor. I have enjoyed that. I really have. I could avoid the stairs for days at a time if needed. If I want to go out I can walk down the front steps - all five of them. Its very relaxing. I don't have to worry about going up and down stairs. I may not get as much exercise but I don't get as tired.

Now on vacation we are in a very old house with a nice tall flight of stairs between our bedroom and useful places, like the kitchen. I am not used to stairs. I am avoiding the stairs. I am trying to limit my trips up and down these stairs. But its not working. I am taking too many trips up and down stairs. I need to stop taking as many trips but its not easy.

Every time I head for the other floor, I try to plan ahead and think what I might need to bring or get so I can limit my trips. But it never works. I was upstairs resting and my parents were both sleeping downstairs and the phone rang so I had to run down the stairs.... and it was a wrong number.

If I take too many trips up and down stairs, I might have to cut back on my trips to the beach (all 872 feet of it, give or take). I am here to go to the beach and not to go up and down stairs.

Exercise for RA Pain

I go to the gym three times a week and get in my hour of cardio. But I am not out to break speed records nor do I set the bike or stepper for great resistance. I want to get my heart rate up and benefit from regular cardio exercise.

Now a new study has come out (because we need more studies) that says that 'Rigorous Exercise Could Aid Rheumatoid Pain'. The researchers had the subjects go through high intensity interval training such as spinning. The subjects benefited from reduced weight and increased oxygen saturation but not increased pain.

Frankly the idea of trying that kind of exercise petrifies me. I have never tried spinning, even when I was healthy. It just looks too intense for me and has never really interested me.

I realize a lot of people when diagnosed with rheumatoid or other autoimmune/chronic ailments cut back drastically on their exercise. This may be because of actual or anticipated pain. I cut back on my exercise plan because I couldn't finish it. But I still kept my hour of cardio. It was suggested that I cut back. I ignored that (yes I have been known to ignore advice I don't like), feeling that if I can keep up exercise as much as possible, I will.

I have good and bad days with pain. But the idea of overexerting myself has no appeal. I mean sometimes I do things I probably shouldn't - you can ask my husband about this. The problem with over exertion, whether its running too many errands or just packing too may boxes, is that I pay the price for a few days after. So you won't catch me in a spin class.

Gym class

True confessions time: who failed gym in high school and went on to exercise regularly? I admit I failed gym in high school because I would 'forget' to go. I ended up taking a summer class to make up for it.

Yesterday I was at the gym talking to two women probably in their late 70s or early 80s. One said she flunked gym in high school and had to take it again in college. She wanted to take fencing (because it was like dancing) and was forced to take field hockey I think. She hated field hockey so she failed it.

I ended up telling them about the John F Kennedy physical fitness test. They did not know about it at all. I told them we had to run the 50 yard dash, the 600 yard run, and the standing broad jump. They were appalled. They never had to do anything like that.

We were all generally amused by our previous lack of interest in gym class and how we all go to the gym regularly. We never ended up talking about gym suits but I think their experiences with them were probably just as awful.

In elementary school, gym was fun. Except when I had to play soft ball because I could never hit the ball. Even when the gym teacher slow pitched to me over and over again. Today the gym at my elementary school is being dedicated to Jim Banks who was the best gym teacher ever.

So did you fail gym? Forced exercise was never fun.

Do I have five hours a week?

Based on new research, I could cut my post menopausal breast cancer risk by exercising five hours each week. Hmmm.... Well I do 3 hours of cardio and then probably another 2 hours of weights and stretching each week. Does that count?

Oh, wait, I already had breast cancer. Does that mean I can stop exercising? Probably not. I am sure there is another bit of research out there that tells me I need to keep exercising.

There is that long term deflabbification project I keep babbling about. Damn.

And why am I so fat if I keep exercising????

Just watch me!

My co-workers wonder why I go to the gym - they are not gym people - as I have so many ailments. But I tell them that I am much better off because I go three times each week, and was a regular gym person before RA and fibromyalgia. I think this is very true - my exercise habits put me in better shape physically before the onset of both of these.

Now when I have a training session with a physical therapist, we talk about my goals of keeping flexibility, balance, and range of motion. Face it, I am old enough that I need to think about these. I switched to one of the physical therapists last year from one of the trainers (there is a difference) because I wanted more direction with RA. The PT was somewhat wowed by my ailment list and the fact that I did come in and work out like a semi-normal person. He had no idea I had so many issues before then.

However the problem with my working out is sometimes my three times a week workout is compromised by my body revolting - with pain. I have a chart where I track my workouts. I put in little notes as well. Things like 'foot pain', 'back pains', or, my other favorite, 'fatigue', cover my chart by the time its full. Some days I start my workout with a pain pill.

The rule of thumb at the gym is 'if it hurts, stop doing it'. But if I followed that rule, I would never get a full work out in. But I make an effort to get there and do as much as I can.

I love this time of year

There is so much optimism in the health news this time of year (not so much the rest of the news especially with the ongoing European terrorism).  What I am referring to is the deluge of advice on flatten belly fat, eat healthier, and, my favorite,  how to really lose weight.

As with everything on the internet, we must take these with a grain of salt (and possibly a large margarita as well). Eating healthier does include eating more vegetables but I do that. I mean how many vegetables do I need in a day? And will it make all my ailments go away? They are what contribute to my unhealthy body. Because of my ailments, I spend too much time sitting on my butt and too little time hiking, skiing, snow shoeing, walking, etc.

I need real advice on how to be healthier and this is what I have come up with for me this January.

1. Attempt to go for a walk at least once a week. If I can do that, I can increase my weekly exercise quota. But its not really a reality. Some weeks I just cannot add in a walk because I feel crappy so much of the time.
2. Stop eating the crap at work. 

I work in a small office 15-18 hours/3 days a week. It is family run and wonderful. But I have never worked in an office with so much junk food, even when I worked for a candy company (Fanny Farmer Candy Shops) and was responsible for all the samples for photo shoots. Even the owners joke about the office 10 lb weight increase.

This week for example, the office manager had a sugar craving and went to the bakery next door and came back with an entire blueberry coffee cake (and a giant cookie for herself). Plus the (giant warehouse store containers of) brownies and cream puffs someone else brought in .

I think if I can attain those two goals, I will be a thinner happier person. I did breakdown yesterday and had a piece of coffee cake, left over Chex mix, and some goldfish. But in avoiding the crap for a couple weeks, the scale had started to move in the right direction.

So I am going to skip the healthy news this year, unless a cure for cancer, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis are announced, and stop eating the junk food at work.

I failed the unhealthy quiz!

So in my prowls around the internet, I came across a list/quiz of ten signs you are unhealthy. I thought, that MUST describe me. I was so happy to find out it did not describe me. Which means there are plenty of people who are less healthy than me out there. And here are the ten signs:

1. Your sleep pattern is not what it should be.
2. You have become an apple
3. You suffer from fatigue
4. Your urine is dark yellow
5. You snore louder and more often
6. You have to scratch all the time
7. You get cracks in your lips at the corners.
8. The quality of your skin is poor.
9. You always have a cold or the flu.
10. Your bowels are not regular.

Now I am not claiming that my sleep is perfect or I never get fatigued because I do. The list claims that one of the key reasons for fatigue are thyroid problems but since I don't have a thyroid that is a moot point for me. I also have RA and fibromyalgia which cause fatigue.

I also may not be the skinniest I have ever been but I don't suffer from the rest of these really at all. I also get plenty of exercise (believe it or not I do 60 minutes of cardio 3 times each week followed by weights and stretching).

But I digress. I am not all that healthy but I failed the unhealthy quiz!

Swimming along

With all my physical ailments, numerous well intentioned people have suggested swimming and water aerobics for me. My response is 'um, no'. I don't like swimming. In fact I hate swimming. I hate swimming laps to be specific.

I think this goes back to my childhood (as all strong feelings do). I grew up in a neighborhood with a community swimming pool. Once you passed the swimming test (2 laps, tread water for one minute I think) and were over the ripe old age of 8 or so, you could go to the pool unsupervised by parents all day. (This was the 1960s where children went outside all day long without a leash.)

We would ride our bikes (past the big bad scary dog who would chase us) every day the sun shined to swim and hangout at the pool all day long. We played Marco Polo, dared each other to go down the slide head first, learned water ballet, and generally had fun. We would leave after the ice cream truck came around 3pm and ride our bikes home.

At some point, we were all encouraged to join the swim team. They were encouraging us to channel our energy into lap swimming. We started to swim laps every day, over and over again. The thrill of the pool quickly turned into the boredom of lap swimming. We were then too old to play Marco Polo all day and had all gone down the slide headfirst on our backs. And they made us swim laps.

At summer camp, I even passed junior lifesaving. I learned more water ballet. But they didn't make us swim laps.

To this day,  I don't like swimming laps. I am not a water aerobics person. That would mean being there at a specific time which I can never do because my schedule varies so much.

I do like floating around a nice warm lake or ocean with a little float. I can swim if I want to but rarely feel the urge. And now there is a new study that says it doesn't matter for fibromyalgia if you do land or water based activities. I can just apply that to all my other ailments and can happily avoid swimming laps.

Surprising people

As I have mentioned before, I go to an amazing gym for dilapidated people. Its a combination of PT and a gym and is full of people with ailments. I see people there daily in wheel chairs, on oxygen, and wearing various types of splints and braces. I know most of the people who go there have medical issues and greatly benefit from the additional support, like me.

When you first join, you get assessed by one of the physical therapists - which consist of three of the four owners - and then work with either one of the exercise specialists or one of the PTs to set up an exercise plan. Then every three months you go back to one of the PTs or an exercise specialist to reevaluate your program.

I went to one of the PTs three plus years ago when I joined. Since then, my health has increased its downward spiral and I decided I needed to go back to one of the PTs and start over. I met with one of the two brothers yesterday to do that.

We started by going through which of my body parts have issues and my medical issues which impact my abilities. At the end of the conversation, he turned to me and said "I had no idea you had so much going on. I see you here going through your routine and did not know".

I had surprised him with my ailments and that I am still exercising. At one point, he did say "I'm sorry" and I said "no you are not supposed to say 'I'm sorry'. You aresupposed to say 'That sucks.'"

But I am a little sore after my new routine but I will be back tomorrow.

Why do I exercise?

Why do I exercise? I read this post on the Huffington Post about a woman with stage IV breast cancer who asked that very question. She isn't giving up on half marathons either. She says its endorphins that keep her moving.

I don't have stage IV cancer and some days just getting downstairs is difficult itself. I read somewhere else recently that only 20% of Americans get the recommended 2.5 hours of exercise each week. That's just pitiful. I am determined not to put myself  in that category.

I also exercise because it  helps me feel better. Really. I may hobble in to the gym but about an hour and 45 minutes later I may hobble out. But in between I get in 45 min - 1 hour of cardio and then another 35 minutes or so of weights followed by 15 minutes of stretching. The benefits to me are huge:

• cardio keeps me moving which is good in more ways than you can image - your body moves so all your body systems do as well.
• I have muscles (they may not be big but they are three) and can pump iron with the best of them with my 1 pound weights (yes they are girly and pink)
• I am flexible, my balance/stability is pretty good, and my muscles are nice and stretchy.
• I have less pain. My core muscles help me support my wimpy back.
• It helps me destress. I come in to the gym stressed and leave relaxed. 

I never stopped exercising through cancer treatment. Back then I used to walk every day but I never stopped unless hospitalized. Eventually I found I needed more than a walk and joined a good gym. I go three times a week and try to walk with a friend another day.

But I'll keep going as much as I can.

A new picture of my garden - the azalea in full bloom.

Treating Chronic Pain with Exercise

It seems a bit contradictory but exercise helps relieve chronic pain. Its one thing if you have an injury that needs to heal but then they send you to physical therapy to regain range of motion and start movement. It may be include some ouching but it means it is helping as well.

I have fibromyalgia and RA (in case you  haven't figured it out yet) and I go to the gym three times a week. I am one of the 40% or so (or whatever that low number is) of Americans who get the recommended amount of exercise weekly. At the gym, I do 45-60 minutes of cardio followed by strengthening exercises and weights (yup, I can lift the giant 1 lb weights with ease).

Some days are a little harder than others. Yesterday the muscle on the top of my right thigh was very unhappy with some of what I was doing and my left hip told me how I could not do some exercises. But I did finish 95% of my workout which is just fine.

Exercise does make me feel better. Some of my doctors are impressed with the range of motion I have in my shoulders and hips because of my ailments. Exercise and stretching has allowed me to retain this. It has been suggested I try swimming. But since I hate swimming laps, that has not happened.

However there are always overachievers. I am not an overachiever regarding exercise these days. Katie Pumphrey is an overachiever. She swims to help with her fibromyalgia. But if that wasn't enough, she is training to swim the English Channel. No I am not kidding. The English Channel is not what we call an easy swim. To put it in context:

"Fewer people (1,429) have crossed the channel solo than have climbed Mount Everest (more than 4,000), and only 446 of the swimmers have been women. Eight people have died trying since Matthew Webb first accomplished the feat, in 1875 — though the success rate, which was tiny in the early 1900s, has risen sharply in recent years.

If all goes well, Pumphrey will enter the water in Dover, England, on Aug. 8 or 9, 2015, and emerge in Cap Gris Nez, France. The distance is 21 miles, but the shifting tides guarantee that few swim directly across. In July 2010, 56-year-old Jackie Cobell reached Calais, France, after swimming 64 miles in nearly 29 hours."

This will be a feat for the record books as far as I am concerned. So to the non-exercisers out there, I just say aim high and start moving. For those with pain, remember every journey starts with a single step.

On not being normal

If you find a truly 'normal' person, please let me know. No one is normal - its just a fact of life. But some people are more abnormal than others in different ways. Take me for example, I am very abnormal in the medical world. I have more medical ailments than my 80 something parents. 

All those health articles with tips for healthy living usually do not apply to me. I mean I can hydrate more but I can also floss more too.

Anything that relates to jump starting your metabolism to lose weight - um, I don't have a thyroid so its not going to do anything. Or more or different exercise - sorry, between RA, Fibromyalgia, lymphedema arm, and other injuries that never seem to go away - not happening.

I watch the ads on TV about the newest gym and fitness equipment - not going to do much for me. I go to my gym for dilapidated people and a trainer helps me through bumps in the health road. The  gym is running a contest this month for those who go the most often will be entered in a drawing for some big prize. I can't participate because I can't go more often. I couldn't participate in their last team challenge that was about increasing fitness. The team who increased their fitness the most won t-shirts or something - bragging rights? My goal is to maintain my fitness not increase it.

My three days a week at the gym are about my maximum. I do try to go for a walk once a week as well but that doesn't always work out.I can't just hop on my bike, sign up for a yoga or pilates class. The newest fitness apps? Doubtful.

The so called 'normal' people can lose weight by eating less and moving more. I can eat less but I can't move more.

I am not making excuses just expressing my frustration. I add medications that have that lovely weight gain feature and then I can't move more to counter act that. I try to eat less and it doesn't seem to help.

It could be compounded by that evil menopause (or in my case - chemopause) side effect of weight gain. It could be compounded by the fact that the office I work in has the tendency to bring in evil doughnuts and things like that.

I just need to accept I'm abnormal and my inner size eight is screaming to get out of the current size 12 body.

Oopsie, they made a boo boo

Last week, it was announced by those that be in power that many millions more Americans need to take statins to reduce their heart attach risk. I suspected that this might be an evil ploy by pharmaceutical companies to earn a few bucks....

Well now it turns out that made a big fat boo boo and the calculator/algorithm that was proposed, doesn't work. They did things like using data from the 1990s when more Americans smoked and drank and all sorts of other basic things. This is an example of why more research is often need to confirm things.

So there isn't a  magic pill in statins for millions. Just like there isn't a magic pill for the rest of us.

And don't believe everything you read...

There is no magic pill! Sorry!

I admit I often ask my doctors for a magic wand to make bad things go away. They tell me they cannot provide it no matter how nicely I ask. There is not a magic pill, no matter what the pharmaceutical industry wants to make us think.

In a perfect world, I would like to have a magic pill or magic wand for the following: breast cancer, thyroid cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, degenerating disk disease, and fibromyalgia. None exist. So I am whing.

The use of tamoxifen to help reduce breast cancer occurrence in high risk patients is a smart idea. It is a relatively small portion of the population and something that can't really be affected by diet, exercise or other changeable activities.

But I have a real problem with the new 'brainstorm' to give statins to millions of people who are at a risk of 7% or more of having a heart attack in the next ten years. Let me just say that somewhere around half the panel of doctors who decided this were connected with the pharmaceutical industry - they didn't vote so that is supposed to make it okay. (I would assume they did make their opinions known in pre-vote discussions.)

Doctors are now going to be told to use a new algorithm: "The equation considers age, sex, total and HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, blood pressure treatment, diabetes, and smoking." HDL cholesterol is impacted by smoking, weight and exercise or lack of it. Systolic blood pressure can also be impacted by the same and salt and alcohol intake.

So let's see, get off your butt, start moving, eat right, and all that stuff, or take a pill for the rest of your life and make the pharmaceutical industry rich? Hmmm.... I prefer the former option over the latter.

I am sure statins have side effects because everything will have some kind of side effect.

PS And this recommendation will impact 1/3 of Americans. The claim is they are cheap but my guess is that the insurance industry will be on the hook for a large portion of these costs.

I try to be flexible

In July I went to see my new rheumatologist.  We talked about all sorts of things related to my rheumatoid and fibromyalgia. Among other things, she wanted to see how my flexibility is doing. She said my knees are 'snap, crackle, and pop' which did not surprise me at all.

However she was impressed with the flexibility I have retained in my shoulders and hips.  I said it was due to the gym that I go to where they work with the members and their ailments. My back pain doctor is also impressed with my flexibility.

Yesterday I was at the gym doing all sorts of complex things like balancing on the flat side of the BOSU and pumping iron at the same time - with my giant one pound weights - and 30 second planks. I am a stellar athlete. I can even balance on one foot and sit down on a bench and stand up again unaided. These are complicated tasks.

It has been just about a year since I was told I had fibro and a few weeks later I learned about RA. In that past year, I have had to significantly alter my workout program because there are many things I can't do any more. Mostly I can't get through the same workout I could a year ago.

First we cut it way back, then we started stretching things out - more reps and lower weights, etc. Now I think its time to start trying to build more things back in.

The thought did occur to me as I pumped iron yesterday that it is a very good thing I have been going to this gym for as long as I have. It means I was in relatively good shape (for me) when diagnosed and I have been able to maintain the basics of balance, strength and flexibility which are some of the biggest problems for RA and fibro people.

I really want to retain some flexibility in my body as well as balance. All I can say is I am trying.