Exercising

My preparation in getting ready for my next chemo treatment is coming along. I have done a light workout each day for the past six days and plan to continue working out daily as long into my next chemo cycle as possible. My workouts consist of light aerobics for 30 minutes and then 45 minutes using 5 and 10 pound weights with a bit of head, neck, and back stretching thrown in. It’s still a long way from the 35 pound weights I used to use. However, it feels great to be active again.

Chemo begins in 10 days on November 26 2007. I won’t know the chemo regimen until my clinic visit on November 21 2007. My doctor is still exploring the best possible treatment. It seems like there are so many new options currently hitting the market. Plus, we want to see the results from the new CT scan which will take place on November 20 2007. The pain in my tongue continues to be a serious concern. The pain seems to have subsided a bit, but it is still impacting my ability to eat and talk. I have been able to back off on some of the extra pain medicines and am almost back to pre-surgery pain medicine levels.

The weather here is phenomenal, high 60s and clear skies. It’s really a joy.

I’m not sure how many of you are following Leroy Siever’s cancer journey on the NPR blog website. He is really struggling. He had major back surgery about 6 weeks ago to replace one or more vertebra in which cancer had taken over and a serious infection set in… not to mention a stroke during or immediately following surgery. Now he has a pump attached to his body releasing antibiotics directly into the surgical site in his back every few hours. I liked his blog entry today (11/15/07) which can be seen at URL: http://www.npr.org/blogs/mycancer/. He has almost forgotten about his lung cancer (which is very serious to his longevity) and has replaced that focus with what could be an even deadlier foe. He makes a point that cancer has become a way of life for him with its ebbs and flows. He also realizes that once he recovers from the infection, the cancer will still be waiting for him. In many ways, I feel the same way. It is something that one learns to live with and more than likely, even at times when there is no evidence of disease, it will always be waiting. Cancer is almost like the perfect storm, a foe who is patiently aggressive to the detriment of the victim.

Take care everyone.