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| Cancer Warrior |
Trucks & Cancer
When my diagnosis was made official, I created a rule: Do not be an asshole. (Well, except to my husband and my mother, who are trapped in a house with me and sort of destined to receive occasional abuse.) I hate whiners, but at the same time, I am disdainful of PollyAnnas. That’s the dilemma: how to be truthful while meeting my assorted personal criteria.
The solution: The Mack Truck Scale of Misery.
Today’s score: Sideswiped
Checking In with Dr. Oncology
- I asked about the next steps. Here they are: after this stage of treatment is finished, they do scans to see if there has been any spread of the cancer. If there has been no spread, we proceed to the next stage: immunologic treatment.
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- The immunologic treatment is infused once every two weeks. It targets the fighter cells that the cancer has turned off, turns them on again, and unleashes them on any microscopic cancer cells that may have evaded the chemo or radiation. This is very cool, excellent stuff but the possible side effects are borrowed from a low-budget horror flick.
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- If there has been spread, the cancer gets reclassified, the immunology postponed or canceled, and we do other stuff, according to the new classification. Although I knew this was a possibility, I guess I’d put it out of mind– or denied it as a possibility. So, as has been consistent all along, I learn something new and descend into some darkness while I make the necessary mental adjustments. Today: adjusting.
- Relationships with doctors have become more traditional.
- I’ve concluded they do not understand what I mean about exercise. I have been curious about my elevated pulse rate. I’m aware of it only because I have used a heart rate monitor during cardio to make sure I don’t over-exercise.
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- There are different formulae for determining your maximum heart rate, and then different levels of exertion that are determined from there. With Peloton, I have learned a more nuanced form of training that incorporates heart rate zone but adds two other dimensions to calculate output. This is not what they think of when I say “exercise.” I finally figured this out when the doctor’s assistant asked about my riding– she doesn’t know how to ride a bike (!). When I mentioned I had hoped to do a 75 round trip from home to Multnomah Falls, I thought she would fall over. So, no. They don’t get it. Luckily there are some cancer warriors in a couple of Peloton Groups I participate in.
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- Dr. Oncology’s helpful comment was that there is so much being thrown at my body right now that my heart *is* working harder. The reinforces my effort to keep my workout intensity much lower than during normal times. I rode for 45 minutes Sunday and, while that was OK, I decided to stick to 30 minutes instead.
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| EXERCISE?! THE HORROR! |
Cancer Warrior
Chemo # 4 Done & Dusted
Yep.
New this time: after I got home, I set out with Mom to walk to a grocery store about eight blocks away. Two blocks into the walk, I realized there was no way I could do it. So I went home, marveled at the ever-changing nature of this journey, and sat on my butt.
Also new: I slept. Usually, I have been up all night (yay, dexamethasone pre-treatment), but this time, I went to sleep for about 5 and a half hours! Yay!
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| Chemo Juice |
Saturday Lung Cancer Support Group
When you attend support groups facilitated by non-professionals, there is always the risk of stumbling into cult-like weirdness, centered around some charismatic leader. This was a nice gathering of people, convened and low-key facilitated by a regular guy. What surprised me was that only one attendee had smoked prior to diagnosis. I was the most newly diagnosed person. Others had been living with lung cancer for anywhere from 3 to 15 years! 15!!!
There are different stretches of wellness within these timeframes. Regular follow-up visits often reveal new instances of disease. But disease ratings also change– one guy started at Stage IV and is now at Stage II! Most people have jobs and regular lives. Some continue to cope with challenging symptoms. But they are all mostly pleased with the quality of their lives. This has settled into my inner zone of Adjust Your Thinking and is awaiting unconscious processing.
Did You Know
- Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in people who have never smoked?
- You should have your house checked for radon every 3-5 years because radon levels can fluctuate.
Cancer Warrior by StudioX10 from Pixabay
The Horror Image by ErikaWittlieb from Pixabay