August 16, 2011

Tuesday 8/16/11

Today was my 3rd physical therapy session and the great news is that I am almost at 100 % range of motion.  My therapist was both shocked and excited ... it was awesome!   This location is new (open for a little over a year) and they have had only 1 mastectomy patient and according to my therapist she did great.  It took her 3 weeks to regain her range of motion and I have been going to treatment for 1 week.  When we set my original goals I was clear that I want to have the ability to do household chores (laundry and dishes) and exercise which includes mountain biking, road biking and motorcycle riding.  Regaining my range of motion, having the ability to stretch is great for household chores, but in order to exercise I need strength training.  My therapist prescribed more stretching to do over the next couple of days, with the expectation that I will be moving into strength training 100% by my next visit.  I told the therapist how much I enjoyed physical therapy ... it reminds me of coaching ... except much kinder and gentler.  It was a great treatment session.  

This evening I received a phone call from the lymphedema sleeve vendor, Matt and I stopped in to pick up my sleeves.  I ordered 2 and I learned how to put them on, care for them and the expected sleeves’ lifespan.  The sleeve is only good for about 6 months if worn regularly.  If you lose 5 pounds or more then you should get re-fitted, because the sleeve should be very snug.  I mentioned that I ordered 2 lymphediva sleeves:  Lotus Dragon Tattoo and Damask, they look great!  I am going to be wearing these sleeves during airline travel, long road trips and exercise.  I have worn a sleeve for the entire evening and while it will take some getting used to it is fairly comfortable.  I am glad I made the investment and taking preventative measures by wearing the sleeve during risky behaviors.  The radiation I will be doing also puts me at increased risk of developing lymphedema.  

Trying on my sleeve ... comes with a glove that helps get the sleeve on

Me with my Lotus Dragon Tattoo Sleeve and Gauntlet

Monday 8/15/11

I am still working to find the balance of exercise and rest.  I went for a run today - the temp was 97 during the run and I must be getting used to it because while I was hot I didn’t feel like I was melting (like I usually feel).  I am looking forward to the end of summer in Houston.   I have been able to shorten and improve my time -- I expect that it will only continue to get better.  

Sunday 8/14/11

Currently I am finding that I feel a little better each day; my endurance is improving and  my flexibility is increasing.  Today I decided that I would take my motorcycle out for a ride.  This is my first ride since surgery (double mastectomy on 6/15).  Despite the very hot weather I had a spectacular time!  Matt followed me out and we kept in communication with one another through our devices inside our helmets.  He was very thoughtful and asked often how I was feeling.  We had lunch in Old Town Spring, which is about 20 miles outside of Houston and then rode back home.  I was exhausted when we got home and took a super ridiculously long nap ... honestly the nap was so long I am surprised I was able to sleep that night :)  I did very little the rest of the evening mostly because I was still out of it because of the heat.  

Me On My First Ride After Surgery
Picture Taken In Old Town Spring After Lunch

Saturday 8/13/11

During the recent Young Cancer Survivors event “girls in pearls” I signed up to host a Jewelry Party and today was the day of the party.  It was fun to get together with the girls and catch up.  

Most of our Adventure Racing friends were in Colorado supporting a few of our teammates at an event in Leadville ... a very challenging 100 mile mountain bike race.  

I am very excited to hear their races stories when they come back from Colorado.  During my current hiatus I find that the race stories are still a lot of fun to hear.  I still learn a lot from their lessons and I get really excited about the days when I will be racing again.  

Friday 8/12/11

Since going to my first Physical Therapy session earlier this week I have been stretching everyday as prescribed. Today I returned to physical therapy.  It started with a warm up on a bike (using my arms instead of my legs).  We then moved to doing every stretch as prescribed - but this time the therapist watched to assure that I was doing each stretch properly.  The therapist had a few pointers, but overall said I was doing great.  By the time the session ended the therapist said I should continue with the same exercises at home and she expects that when I return next week I should be able to progress into strength training.   The session is tiring and I was exhausted by the time the work day was over.  

Instead of an evening nap Matt and I decided to go for a run before dinner  It was super hot ... and my tiredness impacted my run.  While I didn’t perform as well as I would like, I did better then my last run.  

Stay tuned for more SuperMonkey Adventures,

Nancy 

AKA:  SuperMonkey

“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.”

- Bernice Johnson Reagon