Has it been 7-8 weeks since I finished chemo already? Time flies and I am happy to say that I have been recovering nicely. I have been back at work full-time for a while now. My appetite is way up and I have been going out on the weekends and am on a decent workout schedule too.
The Erbitux rash has cleared up and there are some remnants but nothing to get excited about. I do have to limit my exposure to the sun this summer though. Sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat were recommended by the doctor. That wont be stopping me from having fun though.
My weight has been climbing back to normal too. I have a ways to go. Met with a nutritionist at Northwestern and she told me that I need to eat 2,500 calories a day in order to gain one pound a week. That means I get to eat like a pig for another 10 weeks. (sigh)
I have been lifting heavier and heavier weights, attending a pretty challenging Yoga class, and still doing acupuncture weekly too.
I go my hair cut and lo and behold it is no longer curly. It is straight now. Told my barber to style it differently and suddenly started getting all kinds of complements. Really that is fun, and I am starting to get flirty again.
I feel pretty good these days. Lots of energy. As a matter of fact I feel so good, that sometimes I wonder if I am "overdoing it" and need to purposely take it easy and rest a little more. Well probably I dont want to drive myself too hard just yet. But even the memory of going thru chemo, feeling yucky, etc. is fading fast, yet I still have the subcutaneous port in my chest (which I dont even feel really)
On the flip-side, what lingering effects I do still have is the dreaded neuropathy I was trying so hard to avoid. I have that and it is not good. My fingers and feet oscillate between being either numb, or sensitive and tingly. My fingertips are very tender and the fingers themselves are, at times, weak and clumsy. Because of this, activities like typing, playing the guitar, and writing are somewhat diminished. This neuropathy will take the longest to go away, anywhere from months to years, and I would say that it represents a significant source of distress for me. Acupuncture, B-100 tablets, and L-Glutamine capsules is the therapy that seems to get mentioned the most and that is what I am doing. It should improve much over time, but there are plenty of survivors out there who, years later, continue to have neuropathy. I will be very happy when I am able to play the guitar like before and am dedicated to making it happen.
3 comments:
Glad to hear your doing fine. Your blog has been very helpful and insightful.
I've now finished my 2nd treatment, and had a question about weight lifting with a portacath. Are there any problems with it? My oncologist said it was OK just to take it easy, which is not as much detail as I like, but I've also heard not to lift weights with a portacath. Is it just a matter of sticking with low weights and relatively mild movements?
I still have the port in, and have been lifting very heavy weights. As a matter of fact I've been working out at a place called Citywide Superslow, where the philosophy is to lift a very heavy amount for one set lasting two minutes. Each rep should be done in slow motion - 8 to 10 seconds to lift up, and 8 - 10 seconds to lower the weights. The purpose is to burn out the muscles and it induces great muscle growth.
Anyhow - to answer your question give yourself several weeks or a month to heal after the port operation, and you should be able to lift whatever you want. Just be careful not to have the bar come in contact with the port because that would be painful. Some days were better than others just because of fatigue due to the chemo. I wouldnt push yourself hard if you are really not feeling well.
hmm.. Portacath - are you talking about something placed in your arm or something placed just below the collar bone? In any case, mine was under the collar bone. I dont know much about the ports that are "installed" in the arm.
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