Exercise and Live!

Doctors have said, in the past, that cancer patients should employ as little energy as possible, during treatments; so they can save up their energy to fight the disease. But, recently, researchers and doctors, alike, have been changing their minds; more and more of them are now saying that cancer patients who exercise on a regular basis are more likely to beat the disease, than those who don’t.

They’re finding that if a cancer patient gets as much exercise as a healthy person (about 150 minutes per week of moderately intense aerobic activity), they are more successful at beating the disease and leading a better quality of life. In my case, this has proven to be difficult, on a few levels.

As part of my cancer treatment plan, I had to have major surgery on the lumbar region of my spine. One of the tumors had degenerated my L-5, and it had to be removed…too much damage had been done. I was in surgery for hours, and came out a bionic woman! LOL! The surgeon placed a “cage” between my L-4 and L-6 (and I discovered, you’re only supposed to have 5 lumbar vertebrae!), so now my spine, at that point, will fuse together.

I was in the hospital for three weeks, and then was placed in a rehab center for a week. Everyone involved in my recovery said I did better than anticipated! *Yay, me!!* However, it was a completely bizarre experience, trying to teach my body to do things that I had normally taken for granted…like walking. And, I never realized just how heavy a 4 lb. dumbbell was, until I was given one, in Occupational Therapy, and told to lift it above my head! Oh my goodness!!!

It’s been 7 months since my life was changed by my diagnosis; and, recovering from surgery has been a tediously long, and often times painful, journey in and of itself. The onset of winter, in Ohio, has convinced me that I need to move further south (I have family, here); I don’t do well on the ice, and the lower half of me does NOT like the arctic chill of the air! I even had to forgo Physical Therapy for three weeks, this winter, because of the winter storms that blew through. My sister (I’m staying with her through this) is also affected, in a negative way, by the cold weather; she has arthritis, so when her body gets “cranky”, we don’t leave the house….we can’t (she drives, I don’t). I’ll be getting back to it, today, but I’m sure I've lost some momentum, by now. We shall see just how much my body remembers it can do, when I get there!

Exercise can also reduce fatigue, and the loss of muscle and bone mass, as well. So, my best advice to those who are battling cancer (or any other debilitating disease) is to treat yourself the same way any other healthy person would…develop a regular routine of physical activity, weight-bearing exercise and stretching, as part of your new healthy lifestyle! Don’t overdo it, though….pushing yourself too hard may cause more harm than good!

When I get back from Physical Therapy, I’ll leave a comment and let you know how things went!