Giving thanks

On this thanksgiving day, I would like to give thanks.

First, I didn't intend to leave anyone hanging after my last post.  I am thankful that the procedure last Friday went smoothly.  As did the anesthesia.  A friend accompanied me at the surgical center, which is a 20-25 minute walk from home.  I had spoken with the anesthesiologist the day before about my anxieties over the sedation, and was able to take my wonder-drug Ativan before leaving to head down (well, she didn't want me to take it if I was walking because "you might fall and break your leg!").  I think my favorite part of getting ready for the procedure was when I started crying out of sheer nervousness, and the anesthesiologist scolded me and said "you stop crying - you'll get all congested and make it hard for me to keep your breathing clear" (or something to that effect).  And my other favorite part - she scribbled something on her hand and my friend and I asked what it was - a reminder to give me the zofran (anti-nausea med) that I had lobbied for.

I was wheeled into the operating area, was there for about 10 seconds, and the next thing I knew I was opening my eyes and the doctor said "you're all done."  I suffered no ill effects from the sedation (had been nervous about the propofol, what with it killing Michael Jackson and all...).  My friend set me up at home, and later that evening, another friend came to check in on me and bring me dinner.

I will find out the results of the biopsy at my follow-up visit which is a week from monday.

Although I was in a wretched mood yesterday, had a good night's sleep (finally, after bad sleep the last several days) and now the sun is shining and I'm feeling pretty mellow.

Back to giving thanks.

I am thankful that my breast cancer was caught early and that it is now gone.

I am thankful that surgery, chemo, radiation and herceptin are over and done with.

I am thankful to have hair again!

I am thankful for my cats.

I am thankful for the enjoyment that photography has given me throughout this whole experience.  (speaking of photography, here is a link to my west virginia photographs from my workshop last month).

I am thankful for having found motivation to exercise, along with supportive new friends, in three different places:  the Cancer-to-5K running program, my cancer fitness spinning class, and the yoga for women cancer survivors class at Circle Yoga (yes, that's me in the picture!).

Finally, I am thankful for having amazingly supportive friends and family in my life to help me get through the tough times, and to help me enjoy the less tough times.

D&C-hysteroscopy-biopsy

Scheduled for friday afternoon.  Anxious.  Hate anesthesia.  Stress over procedure and complications.  Then worry and wait about results.  Looking forward to friday night when I'll be home from the procedure itself.

That's all for now.

Race Report: A Tale of Two Seasons...

This past Sunday was my goal race for the Cancer-to-5K fall season, the National Race Against the Odds.


Below follows my race report to the Cancer-to-5K group:


Race Report:  A Tale of Two Seasons...


That is, the season I was eagerly anticipating, and the season that actually was.  

At the beginning of our fall season, I was looking forward to getting faster and stronger and healthier.  I felt strong in my first group workout.  I was thinking that I could crush my spring time (39:05).  That season was not meant to be.

Just a few weeks in, my left knee starting hurting.  Not crazy writhing pain, but enough to be concerned.  Took a little time off from running, 

On September 10, I did a fun run.  It was a great 5K race, Light the Way 5K, benefiting Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind, that I ran with my friend who runs with me during the week (who just celebrated her 1-year cancerversary).  We got to run in and around Nationals Park (twice!).  I tried out intervals of 8 & 2, and finished in 39:36.  The Presidents came out for us.  Unfortunately, my knee did not appreciate the race.  

With my knee continuing to hurt, Coach Bob put me on walking workouts for a while.  With directions to ice my knee, do leg extension exercises.  Eventually I went to an ortho-doc and he told me I had no major damage, just a problem with my knee tracking correctly.  Followed up with my physical therapist who instructed me to do certain stretches and tape my knee.  The knee eventually started feeling a little better, and FINALLY, a few weeks ago, Coach Bob let me start doing running intervals again.

I was up to intervals of run 3, walk 2.  Then, coming into race week, I caught a cold (I think my third in the last six months).  Had an extraordinarily stressful few weeks leading up to race day.  Work stress, home stress, medical stress.  You name it, I was stressed about it.  Coach Bob wisely told me not to try to workout if I wasn't feeling 100% that week.  Rest and recover.  I unwisely went hiking the day before on the Appalachian Trail in MD.

Race day. I had not yet fully shaken my cold, and my knee was hurting from the hike the day before, but I was hellbent on beating my race time from the spring.  I was crabby heading over to the group in the parking lot and when Craig asked how I was, he got an earful.  But the excitement and anticipation began rubbing off on me.  Negotiated with Coach Bob on my intervals and got him up to run 4, walk 2 :-)   My race day sherpas were Kyle and Judy.  

From the moment we started running, I was on a mission.  I was going to run the heck out of my 4-minute intervals and do everything in my power to beat my spring race time.  But oh, those hills.  Short and quick, short and quick, I kept telling myself.  My RPE was way off the charts.  My watch was telling me that my running pace was in the 10-11 minute range, which is FAST (for me).  Kyle and Judy were steady by my side.  For a while, Coach Bob & Joseph ran with us, during which time he joked that I had specifically timed the 4-2 intervals so that my running would be on the downhills.  Hmmm, that did happen once or twice.  But Coach Bob left us and we found ourselves running up the same hill AGAIN.  Someone on the street shouted - "last hill".  I just snarled at him.  

Finally, nearing the playground towards the end.  But wait - what's this?  Alyssa and Collen suddenly appeared from the road!  (can't wait to read their race reports :-) )

Coming in to the finish I gave one last push to catch up with Alyssa.  My watch said 39:23, but it also said 3.18 miles.  The official race time had me at 39:30.  So who knows.  I did not beat my time from the spring, but I came awfully close, which I thought was quite a feat considering all the hills and crap in my lungs from my cold.  I did spend the remainder of Sunday coughing.  And my knee was angry with me Monday morning.  But I left just a little bit of all my stress out there on the hills in Arlington, and so it was definitely worth it.

My race sherpas & me, photo by Ben Fabella

Brunch at the Mad Fox was a wonderful way to end the season.  Thank you so much to Colleen, Jennifer & Andrea, my race day sherpas and Coach Bob for getting me through this.  I look forward to running with all of you and my Cancer to 5K teammates again SOON!