Skip to main content

Live Strong, Live Well

Over the course of this year, I've learned a lot about free programs designed specifically for cancer patients. I've taken part in a few, and dismissed others, depending on my mood. However, I'm so excited about the newest program I will begin next week. It's called Live Strong, Live Well, and it's sponsored by Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong foundation. This program is a free 12 week exercise program for cancer patients who have recently ended treatment. It's held at the YMCA, and consists of 2 personal trainers for the whole class, and unlimited access to all of the YMCA's facilities for the course of the program. We meet for 75 minutes twice a week. They usually cap the program at 15 participants, but the coordinator told me last week that my class is looking pretty small. I think this is the perfect way for me to ease back into working out. It's not like I was a Jillian Michaels before the diagnosis, but I did enjoy hitting the gym with my friend Emily occasionally (and by occasionally, I mean hardly ever...)

If nothing else, it gives me something to do twice a week while the girls are in school. And it's probably the only time in my life I'll have a personal trainer! Except I have a feeling a bunch of recent cancer patients trying to work out is going to resemble a Zumba class at an old folks home.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's Baaaaaaccccckkkkk.......

6 years.... that's how long it's been since I finished with active treatment. However, I took Tamoxifen for 5 years to squash any estrogen left in my body. I recently switched over to a "tougher" aromatase inhibitor call arimidex. These drugs provided comfort and faith that I was doing everything in my power to prevent a recurrence. Guess what?! They failed me. Big time. It's back, and it's back all over. After months of hip pain that my NP chalked up repeatedly to muscle pain, she finally sent me to an orthopedist. He took X-rays and did NOT like what he saw. Additional blood work and bone scans have led to the diagnosis of cancer pretty much throughout my skeletal system. Metastases were found in the skull, scapula, multiple ribs, pelvis, both hips, and spine. Definitely NOT the news I was expecting nor wanting to hear. After an afternoon of crying and occasionally feeling like I was going to throw up, Matt and I met with Dr. Adler, my oncologist. He was...
9 comments
Read more

Beauty in Life and Death

This is Matt unfortunately Melissa did not get finish her last entry so I will take it from here.  I will try not to have any typos or grammatical errors.  Melissa would really not like that, but she was my official proof reader for all important documents. Melissa and I always strived to look for beauty even in the darkest of times.  It is not always easy but it is always there when you look hard enough.  Our situation the last year and half have not been ideal there were lots of tears and dark times, but the beauty was overwhelming. Whether it was a note, meal, flowers, or text a a low point or just the love we felt from family or friends.  The beauty was there.  We had so many people praying for us and for Melissa to beat cancer once and for all, but I also prayed that Melissa would be pain free and if it was God's will that she passed peacefully.  Melissa was in so much pain last year.  She did not let her slow her down but she was hurting...
8 comments
Read more

Devastation

The results are in and they are absolutely not what we were hoping for or expecting. I officially suck at reading CT Scan results. My sister in law, Jess, came with me to the appointment yesterday since Matt had to work. I wasn't expecting bad news as I figured it was time we heard something GOOD, so I told him to save his time off for when I really need him. Well, turns out I really needed him yesterday. The cancer is active in my lungs and liver as well as my bones. F*$%!!!! As hard as I tried to remain strong, I broke down crying in Dr. Adler's office. So did Jess, and Dr. Adler himself was a little teary eyed. He said I "hopefully" have a few years left. Well, he has no idea how hard I'm about to fight...although it's taken me a full 24 hours to process the news and get to this point. The news seemed to continue to get worse. Originally treatment was going to be hormone based pills, immunotherapy stuff. But due to the fact that my liver and lungs are...
5 comments
Read more