Quest for balance

This is the week. I'm going to try to start to get my life back on track. It's just over five weeks post chemo and while I know the tiredness is going to continue for a while yet (and perhaps increase with the clinical trial), I have to start incorporating my old usual activities into my life.

I'm going to start with the gym. I hope to go at least three times this week - starting this morning. Even if I hop on the gentle elliptical trainer or pedal away on the bike, it'll be something. It'll be more exercise than I have been doing.

Yeah, I know I did that one day of exercise a few weeks ago but I was sore and tired afterwards, and didn't keep it up. Perhaps I started too soon. Perhaps I started too hard. As I've said before, I'm my own worst enemy and I have awfully high expectations of myself.

Now Cuba was a good warm up to the exercise routine because I had to climb stairs, carouse around the resort, walk in the sand and swim in the sea. But I also ate and drank to my heart's content (in other words, way too much).

I'll start with the gym and then go back to work. While I've seriously gotten used to being off, I'm looking forward to going back to work. I'm just waiting to hear from the rehabilitation specialist to learn about the plan to ease me back into the work routine.

Working will tire me out at first and, I'll have to plan the gym and work on separate days. But eventually, I'll be able to accomplish both in the same day again.

I know I have to listen to my body and not overdo it. I can't immediately be the same fit person I was before the onset of the disease.

On a funny side note, it'll be interesting to see how I cope with hot flashes in the middle of exercising. While I'm wearing a scarf on my head this morning, I may lose all sense of discretion pretty quickly and whip it off to let my sweat-soaked head breathe.

Wish me luck. I think I'm going to need it. Between the weight gain and the loss of stamina, this is going to be a long, uphill battle.

Tina