Now You See It, Now You Don't

Wednesday

Run

20:00

Lift

20:00 

Lunge Series

Use a 45 yard area, stopping every 5 yards

Lunge 5 yards

5 Push Ups

5 Full Sit Ups

10 Penguin Crunches 

Lunge full 45 yards back to the beginning 

Thursday

Lift

30:00 

Hurdle Squat w/delt raise 4 x 6/6

Spider Plank 4 x 15/15

Circuit 1x (w/45# bar): 

Squat 20x

Curls 10x

Shoulder Press 15x

BOSU KB Row 4 x 10/10

Single Leg Box Hops (5 inch box) 4 x 10/10

Circuit 1x

Inverted Row 4 x 10

SB Toe Tap 4 x 8/8 

Circuit 1x

Friday

4 miles

36:00

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Now you see it...

Now you don't!

Or at least you don't if you look real close.  Yesterday I went in to the doctor's office to get a mole removed from my toe.  They said they thought it would be okay, but since it was such a dark color and I don't remember it always being there they said better safe than sorry.  The darkness you see in the second picture is the scabbing and my stitch (yes that is singular). They will biopsy the mole over the weekend and I'll find out whether it was cancerous or not by Tuesday.

So now that you know what's going on with my toe, why don't I share my embarrassing doctor's office story!

If you have never gotten a mole removed, it is a pretty simple procedure.  The whole appointment took 30 minutes, which includes being called in from the waiting room.  My doctor's were telling me the risk, blah, blah, blah and then Doc said I'm going to poke you with this needle, you'll feel a little pain and then some burning, but then it will be numb.  I'm not one who is afraid of needles and can tolerate a little pain, so the injection wasn't too bad, but what got me was either a reaction to the injection or the fact that I was holding my breathe while he was injecting me.  Doc started poking my toe to see if it was numb, so I told him, No I can't feel it, but I'm starting to see spots of light and get really hot. Yes, that is when it all went downhill.  I managed to not pass out, but was sweating profusely even with the nurse fanning me.  I had sweat beading up on my face, sweat running down my neck and sweat pouring out of my legs...note to self don't apply lotion 10 minutes before going to the doctor's office.  While I was going through my little dizzy/hot flash spell, Doc got the deed done and bandaged me up.  I was fine after about 3 minutes, but when I stood up off the table with the paper on it, I left some serious leg/back/butt sweat marks on the paper they change on the table.  Yes, that happened. Embarrassing :)  Doc and my nurse were great about it though.  Have you had any embarrassing moments in the doctor's office?


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In the kitchen this week...

Pumpkin spice bagels that I found on Kelly's blog, that turned out mediocre at best for me.  I need to try a different flavor.

Chicken stir fry...yum.  A go-to at my place. 

Crock pot lasagna, from Lindsay's blog, that I tricked J with.... eggplant and spinach inside, but not detectable apparently!

Homemade Mocha Frappe, if you will, was delicious and simple! 

Coffee + Ice + Chocolate protein powder + Milk 

And my favorite for last... 

Chocolate chip cookies with my favorite little man, OJ George as he calls himself  :)

We even learned how to do thumbs up!

<3

Guest Post: Exercise Proven Effective for Cancer Patients

Things have been just peachy here this morning...a nice 5.5 mile run, oats for breakfast and reading book #2 of the Hunger Games series. Yes, that's right I got my hands on a copy of Catching Fire!  Shouldn't take long to cruise through this one. 

But that is all you are going to hear from me today, here to take over is David Haas, writer for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance!  David has recently been researching and writing about how beneficial cancer support networks and staying physically fit is to people going through treatments, in remission and even family members of cancer patients. He found my blog and asked if he could do a guest post seeing how being physically fit ties right in with my blog.  So without further ado here it is....

Exercise Proven Effective for Cancer Patients

Both cancer and cancer treatments can cause a number of secondary symptoms that dramatically impact the quality of life. Fatigue, depression and loss of mobility can all work to sap the desire to live and lower the effectiveness of treatment, which may reduce the chance of survival. Rather than succumbing to these symptoms and letting them dictate the future, there is an option that is proven to help reduce and, in some cases, eliminate them. Physical fitness has long been on the back burner as far as cancer treatment goes, because doctors believed that the body needed rest more than anything following surgery and other treatments. However, research has turned this old idea on its head.

Major Cancer Research Organizations Say Exercise is Important!

Though studies so far have primarily documented the successful use of exercise for only the most common cancers, like prostate, breast and colorectal cancers, most research organizations are calling on all cancer clinics to begin incorporating exercise as treatment. One of the central challenges of cancer treatment has always been maintaining patient adherence to the treatment and follow-up programs. Research has conclusively shown that exercise will improve quality of life and maintain patient motivation to get better.

Individualize Exercise Programs.

Even brain cancer and mesothelioma treatment teams are being apprised of the benefits of consulting with physical fitness experts to devise safe programs. The key is to design exercise programs around the identification of safety concerns and patient preferences. Trained therapists working in tandem with the treatment team best accomplish this. Some patients, such as those with breast cancer, will be able to maintain regular aerobic exercise without oversight, while a recent surgery may require a special set of exercises that target the affected muscles. 

Whether the routine is prescribed or a general recommendation, the benefits are well worth the effort. Quicker recovery time, extra energy, and improved body composition all lead to higher quality of life and prevention of recurrence. Though this message is clear, it is still up to patients in many clinics to push for adoption of this treatment strategy. Patient advocacy is needed ensure that both clinics and insurance providers understand the benefits of regular exercise for both prevention and treatment of cancer.

Exercise Recommendations are not One Size Fits All

The most common advice is that, if possible, patients should be getting the same amount of moderate-intensity aerobics as healthy adults are recommended. This means 20-30 minute sessions 3-5 times per week. Beyond this, the type of exercise should be based off personal preference, because you will be more likely to stick with something you enjoy. Special routines should be devised for patients during treatment or facing a poor prognosis.

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Thank you David for sharing this great information!  If you have any questions for David feel free to leave a comment and I will see to it that he gets your questions or stop over at his blog.