I have a very sedentary lifestyle. I like it that way. I prefer cerebral rather than physical activities. Always have, always will.
I love to read, put together jigsaw puzzles, play cards and board games, and learn things. My activities of choice don’t involve much movement and yes, I am aware it shows in my body and my overall health.
I feel guilty about that a lot, but not enough to actually do something to change it. When we moved to Florida Randy and I bought bicycles, cheap Walmart bikes, just to see if it’s an activity we’d enjoy and would stick with. We found we do enjoy bike riding, as long as our knees don’t hurt too much, or our butts can stand straddling the saddle for more than 20 minutes at a time. We haven’t tested that much because a half hour of bike riding at a stretch is about our physical limit. After that, we can’t wait to get off the dang things. But we do enjoy short rides, the wind blowing past our face (at 8 mph or so), and being able to not work too hard at getting from one place to another in the super flat neighborhoods we live in.
In a couple weeks I’m scheduled for breast cancer surgery. I got the diagnosis in early February and immediately cut sweets out of my diet and started intermittent fasting in an attempt to starve whatever cancer cells are growing in my body.
The surgeon says it’s very early cancer (they can’t stage it until after surgery) and with the established treatment protocols there’s a 99.5% chance of recovery. I’ve read several books about what cancer actually is, what they know about how cancer cells develop and grow, and why they’re so dangerously different than healthy cells. I watched countless YouTube videos about traditional and not so traditional treatments, and learned everything I can about what’s going on in the world of cancer treatment in 2023.
I have been, all my life, addicted to sugar. It’s indisputable that sugar feeds cancer. As with the lack of movement, I know I’ve created my own reality.
As a kid, we lived 3 blocks from a little neighborhood grocery store. Mom used to send us up there often to buy things we needed. Mostly I remember having to bring home cigarettes for her. Happily she quit smoking years ago. I never minded having to walk to the store and back because it was always an opportunity to spend a few pennies, literally, to buy the cherry red juju coins which I absolutely loved (and still love) to this day. Up until our trip to Wisconsin last summer, I still got them at Fleet Farm in Wisconsin, every chance I could. But there’s nothing like a cancer diagnosis to get a body to make some lifestyle changes.
I’ve lost about 25 pounds since I started intermittent fasting and cut sweets out of my diet. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do was hand over a nearly full, industrial sized bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs (chocolate) from BJ’s Warehouse to Randy and ask him to dispose of them for me. He won’t tell me what he did with them. Probably better that way. They were expensive. In retrospect, the 25 pounds lost are worth it. Physically I feel better than I have in years. And I don’t miss the sweets anymore. I like what’s going on with my body so much that I am now a bit afraid to have any sweets at all for fear of falling off the wagon in a big, destructive way.
Still though, I am not moving much. That sedentary lifestyle persists…still primarily by choice. One of my knees is a problem (it runs in my family) and my primary care doctor says we’ll deal with it when the cancer is behind me.
So…..in preparation for the upcoming surgery I got an e-mail from the hospital with a 24-page booklet of pre-surgical instructions for Enhanced Recovery After Surgery. 24 pages! Ugh. Apparently Enhanced Recovery After Surgery is predicated on being in good physical condition. So the booklet mandates 40 minutes of walking every day for two weeks before surgery, some floor exercises focused on the legs, deep breathing exercises, and drinking protein drinks. I was, understandably, horrified. I know I should walk. I’ve tried walking regularly but have never been motivated enough to sustain it long-term. But, as I said a few paragraphs ago, cancer, and surgery, is a powerful motivator.
The booklet explained that the 40 minutes of walking per day could be broken into segments that are doable for the patient. The floor exercises aren’t terribly hard or long. I made a log and committed to do what has to be done. Man, those first few days were awful. My knee hurt, I sweat like a pig (because it’s HOT in Florida when you’re outside walking), every bone and muscle snapped, crackled and popped when I was on the floor lifting my legs and rotating my feet. My whole body was in agony for the first three days.
And then a funny (but wonderful), and totally unexpected, thing happened. On the fourth day, I woke up, put on my sneakers, and went for a walk feeling great. My knee didn’t even hurt, and the sweat pouring off me gave me a good excuse to get right in the pool after my morning walk. I’m retired, after all. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want.
I guess it’s true that physical movement is really good for a body. Dammit. Let’s see how long I can keep it up this time. Feeling great also seems to be a powerful motivator.
P.S. I wrote this post in the middle of the night because I couldn’t sleep. That night was so bad I got less than 2 hours of rest. The next day, all day, I felt awful. I walked, exercised and took deep breaths anyway. It never got any better. Cancer surgery is powerful, powerful motivation. But I learned that along with eating right and moving your body, sleep is also super important. Good thing tomorrow is another day.
P.P.S. Slept like a rock last night. Thank you, Lord. I am well rested and raring to go. I can’t wait to get out and move this morning!
P.P.P.S. I felt so good this morning that when I went out for my walk, well rested after a great night’s sleep, and on an empty stomach, with a temperature of 72° and a light breeze, I got to 20 minutes and just kept moving. I ended up at 45 minutes. And felt amazing. But I need to start carrying a water bottle. And I need new walking shoes.
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