cancer – Page 2 – 60plus and loving life

Health, fitness, dogs, dancing and coffee!

By 60plus&lovinglife April 21, 2023 0

I take my health and fitness very seriously. I am committed to healthy (and balanced) eating and exercising most days of the week. I love to run outdoors and I also love heading to my favourite gym and jumping into a weights, yoga or cardio class. I love my fitness instructors and my workout buddies.

I also love to dance and I have a whole community of dance friends, including my lovely teachers. The older one gets, the more important it is to keep moving, do some resistance training, stretching and balance work.

Sometimes you can get stopped dead in your tracks. I’ve had to take some time out from my fitness regimen as I’ve had a couple of health issues to deal with, including numerous tests, biopsies and a surgery.

When I say time out, I mean from my full on routine. I haven’t entirely stopped. Well, not until Covid bit me again – that stopped me for a whole couple days!

I had to slow down on the weights training after the surgery to give myself time to heal. No problem, I went for super long, brisk walks and a hike in the countryside. Then returned to dancing once the surgeon gave me the all-clear. Which was literally a week after surgery as I was healing so well.

That is why I stay healthy and fit. It helps my day to day life, eases life stresses, keeps me emotionally balanced and prepared me for facing a couple of health scares that I really did not anticipate.

I was back running and hit a cardio class last week. This week I was cleared to head back to weights training.

Then I got bloody Covid again! Seriously?!? I had it last July and not too bad, this time was about the same. I felt absolute garbage for a couple of days with a temperature/fever. Then that cleared and I started to feel better day by day and today I am feeling fine and dandy.

I know that restrictions and isolation rules have ended. However, I am mindful that other folk are more susceptible to getting really sick, so I have spent all of this week at home.

Yesterday and today I was able to get outside and go for a couple of long (6km) walks with George (my dog) and a quick car trip to the drive through coffee place. I took Georgie-boy with me, so he could get his dog bikkie from the server. The pic above is George waiting on his dog treat – that face!🥰

I also have a favorite YouTube exercise woman who does a weights workout that I enjoy. I have weights and exercise equipment at home, in fact, one of my spare rooms is set up like a mini gym. Useful when I can’t run in the dark or on heavy rainfall mornings.

So, for the first time in a while I did some weights training and oof! I am feeling it today, but you know what? I’ma going to do it all over again today. It’s such a wonderful feeling to notice my muscles are in action again!

I am giddily excited at the idea of going back to my full on training next week. Really cannot wait!

I tested negative to Covid this morning, and fortunately so, as I have an action packed weekend coming up. Two dances – tonight & tomorrow night💃🕺

Plus my gorgeous partner has booked us in for a private lesson to learn the Viennese Waltz tomorrow during the day. That’ll be a challenge for me. I can do the basic box step regular waltz. I’ve watched couples dance the Viennese Waltz and it looks so elegant and flowy! I surely hope I can channel my inner elegance and learn this lovely dance routine! I’ll let y’all know how I go…❤️

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health and fitness

Life & its curve balls!

By 60plus&lovinglife April 13, 2023 0

First up I’d like to say hello to one of my lovely followers, Linda in the UK. Thank you for your kind message Linda. Sorry to hear about your health, wishing you a good recovery and I hope you have a lovely birthday on Friday, I’ll be thinking of you❤️ You are damn right too, we are not going anywhere!!

This is surely an interesting journey that I am on. It’s a bit of a steep learning curve and I’m becoming familiar with new medical jargon and expanding my knowledge of terminology that I am familiar with, but had not really taken the time to fully understand.

I had another biopsy today on my errant lymph node. It was a bit painful, they had to top up the local anaesthetic after the first pass through. That helped. Results from the biopsy will be through by next Tuesday.

I asked if I could go for my morning run tomorrow, but no – can’t risk a haematoma. I was just being unrealistically optimistic😂 I have been going for runs, dancing and aerobic gym workouts, because my surgeon cleared me to get back into it all. It was absolutely amazing to turn up to my spin class at 6 in the morning, I was so happy to see everyone and they were happy I was back.

My fitness instructor had organized a card for me that everyone had written beautiful messages within. She is an angel! I also went to my favorite Tone class (Les Mills fitness) and my beautiful Tone instructor gave me the best hug! I love my gym family and my dance class family and all my other friends – I am surrounded by a warm tidal wave of love and care and I am truly blessed.

My daughter has been by my side at every single appointment, waiting patiently for various tests and procedures and surgery. Just having her presence helps calm me in those moments when it gets a bit overwhelming. Plus I’d be lost without her – like literally lost. Those hospital corridors are so confusing! If she wasn’t with me, I swear I’d still be wandering around looking for radiology!😂

I am also fortunate to have an incredibly caring and compassionate partner, he is an absolute gem. It is such a delight to be with someone who is genuine, considerate and warm-hearted. I am so, so blessed to have him in my life ❤️

My oncologist appointment is tomorrow afternoon, she wanted to see me before the latest test results come through. I’m guessing she’s going to put my treatment plan in place, probably from as early as this coming week. One good thing with our health system is that they sure are speedy! Will be good to get it all underway.

One thing I do want to talk about is how this journey is different for all of us. My journey is not the same as the next woman’s journey. My emotions and how I react to the things going on around me are unique to me. I did have a friend tell me that I am obviously “angry,” “isolating myself” and probably thinking “why did this happen to me?”

Well. First up. No, I’m not angry – this is a random thing that has happened and I am dealing with it rationally. It’s like planning for a long-distance race, I have a plan, I know I have to pace myself, I know I will cross the finish line and I know that something might trip me up on the way, but I’m good at picking myself up again and carrying on regardless.

Second – I am not isolating myself. I am surrounded by family and friends. I am out at the gym, dances, dance class, catching up with close friends for coffee, going out with my partner, hanging out with my daughter, going to work and generally having a bloody good time!

Finally, self-pity is not in my lexicon. This could have happened to anyone. It has happened to me, that is a fact. I am dealing with this in the best way I know and I will overcome and I will persevere! Don’t you doubt it!!

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…not dead yet and still stylish!

By 60plus&lovinglife April 6, 2023 4

Well, as stylish as one can be in a blue hospital gown! I took this selfie right after surgery when I was still a bit lala from the general anaesthetic!

My life has taken a bit of a plot twist and I’m currently busy on a side quest that I wasn’t expecting, but I’m more than ready to deal with, overcome and head back to my main life!

I’m always in training for something. An upcoming run or charity fundraising event. I used to be in Master’s Athletics and competed with others in my age range and I’m proud to say that I did win the occasional race and nice medal.🏃‍♀️

I’m also always in training for life. Running, weight training at the gym for strength, dancing, a bit of swimming and some yoga/pilates for flexibility.

This is my lifelong training for everything. Physical well-being, emotional well-being and joy & happiness in what my body is capable of doing and ageing as well as I possibly can.

Life however, can throw a curve ball at you that you just weren’t expecting.

Fortunately, I have great hand/eye coordination and can catch anything coming my way and throw it right back!

I found a lump in my breast. At the initial scan they said it was probably a swollen lymph node and nothing to worry about. I was advised to have a follow up scan after a few months.

At the second one the radiologist was more concerned and said I should have a biopsy. My GP (regular doctor) sent me off for the biopsy which I had on a Tuesday.

Two days later on the Thursday, I saw my doc’s number come up on my phone and I was like “aaaah shit, that’s going to be bad news.”

He said I had breast cancer in the right breast. He’d made an appointment for me to see him the next morning, at that appointment he told me he’d made an appointment with a breast/oncological surgeon for the following week. He then said that as an “old school” GP he was ordering a CT scan for me (click the link if you want more info on what a CT scan is about) and that most modern medico’s don’t bother with a CT scan for a breast cancer diagnosis. Good he did, more on that below.

Everything then moved at lightening speed. I had blood tests and the CT scan the same day.

I saw the surgeon on the Monday morning, she said I needed surgery to remove the lump/tumor followed by radiation treatment. But that it was one tumor and prognosis was good. She did mention she already had the results of the CT scan and there was “something of concern.” So she ordered a PET scan for the upcoming Friday (more on PET scans at the link if you want/need more info.) I had the PET scan on the Friday of that week, earliest they could book me in. That one is a little more intense than the CT scan and is looking for “hot spots” tissue/cells that “light up” as they are likely cancerous.

The surgeon also said she had availability at the end of her surgery list the very next day after the Monday appointment. She then asked if I had any questions. I asked when I could go for a run and head back to the gym after surgery. She laughed and said most people need encouragement to lift their arm and do some stretches!

So Tuesday morning my daughter drove me to the hospital for admission. I had to have another procedure first whereby they inject a radioactive substance into the tumor (OMG that one really hurt, no local anaesthesia!) To see if it goes to the lymph nodes. If so, then the cancer has decided to have a wander further into the body.

Mine had wandered into one lymph node. So in addition to the lumpectomy the surgeon removed 5 lymph nodes, the sketchy one and a few more “just in case” I still have some – which you need, they tend not to take all of them out these days. The lumpectomy is “breast conserving surgery” aimed at keeping as much of the breast intact as possible, rather than a mastectomy.

Fast forward to one week and one day after surgery (Wednesday of the following week). I had a follow-up appointment with the surgeon. And I also got the results of the PET scan.

So, first up – the surgery was successful, the scar was healing really well. I’d been going for really long walks every day (surgeon said I could), including a hike on the weekend.

Then came the news of the PET scan results. There is a “hot spot” on my abdomen, a tumor there adjacent to my aortocaval close to the coeliac artery & adjacent to the left ureta… and a “lit up” lymph node in my left groin. Oof, that was unexpected.

The new tumor is not related to the breast cancer at all. It’s completely separate and they have no idea of the severity (other than it’s already decided to travel to a lymph node – rude!!)

I will be having a biopsy of the lymph node this week to confirm what it is and what stage it’s at. Then it’s chemo for me.

I will also be sending my lovely GP, Dr Gary, a giant bunch of flowers for ordering the CT scan. If he hadn’t, this new issue would have remained silently making it’s way through my body and creating deadly havoc on the way.

Everyone, my GP, my surgeon, the breast care nurses, my friends are all like “you are so fit and healthy” this is such a shock.

Yeah, it’s a shock to me too. But like I said ^^ I have been in training for living life. I am fit, I am healthy, I do have cancer. I am in the best possible physical and emotional fitness to deal with this and whatever is coming at me in the next few months!

I have the best support and I am so, so fortunate that I have my wonderful daughter who is my rock and has come to every appointment with me and spent hours hanging around the hospital with me. My lovely sister who has offered to fly across the country to be with me. The most amazing friends who dropped off meals for me after surgery and that I can call on at any time. And a beautiful, compassionate, kind and caring man in my life who has totally blown me away with his capacity for empathy and kindness. I am so very blessed!

And to finish on a high note. We are going dancing this Saturday night (doc has cleared me), but only for gentle partner dancing, a bit of jive (no rock n roll) and the odd line dance. I have a cute pink dress ready to wear and bunny ears (it’s is Easter this weekend after all!) Happy Easter y’all, however you may or may not celebrate!🐇🐣

Here’s another pic of a different hospital gown… blue and burgundy seem to be the colour range! I think both suit me 🥰

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