Thoughts on Surgery

This post is for my good friend Andrew. Andrew just dodged a couple of HUGE bullets. He went in for surgery last week for pancreatic cancer. It was found early while checking for a congenital heart problem. Amazingly, it turned out to be the 1-2% chance that it wasn't cancer. That's the great news. Unfortunately, he went into anaphylactic shock after surgery and spent a week in a coma. He's OK and finally back home, resting, to the great relief of family and friends.

So I've been thinking about surgery these last few days. It is incredible what doctors can do; surgery can save our lives. But it is tough on us, even when everything goes perfectly smoothly.

And coming home from the hospital is hard. We are frail and so dependent on others. At first I struggled just to get out of bed or to go to the bathroom. I'm a very independent person, so it was painful to not be able to care for myself. I remember my anger and humiliation at having to have my mother help me to bathe. (Mom, I know you will read this. Please know that I do appreciate that you were there and able to help me. I will always be grateful, but it was difficult for me, as a grown woman, to have my mother bathe me.) My partner, Ron, told me I didn't really stink that much so I should wait until I was stronger. But I wanted to bathe, so Ron and my mother obliged. I got clean, but felt completely frustrated and exhausted.

It's not just the physical hardship, though. Although we're happy to be back home, it can be a strangely unsettling experience. In the hospital we receive so much attention. I realize this sounds totally narcissistic, but it's easy to get used to all the attention from nurses, doctors, family and friends. Then suddenly we're home, struggling to fend for ourselves, and we are reminded that life has gone on without us. Bills still need to be paid; telemarketers still call; our husbands/wives still snore; our neighbor's dog still wakes us up with barking.

And if our surgery was cancer-related (or some other life-threatening accident or disease), we confront our own mortality - but that's a topic for another day, maybe best over a glass of scotch.

Whenever I have the chance, I stress to people the importance of exercise before surgery. I think of it as training for surgery. First, exercise is a great stress reliever. Also, whatever you do in the weeks before surgery will help your body in recovery after surgery. Healthy heart and lungs will help speed your recovery, giving you more energy. And strong muscles, especially core and lower body, mean better stability and mobility after surgery. That means fewer falls and greater independence.

After surgery, walk. Get up and walk, even when it's tough and you're tired. Walk, and keep walking. Walking gets your heart and lungs working, helping to clear the anesthesia and other drugs from your body. Walking also helps stimulate your appetite and regulate your bowels, always important after surgery.

Later, after you doctors tell you it's OK, you have to begin stretching to regain full range of motion and work to regain strength.

But first, walk. Walk, walk, walk.

Julie

Some Friends in the Social Media Cancer Community

Over the past several months I've had the opportunity to meet and, in some cases, make friends with some wonderful people trying to make a difference in the cancer community. OK, I say "meet", but many of these folks I've only met online.

Although I was initially reluctant, I have become a huge fan of social media. Yes, I drank the coolaid. I am now fairly addicted to Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I was afraid it would be a complete waste of my time, filled with the inane minutia of daily life. But I've largely found a group of interesting, supportive folks, sharing information and inspiration.

Today I'd like to share a few of these people with you. And I'm doing it here because a lot of these people don't really fit into the Life-Cise Resources page, but I still want to highlight them.

First, a couple of terrific women with books on cancer:

I met Gail Konop Baker this spring at the Women's Health & Fitness Expo in Kingston, NY.

I so enjoyed meeting & talking with Gail. Please check out her book, "Cancer is a Bitch (or I'd rathe

r be having a midlife crisis)", available at Amazon.com.

I recently met Cindy Papale online. We connected on LinkedIn and now follow each other on Twitter. On Twitter Cindy often sends out tweets of inspiration (@cindypapale). Her website is www.theemptycuprunnethover.com (I think she gets the prize for the longest domain name), and her book has the same name & is available on her site.

In past posts I've told you about Lynn Lane's Voices of Survivors, and Jonny Imerman and Imerman Angels, but they both bear repeating. Lynn is a dear, dear man who's rewriting some of the ideas of survivorship. I am the 52nd video on Voices of Survivors, and am honored to be able to share my voice. Please visit and hear & read the many voices of cancer, www.voicesofsurvivors.com. Voices is also on Twitter (@survivor). And please see what great work Jonny is doing at www.imermanangels.org (and follow on twitter, @imermanangels).

A few other tweets to follow (and I know this is only a few, I'll give you more later):

*Bertalan Mesko, from Hungary (@Berci), has a medical site filled with cancer resources, www.webicina.com/cancer

*YogaBear, providing yoga to cancer patients- @yogabear

*MyHopespace, offer patients, survivors, & caregivers an easy way to communicate-@MyHopeSpace

*Athletes for a Cure, advocate for cancer patients- @athletes4acure

*Team Heather, brother spreading breast cancer info in the name of his sister who lost her battle in 2002- @teamheather

*Army of Women, Susan Love & a new opportunity in breast cancer research- @armyofwomen

*David Pittman - @DP_Turtle, charity runner fighting cancer through running

*FollowHeidi, survivor building awareness for breast cancer research

OK - enough. But this list is nowhere near complete; these are just a few of the people out there doing good work, trying to make a difference in their own way. Give them a follow - they're worth it. And let me know (@juliegoodale) if you have other favs.

Julie

Dieting - Yes or No?

Three weeks at Saratoga, playing opera, eating lots of great food and drinking with friends has left me several pounds heavier than I'd like. This is the perfect example of the key to maintaining or losing weight. It's a simple equation: calories in vs. calories out. If you expend more calories than you take in, you lose weight. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. There is no magic in this; it's all about calories in and calories out.

So even though I was running/swimming/biking/hiking most days, I gained weight because I was taking in more calories than I was burning with all that activity. (I mentioned there was lots of great food, didn't I?)

So what to do about it? Go on a diet?

I've never been a fan of diets. But if I don't diet, how will I lose the pounds? And I want to lose the excess pounds because I know I'll feel better, my clothes will fit better, it's better for my overall health, and EXCESS WEIGHT IS CLEARLY TIED TO BREAST CANCER RISK!

My problem with diets is that they are temporary. I follow a diet for a while and maybe lose a few pounds, but it's usually not something I can sustain. I need a healthy, sustainable way of eating. I need a healthy lifestyle that allows me to balance calories in and calories out.

In today's New York Times, Mandy Katz writes about dieting in "Tossing Out the Diet and Embracing the Fat". Certainly, overweight people would be better off at a lower weight, according to Walter Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at Harvard School of Public Health. However, Katz writes, "What remains undisputed is that no clinical trial has found a diet that keeps weight off long-term for a majority." She quotes Glenn Gaesser, professor of exercise physiology at Arizona State University, "If they really worked, we'd be running out of dieters."

Rather than dieting, I believe thinking about eating healthy foods in moderation, along with exercise is the answer. I don't get too hung up on a particular number (I'm not even sure what my weight is - I don't own a scale). I just pay attention to how I feel: do I feel good at this weight? does this weight make my life easier or harder? do I feel energized or sluggish at this weight?

I've decided that I'd like to lose a few pounds, so what now? I'll continue exercising, maybe even increase my workouts a little. And I'll think about my food intake. I won't go on a diet, but I'll think about making healthier choices (less ice cream, fewer fried or fatty foods, less alcohol, more water - you get the idea). I'm no saint when it comes to food, but I'll try to make more "better" choices than less.

And I will try to be more mindful about food: eat when I'm hungry, don't eat because I'm bored or just thirsty. I find it's very important to learn to be aware of just what my body is asking for. Mandy Katz also addresses this in another article about eating instinctively. The idea is that true hunger and taste cues can lead us to balanced, healthy eating.

To me, "diet" is a one-time fix. I am interested in a long-term, sustainable lifestyle. I am interested in overall health, not a number. I am interested in feeling good.

I know my weight won't change in a few days or a week - it didn't increase in a few days. But I know that with a little more mindfulness and time, I will lose a few pounds, feel better, be healthier.

Julie

(to read Mandy's articles, click here. they're well worth reading! and thanks to Karen for the Lake George Opera Festival pictures.)

Health Watch Radio

Please join me today (7-14) at 4:00pm EST, as I discuss exercise and cancer on Health Watch Radio with Dianne Gregg. I will talk about the challenges and the benefits of exercise during all stages of treatment and beyond, as well as give a few tips. Listen in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Health-Watch-Radio.

Julie

Hiking the Tongue & Thinking

As many of you know, I am currently playing the Lake George Opera Festival at Saratoga, NY. Yesterday for the Fourth of July, I went on a lovely hike with my friend Lisa (photos to follow later). We did a nice 5 or so hour hike over Tongue Mountain, down to the shore of Lake George, and back.

It got me thinking about exercise. In my own workouts, I do a lot of strength training. It's important for my body, and I like being strong enough to do any of the activities I enjoy. I also put a lot of emphasis on strength training with my clients at Life-Cise and Stay Fit Stay Strong. It's tremendously important for bone health, good posture, maintaining a healthy weight, staying healthy during cancer treatment, and recovering from surgery.

But while hiking yesterday I was thinking about the power of walking. It's the simplest thing you can do - you don't need any special equipment; you don't need instruction; you don't need me or any other trainer. You just need the motivation to go outside and do it.

Regular walking programs can reduce the risk of developing certain cancers, as well as reducing the risk of recurrence for those of us who have already had cancer. Walking can help keep your heart healthy and help you maintain a healthy weight.

And it's easy! It's up to you. If you're out of shape, start slowly - even walking a few minutes can be an improvement. Just get out there and walk. There's no excuse not to - there's no expense, no skill, no reason not to - only benefits!

Enjoy.

Julie