Chemo & Running

After leaving work at 2:30 today I came home and slept for about 2 hours. It felt awesome, so awesome in fact that I really had to force myself to get up and lace up my shoes and make the drive to Noccalula Falls.

Tonight was Rookie Runners and the route was the trail at the falls. I had major hot flashes today and being outside in the humidity seriously made me question my sanity. Eventually I couldn't tell if I was sweating from the hot flashes or from the walk. I walked and walked some more and it was WONDERFUL! Oh how I wished I could run though. It was hard going down the trail to keep myself in check. The walk back was vicious on my legs and the area where the mass was. I find that funny for some reason. I mean it isn't there anymore but it hurt like it was. I will admit to attempting to run once it leveled out again for about a minute tops, it was probably more like 30 seconds. I had Lorissa yelling at me to stop it. Oh it was nice though. There is something very liberating in running. Why didn't I figure that out decades ago?

I have two races I want to do in June but am afraid to sign up. I don't know if I can run them while doing chemo, and the first one is on June 1. Will that be too soon after the first treatment for me to attempt it? June 1 is Color Me Rad in Birmingham and then June 8th is Rockin' The River here. I want to do them both. I don't want to lose what I am just falling in love with. UGH! Stupid cancer!

I guess I should try to find someone who is a runner and is going through or has gone through chemo and find out what they think or what they did.

Now onto the cancer part. Post op follow up went well. I am healing lovely, all stitches are still in place. The Sunday episode was my body's way of saying slow down. That is hard for me. I don't know how to work slow. There could be one of three things wrong with the colon though. 1) OC metastasized to my colon 2) It could be two cancers or 3) (which we will hope for) Internal hemorrhoids.  Lovely thoughts aren't they? Anyway, I am now waiting on the GI dept to call and schedule my colonoscopy. I did forget to ask him about the PET scan. I know I needed to but I was so lost in the appt I forgot my notes.

The chemo portion went well also. Carboplatin and Taxol are the drugs of choice for my chemo. One will be administered and take about 3 hours and then the other will be administered again taking about 3 hours. I will be having BRCA1 and BRCA 2 testing done which if positive could put me into a whole other part of the ball field. Doc said I would absolutely lose my hair from the drugs and that I would feel rough for about a week, get a little time off and then would have another. Chemo will be given every 3 weeks and will start in 2 weeks. I have to be pre-certified through my insurance company first. More waiting. And the drugs, the first time at least, will be given in an IV and then we will decide after that about the port. Part of me wishes I had pushed the port yesterday but again so much info, so much to take in.
The reality of it all set in though when I saw the chemo room. It was cold, frigid, and shocking. I don't know what I was expecting but apparently this wasn't it. Each room had about 8 recliners in it for those receiving treatment. I was advised to dress warm if I get cold easily, and to bring something to do. I held it together during my "tour" but when I walked outside in the parking lot I had to really fight not falling apart. I knew what to expect. I know what to expect now but all of this seems like a dream. I guess it is up to me to make sure it is a good dream and not a bad dream right?

And on that note it is time for me to find dreamland. Here is hoping the hot flashes subside some tonight and I can rest peacefully.