humility an exercise

Good morning all:

It’s 0415 and I am getting an early start. As a general rule I try to get up at 0600, but sometimes I get a little chemo-insomnia where I’m up and at ‘em this early. Yikes.

Yesterday was a humbling day and yet, a good place to start.

There is a great amount of research on the value of exercise while undergoing cancer treatment (actually any treatment for that matter). It is supposed to improve the spread of the drugs and oxygen distribution by almost 8X. I need me some of that.

Anyway, to the humbling part. I have one of those Wii machines and figured I’d start slow and try the Yoga games. Well apparently the chemo has left me initially a little shaky and by the time got done with the diagnostics it turns out my Wii age is – drum roll please – 64.  Had I any energy left, I would’ve dropped kicked the Wii box down the street – but hey in that world I am 64. I’m thinking about taking the Wii machine to the social security office to see if I can start drawing my check.  After that little bit of humiliation I had enough energy to plop in my recliner, open my mouth, and insert my thumb for about an hour.

The good place to start part. What better place to start again then at Wii age 64? Although it can get worse, I think if I include some light weightlifting and short bike rides in my schedule instead of Good Morning America, I might be a bit better off.

The one thing that worries/concerns me is the anemia I’ve been experiencing from the chemo. I’ve had two transfusions in the past three weeks due to low hemoglobin. Since hemoglobin carries oxygen throughout the body and exercise requires oxygen (especially how I do it) I’m a bit anxious about pushing myself to unconsciousness, but then again I’m 64 so who’ll notice?

Here’s the plan for the next little while.

·      I’m going to get my bike tires filled so I can tool around my neighborhood until I get used to my local hills. Once I get used to the hills I’m going to start relying on my bike for transportation around Newark. You kno, for those healthy trips to Jake’s for a shake or Perkins for SOS.

·      Start some light weightlifting with some benches, flies, dumbbell presses, tricep extensions, and curls. Once I do these things my physical fitness will improve. I am hoping that even if I still have some tussles with anemia my regime will be more of a problem for it, than it for me. Oh well … what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.

·      The first order of business today is to go out to the garage (where my weight bench is) and clear a path to it from the side door. Since last summer I have been storing cardboard recycling there and there is a only a little room left for humans in there. I may run over to the sporting goods store and pick up two 25-pound plates – that would make changing bench weights way more convenient.

 I guess that's it for now. 

Love to all,

Bill