Race Report - Army Ten Miler !!!

Executive Summary:

Army 10 Miler - October 2, 2005
Actual Mileage - 11.4 miles (rerouted for Security Reasons)
Time: 2:23 (2/1 Run/Walk Intervals)
Estimated Average Pace: 12:54



The rest of the story:

F*#K Cancer! Hooah!

Sorry to start with such an offensive phrase but that was the underlying vibe of the Army Ten Miler for me this year. In February of this year I was diagnosed with Malignant Melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. This diagnosis was followed up with 2 surgeries, a month of daily high dose Interferon Chemotherapy that took me out of work for 6 weeks and out of the triathlon season and into 48 weeks of low dose Interferon Chemotherapy with shots 3x a week. Only 34 weeks left!

All through the early phases of my treatment, I decided that Melanoma would only take so much away from me. I would hold onto whatever I could during treatment to prove to myself that I could "live STRONG" and maintain some level of fitness. If so many other people could do it, so could I. I got my Oncologist approval to train. (It helps if your Dr. is a runner too!)

My younger sister Heather came into town to run the race with me and was my official pacer. The plan was:

1.) HAVE FUN!
2.) Run/Walk 2/1 intervals for an average pace of 13:00 minute miles
3.) GU every 40 minutes and get water and Gatorade from the course stops

Heather and I showed up at the Pentagon with about an hour to the race start. We walked about 1/2 mile to the "purple balloons" that signified the back of the pack. Before long the canon's roared and we were off!

As we passed over the start line 10 minutes later (18,000 people ahead of us), We were treated to cannon fire right in our ears! We must have both performed instant high jumps! YEOW!

The first miles were fast! Heather kept the overall pace up and I was the "interval queen"; my watch beeping for walk breaks every 2 minutes.

I was thrilled and astonished when Heather told me that miles 1 through 5 were dead on for 11:00 minute miles! Heather was amazing at keeping the conversation going, keeping me focused on how great we were doing and sharing the race with me. We cheered people on when they passed us with names on the back of their shirts. I scream "Hooah" (an Army term) at least 4 or 5 times as Army personnel cheered us on and Heather and I talked about her newly found "Marathon distance" running goals. We even sang "Happy Birthday to a runner who's shirt said "Today is my 61st Birthday"!

Just short of mile 7, Heather and I passed our boyfriends Jim and Rich. They gave us cheers and took a picture and said "See you at the finish!" Then we pass the SAG busses, which were still on the other side of the street! Goal 1 accomplished .. I wasn't being swept off this race course today!

My overall finish goal had been a 2:30 finish and we were on pace for at least a sub 2:15!!

As we approached mile 8, I started telling Heather how important the final 2 miles were for me. They crossed over the 14th Street Bridge which was the "Make or Break" point of the Marine Corps Marathon in 4 weeks. If I could keep the pace we had today on race day, I knew for sure that I could attempt the Marine Corps Marathon on October 30th.

Then we hit mile 8 or so and found they were cleaning up, the water stop had been removed from the course already!! 500 feet later they were taking down a mile marker sign. Somebody along the race course in the general vicinity said "Hey, we are still racing here!" There were choruses of "Yeah" and "What mile marker is that?" Dissention was mounting among the troops and I was lost in a bit of a fog of confusion.

"Why are we heading back to the Memorial Bridge .. I thought we crossed the 14th Street Bridge..."

Heather picked up on things quickly and even though she didn't know the course, she encouraged me to "look behind us Sister ... There are thousands of people back there ... We are going to finish strong".

She was right, a peak back revealed just as many people behind me as there seamed to be ahead of me. I was solidly in the middle of the Back of the Pack and destined to finish.

The last miles were quite a challenge. Looking at her watch, Heather knew something was up with the mileage but she didn't let either of us focus on that. She just kept me moving forward. Giving me focus points that helped get me through the intervals.

"Focus on the Eagles at the end of the bridge Sister ... We will run to there and it will be time to walk for a minute." That comment caused me to sing "Bird, Bird, Bird... Bird is the Word" as I shuffled down the bridge!

When we were in the middle of the Memorial Bridge, there was a female Army Medic standing on the Bridge yelling "You did it! Nice job runners! You made it... Only a mile to go!" At the time I didn't realize it but she was telling us that we had just completed mile 10!

Mile 11.4 - which most of us thought was mile 10 - was a struggle for me. The pace had caught up to me and so had the lack of water since Mile 7. I was struggling and Heather carried me emotionally as much as she could.

She talked to me the entire way.. Non-stop encouragement and the occasional gentle hand on my back. With the finish line in site in the distance, I told Heather, I want to run the rest of the way - no matter how slowly we go. "F*#K Cancer."

My sister Heather responded with an echo of "F*#K Cancer" and we ran the last .4 miles. As we passed a gentleman with an American Flag he said "Congratulations! This 11.4 miles was presented to you from the US Army"

HUH?

We crossed the finish line, a confusing concept for my tired brain. I kept looking for a finishing mat that wasn't there. Apparently due to suspicious package found under the 14th Street Bridge, the race was rerouted so the only finishing time would be the one on my sister's watch.

2:23:00 for 11.4 miles!

We headed over to the finish zone, got our finishing Coins, got an official picture taken and met Jim and Rich for big hugs and kisses and a metro ride home.

I am happy to say that I am ready to start the day on October 30th for the Marine Corps Marathon. I fully accept that I may not finish the day at the finish line because I might not beat the 14th Street Bridge but I will have a fun time trying! Cancer Smancer.

Post Script - I want to send out of big THANKS to fellow RAT - Kevin Hnery - although he wasn't able to race the ATM this year, his generosity and kindness helped my sister race this year through a Bib Transfer. This race would have been so much harder without her and it is his kindness that got her to the start line! Thank you Kevin!

In other news, my sister Heather is now 90% sure she is going to run the Myrtle Beach Marathon in Feb 2006!! Another Endurance Junky has had been born!

Live STRONG!

Army 11.2 Miler!!

We did it!! And here we are at the finish with our "Finisher Coins". 11.2 miles in 2:23:00 and our pace through mile 5 was solid 11:00 miles! Heather had us cruising between the walk breaks and it was feeling good!

HOOHAH!!

Yes, you read it right. 11.2 miles completed. There was some kind of security emergency and they rerouted the course just before the 8 mile point.

Race Report to follow later tonight! Live STRONG!!

Race Weekend!

Well this weekend is the Army 10 Miler. My sister Heather and I will be only 2 of 20,000 other fellow runners tooling around the Washington Monuments on an early Sunday morning.

In the last 10 months:

- I ran the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon (pre-diagnosis)
- I was diagnosed with Stage IIIB Malignent Melanoma
- I raced the Kinetic Sprint Triathlon, Richmond Monument 10K & Sallie Mae 10K (post surgery #1)
- I have been under general anthestesia twice (2 surgeries)
- I have undergone 4 weeks of high dose Interferon Chemotherapy
- I have started 48 weeks of low dose Interferon Chemotherapy (only 35 weeks left!)

Through all of this, I have done what I could to maintain some level of fitness. It hasn't always been easy but there is something very powerful to be found in simply moving, in whatever way you can.

Sometimes your pace slows but if you keep moving forward, you will cross the finish line!

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If you have a moment visit Ellie and give her a shout! She is racing her first IRONMAN distance triathlon on Saturday in MD at the ChesapeakeMan Ultra.

GO ELLIE GO!

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Have a good weekend and live STRONG! Race Report to follow!!!!

Hanging Tough

I took two full recovery days and tonight will be a short 3 mile run. I'm ready for a short run and the weather here in Northern VA is perfect for running. Cool and Breezy.

My sister Heather is coming into town this weekend to run the Army Ten Miler with me this Sunday! She will be staying through Tuesday. I have not seen my sister since we did the Dansani Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon in February. We talk often but there is nothing that beats being in the same room together!

My other sister Cathy won't be present for this particular race. Something about school and work and being so far North that she has probably already started wearing a Fleece jacket!! (She is in Maine!) We will miss her!!

Christmas can't come soon enough this year!

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My bloodwork held steady this week proving that my long runs have no significant negative impact on my white blood count.

The side effects of the increased dosage are making themselves known, unfortunately. The last two days have had me feeling a little sick to my stomach. I bought some ROLAIDS, as recommended by Nancy, Flatman and my Uncle Kevin. They taste much better than the TUMS but unfortunately are not helping with the stomach ache. I am exploring other remedies.

Yesterday I felt pretty bad and when I got home, I felt like my general malaise just sucked the happiness right out of the house. Jim was very loving and understanding but I could see him deflating like a slow-leak. His plate has been very full of outside stresses and then I come home feeling icky and drag him down another notch. I hate it!

Nobody tells you how much of an impact your treatment has on your relationships. You may be the one going through the physical symptoms but everybody who loves you and cares about you has to go through the emotional and psychological symptoms too. Not only yours but their own as well.

I am grateful every day for the constant love and support that Jim, my family and friends provide me. I have no doubts that without that support, I would not be doing as well as I am. That includes every one of you out there in cyberspace that takes the time to check in on my blog and sends good thoughts my way!

I hope you realized what a positive impact you have in my life! Thank you!

I did it and then I slept

I have done my longest training run since this whole year started. Today's workout called for 200 minutes at 2/1 run/walk intervals. That is 3 hours and 20 minutes and I approached it with all the respect and fear I could muster. Coach Debi told me to do my utmost to try to keep my intervals at 2/1 Run/Walk the entire workout.

I did it! 15 miles!! Average pace of 13 minute miles.

I chose to run Point to Point since that replicates both the Army Ten Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon experiences. My run took me from my house in the Huntington region of Alexandria down to the Potomac River at the Belle Haven Marina and along the waterfront to the Memorial Bridge in DC. From there, I crossed the bridge into DC and ran back up the waterfront to the National Mall and the Smithsonian Castle.

In terms of nutrition, I had a Gu every 40 minutes and at the top of every hour I took an Endurolyte caplet. All of these things washed down with about 3 bottles of water. Thank goodness for the working water fountains on the Mt. Vernon Trail! At the end of the run, I treated myself to an Oatmeal Raisin PowerBar... YUMMY!

I then rode the Metro back home, took a shower, ate some tuna fish and crackers, watch some "Wallace and Grommit" on DVD and then napped for 3 hours. I didn't expect to nap for nearly as long as I ran today but I guess my body had a lot of repair work to do and didn't need me getting in the way!

I think that the hardest part of this long run is going to be the recovery. I fully expected that my Sunday shot of Interferon would feel more potent because my body is trying to do some post-run recovery. I took my shot less than 15 minutes ago following the "pre-shot tylenol" routine that I have always used with success and right now I have a headache and a small fever.

I will stay on top of it with Tylenol tonight and hopefully I won't feel like the walking dead tomorrow! Why?

Because after this workout I have at least earned the title of the "RUNNING DEAD"

Life is good! Live STRONG!

Thursday

SHAME ON YOU!!

No, not you darling reader. Shame on the client who walked into the office today and said "Wow are you feeling okay? You look awful!!!"

My response: "Yeah sometimes Chemo does that to you!"

They were very apologetic and I accepted the apology but I felt justified in putting this person in their place. Don't tell me how bad I look because 9 out of 10 times, I am already aware of it but trying to work through it. Being reminded doesn't help!
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Is this not the cutest kitten ever? This makes me smile and there are more kittens to make you smile here.
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Last night's workout was started out pretty rough but I kept with it to the turn around and the back half felt much better. In talking with Jim later, we determined that the course I am running rolls gently uphill the entire course out and gently downhill on the return trip. All of that happening while you tackle the small hills that are obvious. It made me feel better about feeling like I had very little to give on the 1.5 miles to the turn around.

Tonight's workout calls for a 30 minute EASY spin on Sunshine. My long lost brother (not really) Flatman has requested a picture of my ride. I'll post that later today! My bike is not nearly as new or fancy as Nancy's bike Buttercup but I love my bike just the same!

All Hale Dr. Butler!!

It has been 3 weeks since I went back to 10 million units so it was time for an appointment with Dr. Butler in addition to the weekly blood-letting ritual.

Dr. Butler said that he imagined that I was the healthiest patient he would see in his office today. He's a charmer!!

We talked about my side effects and he indicated that he was happy to see my blood work coming back up this week. He said that even a slight rise in my blood numbers means I am adjusting to the new dosage well. I am "well adjusted" ... Hehehe.

He asked about my training mileage, asked for the dates of the races again and then told me to feel free to "adjust my shot schedule" the week prior to both races if I thought that might give me a little extra something on Race Day. He didn't see how reducing my shot dose for one day and/or moving the "shot day" would have a negative impact. Especially when it is only 2 shots out of a total of 144 that will be affected.

So I am cleared to complete the Army 10 Miler next Sunday. I am also cleared to complete the Marine Corps Marathon if I choose. I am choosing to wait and see how the Army 10 Miler AND my 3 hour 20 minute LSD workout goes this weekend.

In other workout news, I took out Sunshine (my bight yellow Lemond Bicycle) for a 30 minute spin. It was a nice 7 mile jaunt before the rains head into town. It felt good to be back in the saddle again! It always does.

Buona Notte (Good Night!!) Live STRONG!

Recovery Day

I have grown to really love Mondays because Mondays are "Recovery Day". I take the shuttle instead of walking the mile to and from the Metro station. I don't concern myself with my workout schedule for the week for 24 hours and I generally try to enjoy myself.

Today, my recovery day is plague by a headache and a constant stomach ache which can be directly attributed to 3 weeks back at 10 million units of Interferon - 3x a week. It would be nice if Dr. Butler would cut my dose in half again tomorrow but in all likelihood that won't happen. I wish there were a way to cut down on the side effects and still get as high a "low dose" as possible. Until somebody figures out a better solution, I have actually started taking the occassional TUMS. Sometimes they help.. sometimes they don't. At least they have calcium so it is not a complete waste.

Yesterday marked the start of week 12 out of 48! Only 36 more to go!


I wonder how close these Tums really are to eating chalk. I suspect they are closer than I think!

Tales of Baby Showers and Baby "Bonks"

Well the Baby Shower was a wonderful success. I succeeded in imitating a chicken with her head cut off on Saturday morning but at 11AM I transformed into a cool, calm and collected host. The important thing was that everybody seem to have a nice time and that my girlfriend Liz enjoyed herself.

She is 6 weeks from her due date and ready to go, go, go!

Today was "Leisure Sunday". On Leisure Sunday, you do whatever you want and you "don't do" what ever you feel like. We slept in until 8AM; watched the last episode of "Lost" on TiVo in prep for the season premiere this week; ate a late breakfast; lounged and then around 3PM I went out for my long run.

The weather is beautiful in Northern VA today... low 80s but no humidity and a cool breeze. My workout went very well with 2/1 intervals for about the first 3 miles; 1/1 intervals for the next 5 miles and an unfortunate baby "Bonk" just before the start of Mile 8. The good news about the baby "Bonk" is that with less than 1 mile to home, I felt no guilt for having to walk ... so I did.

I'm happy to be back home, showered, comfy and in for the night!

Hope you all had a good weekend too! Live STRONG.

UGH!

How can I possibly call this running when I feel like I couldn't go any faster if I tried??

4 miles at a 14:00 minute pace with Run/Walk intervals that started at 3/1 and meandered down to 1/1 by the end of the workout.

I think I shopped faster than I ran today. I'll just take pride in knowing that I didn't give up on the workout.

Back to baby shower gifts...Less than 24 hours to the party!

Baby Booties and Cute Hats

As promised:Do you like my hat?



My attempt at cake decorations. See the picture of what it SHOULD look like.

I will stick to graphic design!! No Cake Decorating in my future.
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Off to run errand!! Hope everybody has a great Friday! Live STRONG!!

Baby Shower & Long Run

This weekend I am giving my girlfriend Liz a baby shower. I suspect the next 48 hours will be busy. In anticipation, I took tomorrow off so I could run my last errands without feeling frantic.

I had entertained the notion of baking individual cakes like little baby booties when I learn that the bakery that I frequent no longer does that themselves. Then last night I tried to make one of the little cakes...

Let's just say that my design skills are better suited to computers and print pieces and I will be leaving the art of decorating with frosting and fondant to others.

Yesterday I tried to go for a short 3 mile run. I have had two full recovery days but since my last shot on Tuesday, I have been feeling progressively more "Interferon Funky". It was a struggle to cover the 3 miles. I started out at 3/1 run/walk intervals and by the turn-around point I was down to 1/1 run/walk intervals. It was painfully slow, I felt like I was running in mud (no energy) but I was happy to have finished the workout. As my friend Nancy just recently said: "A slow workout is better than no workout at all."

So tomorrow I will indulge in my day off, get errands done and do my 3 mile run at my leisure (probably early in the morning if this humidity breaks and then this weekend I will play Baby Shower "Hostess" and attempt the long run on my schedule.

All hail sticking to "The Plan"

Pictures of my new hat AND the infamous "Baby Bootie Cupcake" will be posted later tonight!

Body Talk

Yesterday was a pretty good day. Nothing "felt" wrong and I have learned trust my instincts when it comes to how I feel. So imagine my surprise when I went in to give my weekly blood work and found out that not only are my neutraphils low (1.1 compared to last week's 1.7) but that all of my blood work was down and I am currently anemic.

Immediately my nurse Tess was grilling me... Did you over do it this weekend? Have you been eating this week? How are you feeling?

I was honest:

I ran/walked 15 miles this weekend but other than some fatigue, I feel fine. My eating has been normal and I am down 2 pounds but I attribute that to 4 weeks of consistent run/walks. I'm sick of losing my hair only to find it all over the house and OTHER THAN JUST A MOMENT AGO WHEN YOU TURNED ME INTO A PIN CUSHION AND PIERCED A VEIN LEAVING ME WITH A SORE, PURPLE FOREARM ... I'm just fine, thanks!

Tess is not "impressed" with the fact that Dr. Butler is letting me train for the Marine Corps Marathon. I had a hard time making her understand that this "IS" low volume working out for me right now.

Now I am worried that Dr. Butler is going to change his mind on my training and tell me that I shouldn't do it. Either way, that is an uknown until next week, so I will eat some more protein, drink plenty of water, try to catch a few more naps and worry about "what if" later.

Living STRONG with a few less blood cells.

Lots of mileage this weekend and I am still awake!

After a week that found me sleeping more often than working out. I have had a weekend that has me very confident that I will complete the Army 10 Miler in 3 weeks!!!

On Saturday I covered 4.5 miles and today I covered 11 miles, making my total mileage for this week 24.5 miles. My longest week yet! Needless to say, I expect to sleep long and hard tonight and tomorrow will be a full recovery day. It certainly doesn't hurt that the weather was stunning at 730 in the morning here in Northern DC. That definitely makes the miles go by quicker.

I am actually managing to hold a 14 minute-per-mile pace on average. My focus this weekend was simply to get some "time in" on the trails so I didn't even push the intervals beyond 1/1. Tuesday I will resume my 3/1 intervals and expect that my average mile pace will drop down to 13 minutes-per-mile. That is well inside the cutoff for Marine Corps maximum pace by a full minute. The question I need to answer now is: Can I continue on for another 4 hours ... I have not tried anything beyond 2.5 hours yet.

Time will tell!

I hope all the athletes who race the Reston Triathlon had a good day!

Thoughts and Prayers to everybody as we remember those we lost on September 11th, 2001.

Your getting very SLEEPY

The increase in dosage to 10 MIU of Interferon finally caught up to me. Yesterday I awoke with a slight headache and an upset stomach. By 11AM, I could hardly focus on my work and called it quits and headed home. By 12:30pm, I was asleep. Jim woke me up when he got home at 4:45pm. We made some dinner (Porkchops and applesauce) and then he tackled the computer room while I rearranged the linen closet and I was back in bed by 9:45pm. I could not have stayed up later than that, I know because I tried.

Now I am up bright and early and feeling better than yesterday. I have to say that yesterday was the first time that I simply accepted the side effects and went with what my body told me to do...Without a fight.

I'm just happy to be feeling better this morning! Moving On! Living STRONG!

Everybody have a GREAT DAY!

Lots of Stuff!

When you combined two independent, self-reliant adults who have lived on their own for 10+ years into one household you end up with a whole lot of "STUFF"!!

Jim and I are sorting through the duplicates and deciding what stays, what goes to goodwill and what simply goes! It's a slow process but we are making good progress! We got the kitchen, the bedroom closet and the bathrooms done this weekend. Yeah for us!

The week was a whirlwind of unpacking and life in general. We were checking in on Jim's folks in Jackson, MS daily to make sure that they were doing okay. They had some trouble finding gas for the generator but luckily by this weekend they had power again. My cousin and his family who lived in New Orleans, are currently in PA with relatives for the time being. They still don't know if they have a home to go back to. Having been through my share of hurricanes and blizzards, my heart goes out to all those people down south. It will be a long recovery for them.

On the Melanoma front, Dr. Butler has increased my weekly shots back up to 10 MIU for the time being. I might get a break around the first week in October for the Army 10 Miler but I think that 10 MIU is where he wants to keep me unless my body starts showing toxicity signs again. The increase in dose has me a little more prone to napping this week. I can live with that!

I bought a beautiful hat to start wearing daily! I will post a picture later this week. For now I am going to hold off on the wig and enjoy the variety that hats and scarves offer!

On the Army 10 Miler/Marine Corps Marathon Training front, I am doing well. I was able to get in some decent mileage last week and today I covered 9 miles in the glorious 65 degree weather. I have no doubts that I will be able to finish the Army 10 Miler so now I am focusing on keeping my pace up and getting some good long runs in over the next 8 weeks so that the 14th Street Bridge cutoff of the Marathon seems like less of a factor!

I'm looking forward to the week ahead and the wonderful lower temperatures.

What color are you?

Up until I was 17, I was a Brunette. Then I went away for the summer to a "Creative Youth" program and came home as a Strawberry Blonde.

The next 4 years through college, I was varying shades of Auburn (dark red) with some unfortunate Oranges in the mix.

Then I went back to Brunette when I started my professional career until I got bored and went Auburn/Redhead again 6 years ago. It was wonderful but my hair has problems keeping the color and I always ended up kind of orange-y by the time summer was over. I guess it is all the sun and chlorine (darn triathlon training).

2 years ago, my hairdresser Keri and I decided to bring my original Brunette color back by letting my hair grow and grow and I had been enjoying my natural color again ....

Now thanks in no small part to Interferon Alpha 2B Recombinent Therapy and Melanoma, I find myself losing my hair. Not in big dramatic clumps but in long brunette strands.

Wash my hair and clean the drain ...
Brush my hair and clean the brush, my shirt and the floor...
Run my fingers through my hair and they are tangled in hair when they come out.

Every week it is getting thinner. My workout ponytail is pretty pathetic these days.

I'm considering a buzz cut and a wig but I can't decide who has more fun? Blonds, Brunettes or Redheads? And of course I will consult with Jim because he is my guy and I like him looking at ME!! Hehehe!

Your thoughts? If you could change your color randomly - what would you be?
Suggestions on what you think might look good for me are welcome!

--- NOTE OF IRONY---
I just noticed for the first time that in none of my triathlon pictures in the header do you ever see my hair. LOL!

I'm moving in every sense of the word ...

I'm in the midst of moving in with Jim this weekend. I don't expect to end up having much time to post since I want to at least unpack my clothes, dishes and bathroom stuff. Everything else can wait until Jim and I decide what stays and what goes.

I did get a workout in yesterday but it felt like the slowest, hardest 2.5 miles ever. I did run/walk 3/1 intervals the whole time but it felt as though I never found my stride. Once again dead legs prevailed. I am going to try again today since I am feeling a lot less fatigue than yesterday and then I will take Saturday OFF and go for my long run Sunday.

I'll report back in on Monday - Unless I end up buried under boxes, of course.

Have a great weekend and live STRONG!

Wake Up Gosh Darn It!

Okay, I know that I shouldn't be blogging from work but I am doing everything I can think of to stay awake, alert and with it for the next 50 minutes. Today is my first attempt at a full 8 hour work day since mid-May.

I have not talked about it much but I am a professional Graphic Designer and have been for over - GULP - 14 years. I currently work in Washington, D.C. for the National Defense University. I have been with NDU for just over 5 years. I started as your typical contractor and last year when the position opened up, applied for and got a permanent position as a GS-12.

Yeah, yeah - I'm a civil servant. Insert your "Good enough for government work" jokes here.

Seriously though, I enjoy my job and have been pretty lucky in terms of the variety and creativity of my work. My fellow designers are pretty cool as well. It's a good gig!

It has been harder than I imagined to actually return to a 40 hour week. I mean it is not as though my job is very physically demanding. Some projects require manual work (dry mounting, framing and engraving) but the majority of my work is done sitting in front of a giant flat screen monitor attatched to a fast Mac. Definitely a "desk job"....

Apparently even "desk jobs" can suck the energy right out of you. I guess it is a lot of creative brain time mixed with my commute that makes it such a long day. Every morning I get up at 7AM and walk to the Metro near my home, travel 40 minutes by train and then walk the 1.5 miles down the block to the university campus. On good days, it is a beautiful walk and the right way to start and end my day. On bad weather days, I take the shuttle along with 80% of the NDU metro users.

Hmmm.... come to think of it, with the commute my average work day is 10 hours. No wonder I have been having a hard time getting back to a full day! Of course I could choose to take the shuttle every day and make it easier on myself physically but I think that there is a significant difference between "needing to take the shuttle" and getting into a very "LAZY" habit so the shuttle can wait until the bad weather arrives and I will continue to ease into a full work week.

QUALITY OF LIFE - even at work - DEMAND IT!

I missed my workout yesterday, I am in the midst of moving in with Jim and need to be officially done moving this weekend! I didn't have the energy to work out and move a load of boxes. I SWEAR I AM NEVER MOVING MYSELF AGAIN!! For gosh sakes I am 35, I can afford damn movers! Of course I was only moving one bedrooms worth of stuff but still! I HATE the process of moving!

Today I am going to try for my 30 minute run that I missed yesterday. Maybe that will wake me up - OR - put me into a deep sleep early tonight. I can accept either possibility, I am flexible like that!

Live STRONG Everybody!

Long Naps and Dead Legs

Author's Note: The following is a true account. The sanity of the person(s) involved is not in question, yet.

"Nap Time" - Tuesday 2PM EST

Holly: "I'll just lay down for an hour"

Holly's Body: "Yeah, let's nap! We promise you will wake up with the alarm!"

Holly: "Okay, let me set the alarm. I have an appointment at 4PM so I have to be up by 3PM. Short Nap Only!"

Holly's Body: "Short Nap!!! OKAY!! Woohoo, she is taking a nap!!"

-- Two and one-half hours later --

Holly: "Why am I awake, I know I need to get up but why?"

Holly's Body: "Aw just go back to sleep, SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP!!

Holly: "4:30PM ?!? Damn, where is the phone, got to call the Dr. Office. Man am I sleepy!"

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Naps are mandatory on Interferon. It seems that I needed some serious sleep yesterday after my 5 hour work day! I did manage to reschedule my Dr. Appointment for later today, get a 12 mile bike ride in and do a little more packing (I am moving this weekend) but I was still in bed by 9PM and slept until 6AM this morning. When fatigue speaks, I listen!

Regarding the 12 mile bike ride, post nap. My legs were completely empty. Jim and I call them "dead legs". Not a drop of extra glucose in those muscles anywhere. I figure that is my payback for not having any delayed muscle soreness after this weekend's long run. So I just peddled along slowly enjoying the beautiful day and telling my body to "wake up" because I missed my appointment but I was NOT missing my workout!

Sometimes you just got to remind your body that you are in charge! (For the moment anyways!)

Long Run Accomplished!

The sense of accomplishment that I feel after this week is tremendous. I got a whole lot done and felt physically good most of the time. I was pretty tired on Friday but two days off left me with plenty of energy to get a long run/walk in.

I estimate that I covered a minimum of 8 miles on my 140 minute workout on Sunday probably closer to 9-10 miles total. Jim and I were at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia for the weekend and I managed to get my long run done early Sunday morning; in and around the forest trails that surround the three race tracks.

The looks that I got from people were priceless. I was the most out of place runner ever! Here are all these men and a handful of woman prepping race cars and motorcycles for a day of racing on a track and then there was me, in all my sweaty glory, running and walking to the beep of my watch.

Most of my run was only witnessed by the cicadas and other bugs in the woods but there was about 20 minutes of exposure to humans necessary to get to the trails. About half the people would wave hello and the other half looked at me as if I was out of my mind. Since it was already pretty hot, I was convince in the first 45 minutes that perhaps I was out of my mind but a GU, a fresh bottle of water and the shade of the woods quickly changed all that.

My long run was downright pleasant! And so was the weekend on the whole for that matter!

It's Monday and I am only a little tired and the schedule calls for a REST day! Yeah for Monday!

Everybody Live STRONG this week! That is my plan as well!

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

My week in general has been fantastic! Seems as though the reduction in dose on the shots makes a big difference. My blood work came up a full 1/4 of a point this week and I have had alot more energy.

On Wednesday I had a run/walk to remember! While it was slightly less than 4 miles - short by some people's standards - My first 2 miles were sub 12:30s. That is HUGE when you consider that I haven't seen anything under 13:00 since I started chemo in mid-May. For the record, my intervals were 2/1 Run/Walk for that workout.

On Thursday, feeling well rested and like a "half-a-million bucks" aka Pretty Darn Good, I put a second coat of paint on the hallway and I rode my bike 17 miles. It took me a pedestrian 1.5 hours to cover the distance but I felt good the entire way. Then I came home, had some dinner, gave myself a shot and began yawning constantly until I went to bed around 9:30 pm.

And all of this activity is after a 5 hour work day. I am up to 25 hours a week now and aiming for 30 hours next week.

So with such a great week, why such a negative title to my blog?

Because I am still trying to find some balance and struggling a little. Today I woke up feeling exhausted with a headache which has yet to dull. You would never know that I slept a full 9 hours last night. So obviously I over did it somewhere between the painting and the bike ride. Perhaps the balance will be found in riding 10 miles instead of 17 when I do something in addition to the workout? Maybe I should have taken yesterday off from the workout and done the bike ride today?

With 7 weeks out of 48 weeks of shots finished, I still feel like I am struggling to find some balance. But I have faith that I will find it. It is just taking a little bit longer than I imagined.

Today there will only be recovery since I have a long run on the schedule for this weekend and the long run will be my ONLY workout this weekend so that I can start the work week feeling rested and ready to go!

Wherever you are in your life, I hope you find some balance and have a wonderful weekend !!

Live STRONG!

HOT Weekend Update

The road to hell is paved with good intentions and just as HOT as this weekend was...Perhaps hotter.

I did not get my long run in this weekend. The heat sucked every last bit of energy that I had whenever I was out in it. I also had one of my college roommates (Class of '92) in town from California so the focus was on catching up and spending time together. I feel no remorse in missing the long run, I had a fun weekend!

My friend Sandy and I had a wonderful visit and we all attended a Bowling birthday party for one of Jim's friends. Does bowling count as cardio? I bowled 3 games, each one progressively worse but I didn't feel as tired as my scores indicated. Funny how that works!

I stand humbled by all my athletic friends like Nancy who got out and got their workouts in this weekend's heat and humidity. I'm not worthy!

I did get a 3 mile Run/Walk in yesterday in the early evening after a good nap. It was still pretty hot but there was a breeze and shade on the trails and that made a big difference. Today my legs are feeling a little fatigued but the rest of the body is holding up well! Looks like the reduction in Interferon per shot agrees with me so far.

Looking to the week ahead, I have to really get serious about getting in my long run/walks or else I have no business even considering showing up at Arlington cemetery on October 30th for the Marine Corps Marathon. While I have some pretty big goals that I don't want to abandon. I do have the proper respect for the distance and the other folks out there who are training hard. I figure that as long as I can get on track with my long runs and have a positive racing experience on October 2 at the Army 10 Miler then I can make an informed decision on stepping up to the starting line at the Marine Corps Marathon.

I have been tagged by Nancy. I guess I better get to work on coming up with some answers. More to follow later in the week!

Keep Living STRONG folks!

A better week by far

Every day this week has felt better than the day before. In fact yesterday I felt down right "NORMAL". It was a great day. I was feisty at work, had a lot of energy and came home and rode 13 miles on my bike on the local trails with Nancy!

You know every time I get on my bike, I fall in love with it all over again. That doesn't happen with running or swimming. Sure if I miss some runs, I crave running but I don't love it in the way that I "LOVE" riding my bike.

Bike Love is a beautiful thing!

We are in for a scorcher this weekend and I have a 120 minute run/walk workout on the calendar. The goal is to cover the time, even if I can't run all of it. Looks like I will be up EARLY (6AM) to beat the heat!

Hope everybody has a wonderful weekend! Live STRONG!

TOXIC & Free to run!!

My appointment with Dr. Butler was good on many levels. I left feeling like I really understood where I am at. Nothing beats being well-informed!

My white blood count was still low (4.1) and my neutraphil (1.37) count has not budged. I guess I should be happy that it hasn't dropped more but I was hoping for a positive change. Some indication that my body was adjusting to the Interferon.

From an Interferon/Melanoma Point of View: Last weeks fatigue and constant upset stomach are symptoms that I am reaching a level of toxicity. Dr. Butler decided to reduce my shots from 10 MIU to 5 MIU for the next 3 weeks to see if my symptoms abate a little. The "goal" is to get me through an entire year of treatment so he is more concerned with finding the level of Interferon that I can tolerate for a year rather than giving me the max dose at this point.

As he so simply put it: "If I thought that nothing but 10 MIU was going to help you, I would tell you that these are your symptoms and I am sorry but you will have to get used to them but I don't think that is necessary in your case."

From there we moved onto my "exercise" questions. I told Dr. Butler that I really wanted to run/walk the Army 10 Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon. He got a giant smile on his face and said that is that is what I wanted to do to go ahead. From a medical point of view he said that training for the marathon has no direct impact on my Melanoma, my white blood cell count or my treatment.

His overall advice was to really make it a point to "listen to what my body is telling me" while I train. He cautioned me that the training will probably increase my level of fatigue depending on training volumes. He said to be very cautious of heat exhaustion and my hydration and thought that I will feel more exhausted after the Marathon than I would have if I wasn't undergoing chemo. He said he would make a note in my charts and keep him updated on my mileage and the fatigue levels.

Nothing beats having an Oncologist who ran a 10 miler to celebrate his 60th Birthday! Dr. Butler really does ROCK!

So this morning, I don't feel any better than yesterday - I'm still toxic and my white blood count is low BUT I am free to dream big and a run/walk will not make things any worse! Marine Corps Marathon/14th Street Bridge cutoff here I come! Living STRONG all the way!

Checking In

Last week turned out to be a wash in the grand scheme of things but I learned some good lessons about fatigue and managing my resources. In a nutshell, I was reminded that to get things done, I had to prioritize and be willing to let the small things go. In this case last week the "small things" turned out to be my daily exercise and my priorities were work and "one chore" per day. As long as I was able to come home and do "one thing" before I gave into the fatigue, the day was a success.

This weekend was devoted to rest and relaxation. It was just me, TIVO and the latest Harry Potter book while Jim was doing his Reserve Weekend. It was just what the Dr. ordered.

So now a new week has begun and already I have some encouraging news to report. Yesterday I got a 2.5 mile Run/Walk done. My goal this week is simply 30-40 minutes of cardio, every other day. I'm off to a good start!

Living STRONG, day by day!

A Mother's Last Gift

On Tueday, August 2, here in Arlington, VA, Susan Anne Catherine Torres was delivered via c-section. She was 1 pound, 13 ounces and 142 days early. She is doing well.

Her mother, Susan Torres, had a stroke on May 7th - a complication of Melanoma. She had originally been diagnosed in her teens and was cancer-free for 9 years. Susan was only 26 when she passed. The rest of her story can be found here.

You can make a donation to The Susan M. Torres Fund to help offset the familys medical expenses, if you like.

Be aware, appreciate what you have and Live STRONG!

OUCH!

GROWL, GRUMBLE, GROAN...

I have a "yet to be determined" pain in the front of my right shin about 2 inches up from my ankle. It feels like a shin splint but it is pretty specific and only hurts when I am walking. I don't recall doing anything and as a matter of fact I took yesterday OFF as an additional day of recovery since this weekend was pretty big in terms of activty. Any ideas on what could be causing my pain? I will be icing it when I get home tonight!

I guess I won't run today but hop on the bike and do an easy 10-15 miles if I don't melt first. Man it is HOT today!

My white blood cells are playing "rollercoaster" again. Last week they were up and now they are back down low. I thought maybe I had done it with too much of a good time this weekend but upon doing some research, I learned that Exercise encourages your body to create more nuetraphils.

I have an appointment with Dr. Butler next week and I am going to "beat a dead horse" and ask him more about how much or little I can exercise as well as what he thinks of my low blood counts and my desire to do the Marine Corps Marathon.

The reality is that this year I need to focus on staying healthy and getting as much treatment as I can. If run/walking the Marine Corps is going to have a negative impact on my overall health than I will defer it to next year. It is worth it to ask Dr. Butler's medical opinion and maybe run my workout schedule by him.

Right now I am honestly torn between just dropping out of it all together and just waiting to see how I feel next week. I suspect that some of my desire to just defer now has everything to do with feeling so fatigued this week and having very little desire to get out and exercise. Two or three years ago, I would have acted on my impulse and defered right away but I have grown more patient in the past year and I am willing to wait and see what the next few weeks bring.

On a happier note: Look!!! It's me and Catherine, Elisabeth & Nancy at the Blackwater Duathon! (I am the lady behind the jog stroller.)

Tag!

Flatman AND Nancy tagged me. These questions required some thought! Who knew??
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Q: What are you training for now?

A: Army 10 Miler & the Marine Corps Marathon. The only goal is to FINISH, I'm not going for any PRs this year.
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Q: If you are raising money for a cause, what is it and why is that cause important to you?

A: I'm not fundraising at the moment but I have been known to do so in the past. Right now I have been supporting others. I think that the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Hero for a Day Ride benefiting Food and Friends in Washington, D.C. are great charities. Check them out!
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Q: What is the furthest distance you've run in your training and what is the furthest distance you will run before your event?

A: The longest run I have ever done in my training is 20 miles two years ago while training for the DC Marathon. Because of my current health, my coach and I are focusing on time and not miles right now. I expect that my furthest distance before the Marine Corps this year will be about 4-4.5 hours and whatever distance that ends up being.
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Q:What is your favorite flavor of gu? (or other sports gel)

A: Vanilla Bean Gu and Cliff Sonic Strawberry are my gels of choice
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Q: How many days a week do you run?

A: 3 or 4 (just like Nancy!)
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Q: Are you injured in any way right now? If so,what are you doing about it?

A: No, but I am in the midst of low dose Interferon chemotherapy for malignant melanoma (skin cancer) right now so I am often battling chemo-induced fatigue. I just take my workouts one day at a time and do what my body will allow. I have over done it on occasion so far but I am learning to moderate better each week.
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Q:What is one item of running clothing/gear (shoes don't count) you can't run without?

A: I can't run without a good sports bra (Champion Drylite) and I love my water bottle belt!!
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Q: Do you have a talisman you are planning on taking to your event? If so, tell us!

A: I'll be wearing the LiveSTRONG bracelet that I have been wearing since Spring 2004. This particular bracelet will be "retired" on the last day that I have my low dose chemo next spring 2006.
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Q: Share one thing about yourself we don't know.

A: I am a voracious reader and I love going to book stores. I could easily spend a full day curled up on the couch reading all day. When I was a very little girl (4-5-6) my parents would go to the book store at least once a week and I always got a Dr. Suess book. My sisters "ate" my first edition Dr. Suess series (baby slobber is like acid!! LOL) but I have been slowly rebuilding my collection over the last 10 years.

The week in review - Ride like a girl!

I have been such a slacker and I have much to share. My birthday week was a grand success. Not only did I get some quality workouts in this week but I also got some wonderful cards, flowers and gifts from friends and family. My mom sent me a great tshirt (Ride like a Girl!) and a new cycling jersey and Jim bought me a 6 DVD set of the 2004 Tour de France!

All the unsolicited bike encouragement led to a wonderful yet tiring 23 mile bike ride through the FLAT roads of St. Michael's this weekend with Ellie and Diane, while visiting with Nancy. We got stuck briefly in a rain shower but the warm weather and lack of thunder or lightening just added to the fun.

Saturday was the first GWO Ladies Track meet and not only did I learn what the little marks on the track meant but I also ran my first timed 100, 200 and attempted 400s. Even with a warm up, there was nothing left in my legs for the 400. It's something to shoot for later on! Inquiring minds may want to know how fast I was .... Not fast at all. I was last 2 out of 3 times. I'm not to worried though, I had fun running as fast as I could and found some muscles (THAT ARE SORE NOW!) that I didn't even know I had.

Sunday was the Blackwater Traverse Duathlonout in Cambridge, MD. The GWO ladies ALL came back with hardware from the race! Ellie took 2 Overall in her age group, W50-54; Nancy took 1st place Athena 40+; and Jeanne and Diane took 1st place for woman's Relay team! I took 1st place as Baby Sitter for Nancy's wonderful twins, Catherine and Elizabeth. Once I figured out that the girls preferred apple juice, fruit loops, and walking in the jog stroller instead of sitting around watching the race, we were golden. I think all told I walked them for at least 3 of the 4 hours that we were in Cambridge. This included some "speed work" and " stroller acrobatics". I actually woke up with sore abs today!

Adventure du jour (translated: Adventure of the Day) - The first day on Celexa; anti-depression meds to counter the progressive depression that has been creeping in on the weekly Intron-A shots. It has only been a few hours so I am not going to make any immediate judgments on effectiveness but I can tell you that I'm not enjoying the cotton mouth. In reality it takes about 2-4 weeks for enough meds to build in your body to be effective so in this case only a little time will tell.

Flatman has tagged me!! I will need to tackle this tonight at my leisure but for now my lunch break is over! More to come later ....

How sweet it is ...

to be loved by you!

I close my eyes at night
Wondering where would I be without you in my life
Everything I did was just a bore
Everywhere I went it seems I’d been there before
But you brighten up for me all of my days
With a love so sweet in so many ways
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby

How sweet it is to be loved by you!!!

Jim took me to see James Taylor this weekend as an early Birthday present! (My Birthday is Tuesday, July 26th, hehehe) We had a great time and Mr. Taylor played my favorite songs .... "Carolina on My Mind" and "How Sweet it Is". I told Jim that this was a birthday gift not to be beaten and he reminded me that not much could top last year's "34th Birthday in Paris, France." While it is indeed hard to top that, in light of the year we have been having, this year's gift definately compares.

I didn't get much of a workout in this weekend. A short 2.5 mile walk on Sunday to my friend Liz's place. She took me out to lunch for my Birthday at the Potowmack Landing Restaraunt. (I did spell the name correctly - I think it is an Indian spelling) We had lovely Crabcake sandwiches and watched the ducks and sailboats meandering by. It was lovely.

All in all it should continue to be a wonderful week. My new running shoes are in and I am going to spend the weekend with my friend Nancy's beach house in St. Michaels. She has invited a small group of fellow triathletes and it will be awesome to meet the other women in person finally. I am going to work hard to be the resident cheerleader, director of "taper" miles for the ladies who are racing this weekend and keeper of the Toby Twins (at least during the dualthon).

Not too shabby a week in store!

There is a light at the end of the tunnel...

and it is not another train! That is the great expression my co-worker L. used today when she referred to my current state of things. I had just been telling her that for the first time in week, I actually feel like I leave work having accomplished something at the end of my day. I have been working about 6 hours a day for the past 3 weeks and my adjustment has been slow but steady. I hope to be back to full time by summer's end but it is slow going.

L.'s very enlightening (and witty) comment also gave me a moment to stop and realize just how far I have come since all of this started in February. It hasn't been easy but none of it has been impossible either. I'll take that as a blessing. So far, I have been able to handle it all, with the love, support and encouragement of Jim, my family, and the huge network of friends I am so lucky to have at home, work, across the country and across the internet.

My blood counts were dropping on Tuesday's check. Looks like I might get a day or two off from shots next week if the trend continues. A break in shots might give me a chance to recover a little more from the latest round of fatigue. And that could mean some quality workouts on the horizon!!

ENDORPHINS!! I miss them! I tried to find them today at the gym for about 25 minutes. No luck though, they just barely eluded me. If my new sneakers come in this weekend (Overstock.com - last year's model on sale!!!) then I will go out on the trails and continue to look for more endorphins. I know there are some out there for me!

Hanging in there ...

I don't have much enthusiasm lately but I am still trying to find it wherever I can. This lack of enthusiasm is definately the Interferon. Drugs are stupid but more Cancer is not an option, so I will take the drugs.

Jim's back is much better and he has been going to the physical therapist to strengthen it up and make sure the disc returns back to it's normal spot. He went to Dr. Wagner and he said that the hernia was small, "Come back in a month and let me check it again." Dr. Wagner feels that urgery can wait for now. I know Jim is doing better because he has been back on the bike and the BMW motorcyle this week. He would do that unless he was pain free!

The weekend was a bit of a wash in terms of a long run. Friday I had energy for naps only and Saturday I SLUGGED through 3 miles of run/walk intervals. By the time Sunday bloomed hot and humid, I had opted for a short walk. The hightlight of the weekend was having friends over for an tiny "Tour de France - Stage 17" get-together. That was great fun!

I'm feeling funky today and trying to add an extra hour to the work day. So far, it's a little harder than I thought it might be. Still it's better than being on high-dose and I am 2 weeks down with only 46 to go!

Living STRONG but a little sleepy.

CRAZY??? NOT!

It's been a heck of a week and it is only Wednesday. I have been feeling quite insane and while I could attribute some of it to the Interferon, there were side effects that were making NO SENSE that I could not handle. There are some things that take me quickly to the edge, WEIGHT GAIN is one of those things.

I gained a few pounds on vacation. I knew that. About 5 to be exact. I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is the additional 4 pounds that I seem to have gained in the last 2 weeks! That is INSANE!! Every other day over the last 2 weeks my scale has registered another pound gained. AHHHHH!!!!!!!!

The kicker is that my activity level is up from vacation and my eating is down. Do the math and I should be settling back to my pre-vacation weight. SO WHY AM I GAINING???????

What has changed? CELEBREX!

While my headaches are gone and my knees ache less, I am gaining weight rapidly. It is likely just water retention OR weight gain, both less common side effects of the drug. The real issue for me is that emotionally, I can't take that side effect in stride. My weight is tied into too many other triggers in my life. Most especially depression.

I can't even begin to tell you what a relief it was to find a factor I could control. No Celebex, no weight gain. I am going to try going back to Aleve for a few days and see if:

1. The weight starts coming off
2. The headaches start again.

Then I will call Dr. Butler and see what he recommends. I need to find a pain management solution that doesn't throw me into manic depression and gaining a significant amount of weight will defiantely do that ...just ask my therapist.

Running is going well! I ran/walked 3 miles on Saturday, 5 miles on Sunday, took Monday off and covered 2.5 miles yesterday. Other than some fatigue and a little knee pain post run (for which ICE seems to be working well) I am happy to be logging 10+ miles a week. So what it some of it is walking, it sure beats doing nothing!

Hope everybody is living STRONG this week!

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wonderful penguin image borrowed from Runner's World Magazine go and check it out!!)

It's like playing the "side effects" lottery ...

But you don't get a big fat check .. unless you are a Dr....

It's not so hard to find humor in chemotherapy. They give you a list of the numerous possible side effects and then it is up to you to figure out, based on your wacky body reactions, which ones you have. Welcome to the "side effects" lottery. Holly's drawings are on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. What will she win this week??? Let's poke her thigh with a needle and see what comes up, shall we?

Yesterday after a week of Insurance DRAMA, I got my new Intron-A pens. They are quite functional and the needle is small. So far I like it. In terms of giving yourself a shot, it's convenient and simple. Not cheap but simple in design and function much like good art deco furniture.

It's also very concentrated. .2 mls delivers 10 MIU - Now that will pack a punch!

Unlike the last 2 shots; I felt the shot right away. Today my brain is muddy and I have come across a new side effect. I have to confess, I don't like this "new" side effect much. My knees are sore. Not achey but SORE. Sore like I ran a 1/2 Marathon in bad running shoes. I guess this is the possible "joint pain" that they list on the little "info pack".

OR my running sneakers are wearing out....Not likely though since I have not yet gotten more than 2 miles of running in this week and the last run was on Wednesday. I have done a lot of walking this week but not nearly enough running.

Still I am not too discouraged yet. I have not yet tested to see if this pain effects my running or exercise and I have a great coach with plenty of good ideas. I also have access to a pool ... can I say " Water jogging" ... Yes I can!

Hope everybody has a WONDERFUL weekend!

A little perspective

It only takes a moment in time to remind you that things are not as bad as they seem. I know, first hand, as many American's do, how desperate, shocking and demoralized you feel in the days following a terrorist attack. I'd choose go through chemo many times over again before I would ever choose to feel the way I did on September 11, 2001 with Jim working at the Pentagon.

My prayers and heart-felt wishes go out to those in London affected by the terrorist attacks.

-----------------------

I also wanted to send a giant WELCOME to Jackson Scott Cosker who arrived into the world on July 1st at 6:46 pm.

He is a big boy at at 9 lbs, 6 ozs and took his sweet time getting here. My poor girlfriend Theresa had to be induced. I guess Jack was enjoying the warm water...hmmm perhaps we have a new "Michael Phelps" in the making.

May your every dream and wish come true in your lifetime Jack!


Mommy, Jack and big sister Addison

STUPID STUPID STUPID

We interupt this blogcast to take a moment to acknowlege how STUPID my health insurance company is ...

WICKED STUPID!!! (as they say up in Northern New England)

For the past 48 hours I have been caught up in the endless loop of "pre-approval" hell to fill my RX for the self-injecting pens of Intron-A which I need 3x a week for the next 47 weeks. I asked my Dr. office BEFORE treatment of high-dose started, to make sure I was pre-approved for Interferon.

I imagine I was or they would not have been able to start the high-dose chemo.

I imagine I was or the insurance company would not have already started sending checks to my Dr. covering my high-dose treatment.

Apprently I am mistaken. Suddenly the insurance company is not aware of my present need for Intron-A.

I have been diagnosed for 5 months!
I have had 2 surgerys, which they covered!
I have had 4 weeks of chemo, which they are covering!

WICKED STUPID!!!! ARG!!!

Tag - IPod Mini style

Oldman tagged me to list my top six favorite songs. I like too many different types of music to narrow it down to six so I figured that I would list the top six most played songs on my IPod Mini.

Holly's Top Six Workout Songs:

Burning down the House - Talking Heads
Dirty - Christina Aguilera
Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas
Get Ur Freak On - Missy Elliot
Right Now - Van Halen
Smooth - Santana (with Rob Thomas)

I am now going to reverse the tag and ask Oldman and Nancy and Flatman and Linae to share one song they love without shame. You know what I mean .... that one song that everybody else complains about that you love in spite of the mocking you may receive from others.

Mine is: Doing da BUTT - EU (Experience Unlimited)

Sounds crazy but I am not the only one who likes it! It has been rated as one of the top 200 most requested songs by Wedding DJs. I knew in my heart I wasn't the only one who loved this song!

Bunnies, Politicians and Fevers, Oh my...

Round up of the last 3 days ....

Friday afternoon was the first low-dose Interferon shot. 10 MIU (million units) and I was able to give myself the shot! Didn't feel much just a pinch and a sting and I was done! I need to get savvy on my Tylenol dosage on shot days though. I confess that I got caught up in the TV Land showing of the movie "Sybil" with Sally Fields and missed my second dose by an hour. The results were a 103 fever and some chills. I've already set my Timex Ironman watch's 3 alarms to remind me to take my Tylenol on time on Tuesday.

Saturday: Went for a run/walk of 3 miles using Coach Debi'splanned intervals of 1/1. I was able to keep up the intervals the entire time and average 13:30 minute/miles. On my run on the trails through North Arlington I saw 2 Bunny rabbits and immediately thought of Oldman who has tagged me to list my favorite songs. I am still composing my list ....

I also could have sworn that I saw Donald Rumsfeld on a bike on the trail. I thought through the logic as I tried to pay attention for the beeps that indicated that is was time to walk and/or run again. This man had nobody following him and I had a hard time imagining that the current Secretary of Defense could get away for a bike ride without at least one secret service agent at his side. Still the likeness was a little creepy. On the turnaround, the cyclist came back by me and I got another look and it was not Mr. Rumsfeld but I bet that guy gets a lot of "You know you look familiar" comments.

Sunday: LONG RUN!!! At least longer than anything I have done in over 8 weeks. I did 62 minutes on the Mt. Vernon Trail along the Potomac in Alexandria and covered just under 5 miles, probably around 4.75. I was consistently run/waling (1/1) 13:15 minute/miles and I had a negative split of over 6 seconds on the last mile with a 13:09! WOOOHOOO!!! Looks like the plan that Coach Debi has set up for me is working well! Onto 2/1 intervals this week and getting back in the pool and on the bike a little as well !

Living STRONG and looking in my IPOD Mini to see what my top 25 songs have been lately....

Time Trial ...

or as they say in France: Contre La Montre (Race of Truth).

Today was a chance to get in an early morning (5:45AM) run and see just where I am at. The trail near my home has mile markers and "rolls" down hill with a large hill to descend at the start and a small hill in the middle on the way out and as you would imagine, roll uphill on the way back. So I knew my first mile would be fast and my second mile would be pathetic.

I figured that if I averaged those 2 splits, I might get a moderate "pace" indicator to start with.

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Holly's 40 Minute Workout (2.5 miles) - 3/1 Run/Walk Intervals
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Walked 5 minutes
Mile 1 – 12:22 (good effort – kind of TT to see what I had)
Mile 2 – 15.08 (I had to walk a little more between run intervals ...)
Cool down – 6 minute walk
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My guess is that if I can settle into a grhythmthum, right now I could probably run/walk 13:30 miles. That's not a bad goal for the Army 10 Miler and the Marine Corps. Of course I have to start running more than 2 miles .... but that's just a minor detail really .... HE HE HE



LE TOUR DE FRANCE - BABY!

You can follow it on OLN or you can follow it online at The Paceline Lance Armstrong's Official Fan Website.

It's going to be a great Tour no matter the outcome ... and although I won't actually be there in person to watch is this year, you can bet I will be GLUED to the TIVO for 2 hours every day!

GO LANCE!!!!!

Flattery for Flatman

Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.
Charles Caleb Colton, Lacon, volume I, no. 183
(1780 - 1832)
- - - -

Flatman digs Lance and I dig Lance!

Flatman is a cool triathlete in a HOT state, hotter than Mississippi!

Hopefully Flatman will forgive my laziness since I copied his source code to add the Triathlon Alliance Blog list he slaved over. Thank you Flatman!

Now go read his blog! And the rest of them too!

- - - -

Nancy had a great question to ponder today regarding embarrassing triathlon moments. For what it is worth, I would much rather finish DEAD F____ LAST in any race before I would want to loose a peice of race clothing.

Choices ...

Every moment we are faced with multiple choices and it never ceases to amaze me when somebody chooses to be miserable or look at the dark side of things. I mean the expression might seem cliche but "ATTITUDE really is everything" and a change in attitude can change the entire course of your life.

I have met many people who seem to think that "suffering" is the only choice they have. They have gone through their entire adult lives being a victim and wonder why they "can't get a break". They are the first to complain and they are the first to tell you how much worse their lives are than yours. Sometimes I wonder what might happen if I simply said, "Wow, I'm sorry you have gotten so many tough breaks but what are you doing now?"

I believe we are all entitled feel whatever we want to feel. I believe on some levels you must "suffer" to grasp the reality of your current situation. Whatever the circumstance: illness, cancer, work, a marathon, insert your personal situation here __________.

I also believe the true test of a person's ability to survive and thrive comes when you accept and acknowledge that you are suffering and then you make the CHOICE to do something about it. That my friends is ATTITUDE ....

and frankly "ATTITUDE is everything!"
____________________________________________________________

WHAT'S HOT RIGHT NOW HOLLY?: Looks like surgery #3 of the year is going to be Jim's to tackle. I'm just a cheerleader this time!! GO JIM GO!! Seems that his aching back pain is a bulging disc in his lower lumbar region and he has an inguinal hernia that will need surgery in the next few weeks. Oh the joys of "general anesthesia" !!

Funniest thing though, his DR. recommended my surgeon Dr. Wagner !! We got a good laugh out of that and considered it some good karma! Dr. Wagner ROCKS!

So at this point, I can say that Jim has pulled ahead of me in the "2005 Holly-Jim MEDI-athalon" we have going. Interferon shots ain't got nothing on back pain and hernias. Heck, I just feel like I have a bad cold.

At this point we have decided that we are going to try to get all our major medical issues done this year. We figure it means that 2007 will be our year of the "Uber-athletes" and the unltimate in Personal Records and a great racing season.

Some days it is best just to smile and make light of it....Your happier that way.

Living STRONG in VA where Attitude is everything

A run ::or something like it::

Obligatory Training Note:

I went out to run, to see just where I stand in terms of the next 18 weeks. As I was suspecting, I have some work to do!

The goal was 20-30 minutes of 3/1 intervals with the flexibility of walking when I needed too - acknowledging that I have not run in 8 weeks.

The workout: 39 minutes total - about 10 minutes of actual running

4 minute warm up walk
3 reps of 3/1 run/walk intervals
4 minute walk
1 reps of 1.5/2.5 run/walk intervals (I tried to resume ... but the body said "done")
15 minutes of walking (uphill) and recovery

Estimated mileage - 2 miles but not really sure...

Tomorrow I will head to the trail where there are mile markers and time a mile run using the 3/1 intervals to get an idea of what kind of pace I am working with. Then Coach Debi can help me establish a training plan. I'm less concerned with speed than I am with rebuilding my endurance and managing a mile pace that will bring me to the 14th Street Bridge before the SAG bus on October 31st.

I may not be fast but I am determined.
Sounds like "Living STRONG" to me!

20 Miles - A good starting point

Yesterday I got back on the bike! Jim and I did our moderately hilly Fort Hunt route at a slow pace for a total of 20 miles. Since Jim pulled his back on vacation lifting a computer monitor and my bike riding as been less than 7 miles in the last month, we thought that we did just fine.

Personally, I am thrilled with the fact that I was able to ride 20 miles yesterday and don't have much muscle soreness today. I did take a heck of a nap yesterday afternoon, as did Jim. We are nappers at heart, truth be told, so there is not much surprise that we napped after what other endurance junkies would consider a short ride. Still any ride is better than not riding at all!

Today's plan is to hit the road for a short run of 20-30 minutes with run/walk intervals of 3/1. This gives me a chance to see just how much fitness I have for running and start fresh on my Army 10 miler/Marine Corps Marathon races in 18 weeks. I'd also like to get in the pool some time this week and see how my swimming stroke goes. My left arm needs some help getting strength back and I think the swimming will do that very well. Besides, I actually miss the pool!

My other stop today will be to my general doc, Dr. Bui, to determine the cause of all these sinus headaches and earaches of the last 2 weeks. I suspect that I may have my first "sinus infection" and a round of antibiotics may be in order.

In other news, I am going to attempt to return to work this week, on Thursday to be specfic. The plan is to start back at a 5 hour work day for the first week or two while I adjust to the low-dose shots and how I feel the morning after. I am looking forward to going back to work. A life of leisure doesn't suit me unless I can use the free time to enjoy my endurance hobbies to their fulllest, so rather than short walks and lots of reading, I would much rather be in the office doing graphic design work and making money to register for races and buy new triathlon gear.

6 days til Le Tour!! Le Tour Baby!

Mississippi Vacation 2005 - Some Images

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Mississippi & Memphis. Enjoy!

Our lovely hosts on the family farm, Gloria & Jimmie


Kudzoo in Sardis, MS (and a old ford truck)


Jim at Ole Miss in front of a building with his surname.


The trolley of Memphis!


Dinner on Beale Street!

Shiny Happy People are we!


The famous Peabody ducks
(well the lead male duck...)


Obligitory "Graceland" gates picture.

We didn't have any interest in going inside

but we knew we couldn't leave Memphis

and not have at least driven by Graceland.


DON'T TELL THE PEABODY

but we kidnapped a duck!


The tree of shame at Deal's Gap in North Carolina.

A fat girl's nightmare - Everything tastes good!

At one point in my life I weighed 300 pounds. I worked hard to lose that weight. I didn't go for surgery or a radical change. I just cut the calories and increased my activity levels and slowly over about 2 years, the weight came off. I am still 30 pounds from what I consider my "goal" weight of 155 but I finally learned about a year ago that I had to let that goal go and live my life. I was too wrapped up on that magic number and losing focus on being healthy and happy.

So my life has moved forward. My goals over the last 5 years have shifted from looking good in a bikini to walking 10 miles to riding my bike 100 miles to running a Marathon and then doing a 1/2 Ironman Triathlon. The ultimate goal is still a full IRONMAN distance triathlon (2.5 mile SWIM/112 mile BIKE/26.2 mile RUN). I will be an IRONMAN ... but i digress from the topic at hand ...

Food. I may have lost 120+ pounds but I still love food. I still indulge in the occassional ice cream and chocolate and I still crave my mom's roasted chicken with all the fixings. Heck, being a triathlete has worked in my favor as a former fat girl. HOW? Well a PB&J sandwhich and a bannana is a great breakfast choice before a long ride or run. And after a 60+ mile bike or a 14+ mile training run, you can have an extra roll with dinner and not be too concerned about excess calories. Don't get me wrong, I eat healthy most of the time now and I think about my choices but as any other fellow endurance junkies will tell you, Extra Food is a nice fringe benefit for the hours of cardio. The firm legs are nice too!

So with any kind of chemo, one of the first sets of healthy cells to go are your tastebuds and stomach cell's. They are some of the most rapidly dividing cells in your body (besides your hair and skin). So if you are lucky enough you might not have the mouth sores that some chemos cause but you will probably experience some change in taste.

My experience on Interferon is that everything tastes wrong. Especially anything that is slightly salty or very sweet. Over the month of high dose, I had lost my taste of everything that I enjoyed. Chocolate - blah, peanutbutter - double blah - any kind of cheese or meat - forget it! Bland is the way to go. I still have my dairy and have found comfort in fresh fruit, plain chicken and yougurt and bagels and juice. Until 1 week ago that is ....

After a week off of Interferon, my taste returned to normal and all bets have been off. In part because I know in a week, everything will taste bad again for the next 11 months. I have not been eating in massive amounts but I sure have induldge in treats that I usually save for long milage days. The biggest problem? I haven't been doing the long miles! The calories have no where to go. Hmm..let me take that back, lately they seem to be going straight to my waist.

I feel a little out of control and I hate that feeling. I guess that means it is time to sit down and plan a little workout/nutrition plan for the first few weeks of Interferon shots. No time like the present to start.

Vacation pictures coming tomorrow!

Living STRONG but hitting the Hershey's a little hard .....

On the road again ..

We are back in Knoxville, TN - planning to arrive home tonight. I guess I am ready to be home again. Tennesee has been the sight of some fierce sinus headaches. Prior to the interferon therapy, headaches were very rare for me and now it seems I am sensitive to even the slightest atmospheric changes.

Hmph ... CONFESSION: I am not enjoying the achey ears, eyeball sockets and nasal sinuses. I don't remember reading any of that as "side effects" but since everybody's reactions are individual... I guess this is mine.

For the most part, I am ready to be home and to start to establish a more normal routine again. I realized this morning that I have 12 & 16 weeks to the Army 10 Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon. It is time to get back to the office, hit the pool running (literally) and to start hitting the trail to see what pace my body will accept, probably some "Galloway" type of run/walk mix - which is fine because many folks have successfully crossed the finish line that way!

Jim and I are going to stop and "tame the dragon" on our way home. We are going to drive the infamous "Deal's Gap" - a road with 318 turns in 11 miles. Since it is our first trip with the BMW on the "Dragon's tail" we are not going to go fast (Thank Gosh!) but slowly enjoy the route. At least Jim will, I will probably have my eyes closed about 50% of the time!

Living STRONG and heading home!

Memphis, Fried Pickles and Kudzoo

Well Jim and I are in Memphis, TN - former home of Elvis, if you are an Elvis fan. We are not but we are looking forward to a few days of sight seeing anyways. I am looking forward to seeing the "Peabody Hotel" ducks!! More on that after I see them.

Our last few days in Mississippi were wonderful. We had a traditional fried catfish meal and I got my "fried" dill pickles and ranch dressing - YUM! We also got home cooked meals all week from Jim's Mom and I think in spite of walking 2 miles every morning, we found a few pounds. No worries, it's vacation weight, we will loose it!! On vacations, Dessert has no calories!!

Yesterday we drove from Jackson, MS to Batesville, MS and Sardis Dam. I picked up my $45.00 Dragonfly triathlon t-shirt and got some great free stuff. A waterbottle, a free copy of "Triathlete" magazine, a tube of IRONMAN muscle creme (aka Ben-Gay) and a tub of foot cream. I guess they are big on the feet in Sardis, MS.

Jim and I went to the race this morning and while I was depressed for about 10 minutes not to be racing on what was a relatively mild morning by the time the race started; once I started cheering for the racer's coming out of the water, I was as happy as could be. I love cheering people on and most people will smile and thank you. Of course there are those triathletes who will look at you like you are an ass, I call them the "angry racers". You know the ones, who look at you as if to say "Shut up, I am DOING this, why don't you come out here and do it." To those people I want to yell, "I would if I could, DAMNIT! But I can't!!" but they wouldn't care, they are focused on their race and racing angry motivates them. That is fine, I say whatever gets you across the finish line. Just don't quit unless your in pain, broke your equipment or are in danger of dying.

I stayed down there and cheered people on until the last swimmer came out of the water. She was an "Athena", I could tell by the "A" on her calf and the body type. That is the race class that I planned to compete in and try to win this year. I cheered loudly for her and told her she looked great! She thanked me and smiled and continued onto her bike. That was not such a bad way to spend my morning after all. I will race again and we plan to come back to Sardis and do this next year if the schedule allows. So this year was a "scouting trip."

We then drove up to Oxford and visited the University of Mississippi, also known as "Ole Miss", Jim's alma-mater. "HOTTY TODDY - FLIM FLAM - BIM BAM - OLE MISS, BY DAMN." It was a beautiful campus and we came across a biology building with Jim's surname on it. Considering that both Jim, his father and his grandfather went to Ole Miss, we were curious. We think his Dad may be holding out on us with the story's... Hehehe.

All along the way to Memphis, we saw LOADS of Kudzoo. It is this plant that covers EVERYTHING it can get to and makes the trees and ground look like a "freakish" version of Disney topiarys. I swear that some of the Kudzoo trees that I saw looked like giraffes and one looked like a two-headed dog. Hmmm... perhaps too much time in hot car?

Living STRONG in Memphis .... near Elvis (who has left the building)

HOT HOT HOT

It is HOT in Mississippi.

Jim and I had an uneventful drive south over the weekend and we have been enjoying his Mother's wonderful home cooked meals, his Dad's great stories and the beauty of the family farm. Other than watching out for fire ant beds, our walks through the fields to check out the frogs, turtles and dragonflies have been fun.

Still I have to say: It is HOT down here! A good "sweat out the Interferon" kind of HOT. The first 4 days have been okay. I feel better today than I have so far the entire trip. My sinuses are a little more sensative than I am accustomed but last night I actually had to put some salt and pepper on my food, which means my tastebuds are coming back to normal! YEAH!

Rest and Relaxation is just what the Dr. ordered and I am doing my best to follow that Rx. I even managed to finish a book! That is the first time in 4 weeks!

Did I mention it was HOT down south? I am such a whiny YANKEE! Hehehe

Just a quick note - I'm Done!

I am done with High-Dose Interferon Chemotherapy!!!!!!

Yesterday was rather anti-climatic and that is just fine with me. The symptoms of the last 4 days never got any worse and last night I slept very well. Something strangely relaxing about knowing that you won't have another 3-hour infusion on Monday morning.

There is more I want to say but for the moment it will have to wait since Jim is packing the BMW as I type. We are off to Jackson, Mississippi for some much needed Rest & Relaxation! I'll be checking in throught the trip, with pictures too!

Go out and enjoy your weekend!! I know that I will!

Living STRONG and ready to RELAX!

Not soon enough ...

TILT!!

The last treatment of this high-dose cycle can't come soon enough. Last night the collective unit that makes up ME, physically, reached her limits. I've been in a fog for about 48 hours now, I'm clumsy, my limbs feel week, my digestive system doesn't know what to do and sleep is fitful. I don't even have the words for it all but it feels awful, kids.

Yesterday I knew my white blood cell count would be low. Now that I know what it "feels" like, I was expecting it. Still my body knows how to throw me for a loop by coming to a completely new low. Two days until my treatment is over and my blood counts fell all that way across the board for the first time. ALL OF THEM....

Man was I pissed! Not sad, but angry. Two days, damnit!! Just two treatments, we can do this! Please don't send me HOME!

The compromise Dr. Butler and I came to: 10 MIU for Thursday and Friday. That was a compromise that I was willing to take. Give me something, anything to finish up this cycle ....

Today, right now, I don't know how I am going to handle 10 MIU units more. Tonight is going to suck but at least at 5PM today, the "high-dose" cycle will be over.

----
By the numbers: Holly's Blood Counts (Week 4, Intron-A)

NORMAL RANGE / Holly on MONDAY / Holly on THURDAY

Red Blood Cells
4.0 - 6.20 / 4.25 / 3.68

Hemoglobin
11.0 - 18.0 / 12.5 / 10.8

White Blood Cells
4.0 - 11.0 / 4.3 / 2.1

Nuetrophils
1.2 - 6.8 / 1.92 / 0.55
-----
I CAN DO ANYTHING FOR ONE MORE DAY!

3 down, only 2 to go ...

This week has gone well so far, I have had 3 days of 40 MIU and with only 2 treatments left on the high-dose regiment, I am hoping my white blood cells stay high enough to make the last 2 days "maximum" days. It has been my experience that all feels well until late in the evening of day 3 of high dose cycle and then the real "funkyness" begins to settle in. Now I am obliged to simply wait and see what happens.

Go White Blood Cells Go!
---
On Monday, my friend Keri came with me for the first 1/2 of my Chemo treatment. It was wonderful to see her and we caught up on many things. Most of all, I got to hear all about her 1st Triathlon, which she completed just a little under a month ago. I am very happy to report that she has definately been bit by the "Triathlon" bug! She is already looking for her next race!

Go Kerry Go!

In other Triathlon news, my friend Nancy is getting ready to do her first 1/2 Ironman Distance race this weekend at EagleMan. Send her all the GOOD VIBES that you can!

Go Nancy Go!!!

---
Work Outs this week (thus far):

MON: Day Off - TUES: 2 miles walking - WED: 2 miles walking
---

I got two beautiful bouquets of flowers today. One from a friend from work (THANKS Don!) and one from my Mom & Dad. I feel very blessed to have so many people who love me and care about me.

Living STRONG and bringing in the final days of "high-dose" treatment, one day at a time.

Forever moving forward...

I'm a goal oriented kind of girl, it's what moves me forward. This big goal for this year is, of course, 1.) Eliminate Melanoma but I need my endurance fixes ... I'm a junky when it comes to endorphins, A JUNKY, I tell ya!

So this should come as little surprise:

************************* REGISTRATION FOR ***************************

Army Ten-Miler

************************ PAYMENT INFORMATION *************************
Payment Date: 2005-06-06 07:28:02.15
Payment Total: $37.25
Confirmation Number: 10XXX38-06XXXXXXX54

HE HE HE HE HE - Ooops ... Coach Debi, I singed up for a little training run before the Marine Corps Marathon....

Come on along, all the cool kids are doing it... My sister Heather and I are!!
--
The weekend was a little rough. I was sick to my stomach alot but I was able to walk 2 miles on Saturday and 1 mile on Sunday. Jim and I went and saw the movie "Madagascar" .. I recommend it!

High-Dose Interferon 101 - More to the story

So on Friday I went into treatment with LOW EXPECTATIONS. I was feeling pretty funky in general and Tess, my oncology nurse, had prepped me for the possibility that I might not get treatment at all that day.

Jim, concerned with my well being and the amount of time it seem to be taking me to simply get to the "1/2 way point" in treatments, surprised me by taking the afternoon off and coming with me for treatment. He wanted to be with me when I saw Dr. Butler, to hold my hand, be my muscle and make sure we got some answers.

Dr. Butler came to see me as soon as I sat into my "recliner de jour", shook both our hands and asked me if I had "had enough yet?" I told him I was doing the best I could but I needed to know "How far away from being done am I, REALLY?"

You could have knocked Jim and I over with a feather when we got Dr. Butler's reply:

ONE WEEK!!

You see, it seems that both Jim and I misunderstood the way this whole "high-dose treatment" part works. Well actually, I don't think Dr. Butler explained it as well as he could have and Jim and I were stuck on the number 20. So here is how it works, in a nutshell:

For a 4 weeks period, Dr. Butler planned to "treat" me with as much Interferon as my body is able to handle per treatment based on my blood work and metabolic functions. The MAX dose on any day being 40 MIU (million units). When my liver reacted, he backed off (as he should) and then hit me with two days of low dose to make sure that my liver counts would come back to normal. Then he hit me hard again this week with 40 MIU for 3 days until my white blood cells dropped indicating that my body was at max capacity again. So he ordered 20 MIU for Friday.

Now on Monday, as long as my white blood cells are back to normal ranges, I will go back to 40 MIU for as long as my body can hang but NO MATTER WHAT, I will be DONE with High-Dose treatment on FRIDAY, JUNE 10th !!!!

You couldn't peel the smile off my face or Jim's for that matter. I told Dr. Butler that he should go for the big guns this week and I'll try to hang in there for the full 5 days at 40 MIU. KILL THAT MELANOMA!!!

I can do anything for 5 more days.

Then I get to go to Mississippi for a week with my hot cyclist boyfriend (Jim, of course) for some R&R before I start the next 48 weeks of low-dose treatment.

I can do ANYTHING for 5 more days .... especially if it means that I get a break!!

Oh and my liver, she is doing very well thank you! This week in spite of 3 days of high-dose, I dropped another 20 points back into the "normal" range. It seems that it was a case of temporary distress and now that the Interferon levels are not going away, my liver has adjusted to the extra work load. That's a good liver!!!

:) I'm going outside for a walk .... Got to work off some of this weeks Interferon and get ready for the final week!!!

I'm living STRONG and looking forward to a recovery break in ONE WEEK!

Bike Picnic Pictures

A little pale but still happy to be able to ride my bike. (That's Sunshine ~ She rocks!) It sure beats "NOT" being able to ride my bike...



Even after 7.47 miles, Jim can slice the perfect piece of bread. Viola!

An update on this week - 7.47 miles of reality

Well, I'm still here and I am 11 treatments away from being done with the "high dose" segment of this adventure. That is 3 treatments closer than I was on Monday, so I will take it. Here's a brief summary of my week.
--
MON - Bike Picnic with Jim! I was able to ride my bike approximately 7.47 miles and that was as far as I was going! 37 minutes on the Mt. Vernon Trail. To my credit, we started the ride with the last 3 miles "up" to Mt. Vernon. To my dismay at the turn around at Mt. Vernon (after a short incline of less than 200m) I was hanging over my handle bars gasping like I was when I climbed parts of the 8% gradient of Col de la Madeline in the French Alps last year. I have no grand "illusions" that I am going to sneak the "Dragonfly Sprint Triathlon" into my schedule in 3 weeks. [For the record, I did briefly entertain that fantasy last week, that is what a week of low dose Interferon will do to you!!]

TUES - Walked 2 miles (15.:30 minute miles!), Worked from home for a few hours (Graphic Designer, have G4 Mac laptop - can work anywhere), 40 MIU Interferon - Treatment 7 Complete!

WED - Still feeling good. Walked 2 miles, Worked from home, 40 MIU Interferon - Treatment 8 Complete! Slight headache around bedtime.

THURS - Feel good, look AWFUL! Woke to dry mouth and the "metal taste" is back, Swollen face, pale. Walked 1.5 miles (16:30 pace), Worked from home, 40 MIU Interferon - White Blood Cell count dropping Blood sent out to check liver and prepped by Tess (oncology nurse extroidinaire) that I "might get a 3 day weekend" - Treatment 9 completed!

FRI - Current Status - BLAH! All the "side effects" I blamed on Morphine two weeks ago, I have now come to realize, are specifically "Interferon related". Last night I had a "headache" that reduced me to a lump on my favorite chair. I followed that up with a nice case of "insomnia" that lasted well into 2AM before I began "cat-napping" every hour or so. I woke up this morning on the edge of nausea and I am up 5 pounds in weight from Wednesday morning. I think it is safe to say that I really didn't eat THAT MUCH Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream in 48 hours.

I don't have high hopes for getting to Treatment 10 today. I don't "FEEL" right and I understand now that something is definitely going on with my body today. Well see what the bloodwork says at 1:30pm.
--
So I have come to accept that 20 Treatments may take 6 weeks instead of 4 weeks. My body is handling as much as it can before it cry's "UNCLE" and I apologized to my liver this morning for missing the signals last time. But now we are in synch so I can be a better advocate.

We got some great pics from Monday's bike picnic but I have no idea how to work the camera-download "thingamajiggee" so I will post them tomorrow with an update on the final status of "Treatment 10".

I hope everybody is doing well and had a wonderful week!

I'm living STRONG and "babying" my liver here in Arlington, VA.