Kicking my own ass

My bike and Brett's bikeUggh. I've come to the realization that it is time for me to return to a some-what normal exercise routine.While I have lost about 12 lbs. since all this brain cancer business began, I have also lost almost all of my muscle. And since muscle weighs more than fat I figure most of my weight loss is muscle. Boo.Most of the activity I've had in the past year is walking and the occasional bike ride. Normally I play tennis but it has been forbidden by my orthopedic doc due to multiple dislocations of my right shoulder since January. Seriously--it doesn't take much for me to throw out my shoulder. Fortunately I am flexible enough to pop the shoulder back (it saves me an ER trip), but the shoulder requires a surgery that I am not allowed to have during chemo.Knowing all this, I need to devise an exercise plan that does not involve my weak shoulder. This plan also needs to be altered during the tail end of chemo week when I'm at my worst.To get started I signed up for a 7-week yoga class. The class starts tomorrow and hopefully it will help work out the tightness that has built up over the past year in my body. I will alter certain poses when it comes to my shoulder.Brett and I will continue our long, late night walks, but will slowly add in a jogging component. Before my cancer Brett would run 5 days a week, so he is ready to "get back to normal" too.I did tell myself I would learn to play tennis left handed, but I haven't followed through with that promise. It is time to kick my own ass about that.

Liz Salmi

Liz Salmi is Communications & Patient Initiatives Director for OpenNotes at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Over the last 15 years Liz has been: a research subject; an advisor in patient stakeholder groups; a leader in “patient engagement” research initiatives; and an innovator, educator and investigator in national educational and research projects. Today her work focuses on involving patients and care partners in the co-design of research and research dissemination. It is rumored Liz was the drummer in a punk rock band.

https://thelizarmy.com
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Tumor status: stable