It’s been four weeks since I wrapped my EBRT sessions—and my flu and Covid vaccine boosters were two Fridays ago. The flu shot was the thing that made me pause—because I’m no longer on active treatment. Yesterday, I saw my radiation oncologist for my first follow-up visit and I won’t see them again for six months. A whole new chapter is beginning to unfold—survivorship.
Read moreCategory: Treatment
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Week 2: Radiotherapy and running
I don’t know why I’ve always been more anxious about radiotherapy than chemotherapy. Maybe it’s my embedded perceptions of radiation and the damage it can do. Like anything else, once you experience the process, it becomes less intimidating. Two weeks and 8 treatments in, I’ve gotten comfortable and developed a cadence with my Toronto Waterfront Marathon virtual race.
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New running goals and the end of life without eyebrows
Today is the Montréal Marathon and the weather gods have smiled on the crowd. 13C and sunny are lovely racing conditions, and I hope everyone toeing the line has a great race. Surprisingly, I don’t feel bad about shifting my plans and still being in my pyjamas as I write this. A leisurely Sunday morning with coffee is just fine.
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More scans, and getting on with it.
This post has been sitting in my drafts for weeks. There’s been a lot going on, but not much of it has been running. There has been movement, and I’m on the upswing in terms of energy and endurance.
I’m currently ‘on hiatus’ between chemo — my last infusion was on 13 August — and the beginning of radiotherapy, which should start in late September. Stll, a treatment hiatus doesn’t mean I’m immune from appointments and scans.
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Learning to appreciate the grind
Similar to any good training plan, my chemo treatment plan has weeks that offload the strain on my body, intended to allow for healing and recovery, and to minimize the cumulative toxic effects of the drug regimen. Mostly that has been working well for me. Still, just like when you are two thirds through a build, where I find myself now is understanding the remaining weeks of treatment will be a grind. We all go through it.
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Order of operations
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is about my treatment plan, and why chemo is happening before radiation instead of the other way around. Until it was posed to me, I hadn’t thought to even ask about the order. It turns out, practical, evidence-based reasons apply, though it still surprises me how new some treatment recommendations are. The order of operations really is tailored to individual circumstance.
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Marking time … and racing again.
This week has been one of milestones and moving forward. It’s been six months since I was diagnosed, four months since surgery, and with Tuesday’s infusion behind me, I’m half way through the chemotherapy portion of my treatment plan. When my mind goes to ‘when will all this be done?’ it’s a useful frame to remember everything that has happened already. In training terms, I’ve been putting in the work. And with that work, comes a reward … of sorts 😉
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T words: Triggers and trauma
As much as my experience with chemotherapy is better than I imagined it might be, this journey comes with its ups and downs that can be exhausting in their own right. It’s surprising what can upset your equilibrium.
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Fueling for the long run
I asked my medical oncologist today if this first cycle of chemotherapy could be looked at as a baseline — would it be repeatable over the next five rounds or should I expect something different each time? I was delighted when she said this should be the pattern and my experience should be similar each cycle. With the exception of two days of bone pain, and some general tiredness, I haven’t been bothered by a lot of the usual side effects.
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Finding a (new) baseline
When I signed up for my first half-marathon years ago, the idea of creating a training plan seemed daunting. But slowly, the plan did come together, helped by advice from my BFF, and other runners who had half-marathons and longer distances under their belt.
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Running from hysteria 