Cancer treatment and weight issues....

Most people, including me before I went through it myself, assumed that chemotherapy meant that I would feel sick all the time and get really skinny from feeling nauseous & generally not feeling like eating.

While I'm no expert on other kinds of chemo treatments, the oncologist - and people who have already gone through it - all said that everyone on chemotherapy for breast cancer gains weight.

My theory is thus: they provide excellent anti-nausea medication so you don't feel sick and don't feel like 'not eating'. In fact, the Dexamethasone in some of the anti-nausea meds actually has an appetite stimulant in it. So, instead of feeling like 'not eating', exactly the opposite happens.... you feel hungry a lot.

In addition, the chemotherapy does make you feel fatigued - whether you like to admit it or not. So you eat at least the same, and usually more because of the appetite stimulation, and then you do less activity because you are fatigued. Hence the weight gain.....

Last spring / summer, I had finally gotten my act together and had been successful at losing some weight. At one point I was down 18 pounds.... HMMMMMM I JUST thought of this now--- I wonder if I hadn't lost that weight, if I wouldn't have felt the lump as quickly..... (another good reason for losing some pounds!!) Anyway, I was hoping to keep the good trend going....

Unfortunately, after surgery, you naturally can't do much physical activity, and so I gained about 6 pounds after surgery. Of course, the trips to Dairy Queen with Jennifer didn't help much either - but I did thoroughly enjoy them.... I guess I could have walked on my treadmill - but hey - as someone who struggles with losing & keeping weight off, surgery seemed like a way better excuse than the previous lifetime of lame ones and so cashed in on it.

Then, many of the cancer books have instructions on how to pack extra calories into your diet. My feeling is that these books are a little out of date because I really think the anti-nausea meds are changing the side-effects of chemo. I'm sure people still suffer - everyone is different. But it wasn't good for me to be reading how I might need extra calories to get me through chemo.... As it turns out, I didn't.... but I got them anyway!! LOL

During chemo (which included Christmas, remember), I gained another 12 pounds. So yes - the entire 18 pounds I had lost, I have now gained back. BUT, chemo is finished now, and I have this break before radiation starts which I am using to 'work on me'.

I'm in Desert Hot Springs now at a resort that has 2 swimming pools, tennis courts, fitness room - even a TOPS group meets here weekly. The weather is hot, so it's summer-style eating. Salads and light meals - plus there are scheduled fitness activities that are geared to the 55+ crowd so are perfect for a lazy-ass like me just easing my way back into the world of exercise. I am making an effort to eat less, and eat SLOWLY. Any of you who know me well at all, KNOW that I could win a speed eating contest without much effort...

I have already lost a bit of weight in the 2 full days I've been here....however, the 3 day drive did not do much for my goal. I probably only just lost what I gained on the drive out.

I even tried some of the exercises my personal trainer gave me for the exercise ball. I learned a valuable lesson - it is WAY easier to do those exercises with someone spotting you.... and I fell off the ball and hurt my butt and my wrist. And so felt it was prudent to give up on that type of exercise since I am trying to avoid requiring any kind of medical treatment down here.... (as I'm sure EVERYONE does at all times...ha ha - it's not like I would be unique in that...)

But I was alone in the fitness room and so besides not wanting to get hurt in any circumstance, not having someone around to dial 911 was another good reason to give up on those exercises.

But I got 42 minutes in on the treadmill - and I actually used the safety rope so it would stop running if I fell off from exhaustion... (ha ha - like I'd have it on a pace to exhaust me....)

So that's the 'skinny' on breast cancer treatment and weight issues.... ahh ah ha hah hah ah ahha hh hahah aha ha ha