Post-Cancer Comeback

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

I received my CT results, clean. So I get my chemo port removed, and progress to annual scans.

Clean!! Great ?

Thanks for the ankle mobility suggestion. I'll test it today.

Both ankles equally mobile. Tested at 4 1/2 inches each.

Right Achilles was a bit stiff on today's 800m jog, and legs felt trashed also. But that's pretty consistent with how it's been lately, the day after lunges and calf raises (which I did yesterday). Legs and right Achilles loosened up after the jog; I did the 8 x 100m carioca drills with no problems.

Walking around today, that Achilles feels great. Legs tending to tighten up (esp the right hamstring, which seems to cause some tension in the right Achilles), but doing a few stretches throughout the day seems to keep it in check.

Training log for this past week (4 mi total).

This is the best week I have had since cancer. I'm getting stronger, these rehabilitation workouts are getting easier, my Achilles is resolving & getting better every day, and I was able to complete the entire week as planned without breaking down, getting sore, or needing a day off!

If this continues for another week, I'll step up my training.

Mon - 2 mi around grass athletic fields, approximating walk 100 / jog 100m (30 sec) with rolling heel strike. (1 mi running)

Tue - Lunges (forward, side, angle), core, calf raises, arms.

Wed - Track. 800m @ 8-min pace, 8 x 100m carioca drills. Drills were fairly speedy.

Thu - Lunges (forward, side, angle), core, calf raises, arms.

Fri - Track. 800m @ 4:09 (legs felt tired & sluggish), 8 x 100m carioca drills. Drills were a little slower than Wed, legs a little tired, but felt better after.

Sat - Lunges (forward, side, angle), core, calf raises, arms.

Sun - 2 mi around grass athletic fields, approximating walk 100 / jog 100m (30 sec) with rolling heel strike. (1 mi running). Session was smooth & easy, felt like I could have done twice as much or more.

This thread is amazing and it's really nice to keep up with your progress, motivation and attitude. Your cancer journey is also baffling and a mind blowing read.

you are awsome!!! wrote:

This thread is amazing and it's really nice to keep up with your progress, motivation and attitude. Your cancer journey is also baffling and a mind blowing read.

Wow, thanks. I don't always feel awesome... sometimes the neverending phantom screaming in my ears and phantom burning/stinging/stabbing in my feet really gets to me, and when I have that overwhelming exhaustion it can get me down. But right now I have a lot of energy, last week went really well, today's session felt good, and I think I'll be able to increase my training next week. I'm pretty pumped about it :)

You sir are an inspiration. Keep up the great work. Its threads like this that motivate me to continue.

I didn't have cancer but I did have reconstructive spinal cord surgery on my C5-C7 vertebrae. I was unable to walk more than a few steps at a time in the 2 years prior to the surgery and learning to walk post surgery has been painful but rewarding. I gained a lot of weight over those few years hitting a peak of 210lbs at only 5'8".

I started with some slow jogging this past May and just last week also went sub 8 with a time of 7:57. My new 5K PB is 27:55 and I'm hoping by October to get it under 25 minutes. The best part, I weighed in at 185lbs last night and finally am not ashamed to look in the mirror.

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

I would examine my foot/ankle flexibility. I will post an appropriate test and stretch if I can find it.

Igy - thanks again for that input. My track session went ok today, and my right Achilles has been improving daily for the past week or so, but I did notice that it feels tight and I would swear it has less mobility. I was surprised to verify otherwise using your suggested test.

I will continue strengthening & stretching. Hopefully it is on the way to getting resolved.

Chunky Guy wrote:

You sir are an inspiration. Keep up the great work. Its threads like this that motivate me to continue.

I didn't have cancer but I did have reconstructive spinal cord surgery on my C5-C7 vertebrae. I was unable to walk more than a few steps at a time in the 2 years prior to the surgery and learning to walk post surgery has been painful but rewarding. I gained a lot of weight over those few years hitting a peak of 210lbs at only 5'8".

I started with some slow jogging this past May and just last week also went sub 8 with a time of 7:57. My new 5K PB is 27:55 and I'm hoping by October to get it under 25 minutes. The best part, I weighed in at 185lbs last night and finally am not ashamed to look in the mirror.

Reconstructive surgery, re-learning to walk, losing 25 lbs, and running 7:57 / 27:55? Now, that is inspiring.

Best of luck breaking 25:00!

Sub-8 Mile wrote:

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

I would examine my foot/ankle flexibility. I will post an appropriate test and stretch if I can find it.

Igy - thanks again for that input. My track session went ok today, and my right Achilles has been improving daily for the past week or so, but I did notice that it feels tight and I would swear it has less mobility. I was surprised to verify otherwise using your suggested test.

I will continue strengthening & stretching. Hopefully it is on the way to getting resolved.

Also, when you are running, be conscious of your form. That would include full foot plant. Try to avoid lazy, inactive, foot plant.

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

Sub-8 Mile wrote:

Igy - thanks again for that input. My track session went ok today, and my right Achilles has been improving daily for the past week or so, but I did notice that it feels tight and I would swear it has less mobility. I was surprised to verify otherwise using your suggested test.

I will continue strengthening & stretching. Hopefully it is on the way to getting resolved.

Also, when you are running, be conscious of your form. That would include full foot plant. Try to avoid lazy, inactive, foot plant.

Yes, this has been on my mind. I was concerned about my left foot/leg compensating for the weaker right. That's why I keep indicating "rolling heel strike" in the recent few weeks - I've been not only avoiding my normal midfoot strike, also been consciously using the heelstrike to fully roll from heel thru the midfoot to the toe with a slow/deliberate pushoff from the toe. My intention is to make sure both feet are fully bearing my weight and that all muscles are engaged. Basically, trying to use jogging sessions as physical therapy.

Thanks for that input.

Make sure your hips are level, and avoid collapse (sitting in the bucket) on support phase.

Ghost of Igloi wrote:

Make sure your hips are level, and avoid collapse (sitting in the bucket) on support phase.

Thanks, and for the video too. The track I'm using has a building next to the backstretch with windows and I've been able to observe my running form by glancing to the side. Looks ok, I think. I mean, I haven't gotten to any real running yet, but so far so good.

Been awake for hours. Sometimes I'm up in the middle of the night like this, awakened by some vague pain that is everywhere and nowhere. I'd rather be asleep ... that's the only time I can turn off this unholy screeching in my ears. When I dream, this horrific high-pitched blaring doesn't exist.

I might seem ok, but I'm beat up and wrecked. F.

I'm working on the next chapter. Looking back, my realistic odds were less than zero, as in there was a 100% chance that I was deceased weeks earlier. Me being alive at that point was freakish and bizarre; a contradiction of reality. The entire medical staff was both weirded out and scientifically puzzled by the still-alive guy up in Room XXXX. Most other patients on that floor -- very serious, advanced Stage 3 and 4 cases -- were expiring with far, far less cancer.

People say it's a miracle and I must have a purpose. They ask, wow what are you going to do now? Like I have some gift or superpower and I can go forth and make the world better or something. But really. Really. If I had a superpower, it was all used up going through that sh**.

I feel guilty as f*** for saying this, after all I went through and after all that those who supported me did for me, but it's not infrequent that I wonder if it was all worth it. Sometimes I wish I had made a different choice. I could have just slipped away, but now I'm just here, like this. Physically diminished, with cognitive gaps, and much of this is irreparable.

Getting through the next hour, through this day, through this maddening minute right now and right now and right now, takes everything I've got.

The very fact that you are here and able to wonder if it was all worth it says everything. What a merit to be able to look at the past a know that you could have given up but did not. That when faced with almost certain death you took the hard path, the painful and difficult path.

As for what are you going to do now? My outlook on life is that I'm playing on time that I never would've had, house money. It's not that you can't possibly make a wrong decision, it's that your ability to even make a decision is something you couldn't have even though possible a few years ago.

Does it suck? Yes. Is it going to get better? At times yes, at times no. But you have a new floor for what suffering looks like. Most people get so little pain in their lives that any little thing sends them spiraling. People say that you're strong and you have superpowers because in comparison to what you've gone through life's everyday problems seem comparatively trivial. It's easy to forget.

I know I'm an internet stranger but if you need anything my man let me know.

Thanks. Rough day.

Be your best friend. You’re getting there. Have a good evening.