The Colon Club

This has been a good week despite having the flu last week. Monday was unusual. I went to the bathroom and went like the old days (before cancer). It took a while but I got emptied out in one sitting.

I had an appointment for a crown to be installed on Wednesday so I had breakfast on Tuesday morning and nothing after that until after the appointment. I think that I just went twice. Today, just once this morning and I think that was it. I have been eating less overall and that may help. The fiber may be helping as well. I plan to do a bit of running today (haven't run for about ten days). I have been short on time and my workout when short on time is the barbell stuff - it keeps me feeling remarkably well with just four exercises.

I could definitely say that things were pretty good if all weeks were like this. Also, no Imodium taken - it's always an option but I'd rather skip it if possible.

I also found that a presentation was given on Twitter on LARS. The tweet covered the stuff we usually talk about but I'd really love to get the slides or report if I can. I'm going to PM the poster to see if she can provide these to me or post them on the web.

I did the abs exercises that I have been doing on and off and added one called the Ab Dolly Plus. This is a small platform that rolls on four wheels and has handles on it. You grab two of the handles, and balance on your knees in a V and push forwards and then pull back basically bringing your back and legs in an inverted V. A harder version is if you base on your feet instead of your knees - I've never done it before. It's kind of like a downward dog where you walk your hands back to your feet and then back out again.

Glad you are doing well Mike. Maybe you have turned a corner.

That is good news Mike! Hope even better weeks are ahead. Are you taking any probiotics?

Dave

Gravelyguy wrote:That is good news Mike! Hope even better weeks are ahead. Are you taking any probiotics?

Dave

I'm not taking probiotics. I have looked into them and there are different sides to the issue. I have been taking fiber more regularly.

I've also been eating only one to two meals a day and this helps quite a bit with less bathroom time but it can also result in losing weight.

I have been doing some of my core exercises gingerly and very low reps but I felt comfortable enough to do them full strength and add another one. If only I had enough time to do more exercises. BTW, when I am pressed for time: deadlifts, shoulder press, squats and bench press keep me feeling great. I haven't run for two weeks and need to get back to that but I need work pressure to drop. I still have to get my old CT scan to the new oncologist at Dana Farber (I need to ask for it, drive there, put it in a mailer and mail it in - EPIC doesn't send over imaging).

I felt closer to normal this week as I had far fewer bathroom trips and was able to get in enough strength-training and flexibility work to feel pretty good. It's nice to hope that this will continue but I've had too many setbacks to be that way. If I get another week like this, then I can be hopeful. This is a battle of inches where you make a little progress and hope for more and then you may lose a little sometimes too. I can see why people say that it takes time - and it really tests your patience. I know many have gone before me and I can definitely appreciate where everyone has been and where we are going to (hopefully).

I added Mountain Climbers and Brazilian Crunches today. I couldn't do a lot of them and I was reminded as to how much stress some of these exercises put on your body. But I did a few and I'll do a few for a while and then a few more until they get easy. I'm pushing myself harder on the stuff that I've been doing regularly and will start pushing the weight up on the weight machines.

Sunday to Monday was one of those horrible one-day clustering things. I really should have taken an Imodium - but I haven't taken one for several weeks. I wish that they came in 1 mg tablets. The 1 mg is only available as a liquid solution for children. Things are mostly going reasonably well, especially when eating 1 or 1.5 meals per day.

NHMike wrote:I added Mountain Climbers and Brazilian Crunches today. I couldn't do a lot of them and I was reminded as to how much stress some of these exercises put on your body. But I did a few and I'll do a few for a while and then a few more until they get easy. I'm pushing myself harder on the stuff that I've been doing regularly and will start pushing the weight up on the weight machines.

Sunday to Monday was one of those horrible one-day clustering things. I really should have taken an Imodium - but I haven't taken one for several weeks. I wish that they came in 1 mg tablets. The 1 mg is only available as a liquid solution for children. Things are mostly going reasonably well, especially when eating 1 or 1.5 meals per day.

You can get a pill cutter and break an Imodium into as many pieces as you want. They aren’t a fast release or coated tablet so there is no issue breaking them up to get a smaller dosage.

I just recently resumed running and strength work. Actually doing it with my 11 year old. It has been humbling, but every week I can feel that I am getting stronger. The really strange thing is that my core strength seems to be recovering faster than my arm strength. I was a swimmer in HS and college so have always had pretty good core strength but with my abs being cut down the middle I wasn't sure I would ever regain strength. It has also really helped with the swollen belly I have had since my original surgery.

I am swimming again and it is nice not being so self conscious wearing the Speedo !

Dave

Things are mostly going reasonably well, especially when eating 1 or 1.5 meals per day.

I am glad things are going ok, but I can't imagine only eating 1 to 1.5 meals a day. Hopefully you will continue to figure more out. I think the soluble fiber is a real help. I can't help but think my probiotic has helped me too but no real way of checking as I have been taking one for several years.

Dave

Gravelyguy wrote:

Things are mostly going reasonably well, especially when eating 1 or 1.5 meals per day.

I am glad things are going ok, but I can't imagine only eating 1 to 1.5 meals a day. Hopefully you will continue to figure more out. I think the soluble fiber is a real help. I can't help but think my probiotic has helped me too but no real way of checking as I have been taking one for several years.

Dave

I am doing the fiber thing though not every day. I've forgotten my emergency bag twice this week but it wasn't a problem but I did order some supplies to leave a bag in the office permanently.

I did the splitting of pills when I had the Imodium AD because the pills were big enough to break by hand. The regular Imodium (which I ordered a lot of) are quite a bit smaller and I don't think that I could break them by hand. One thing about breaking them - I'd need a place to store the 1/2.

Workout on Tuesday:

Ballistic Stretch, Static Stretch
Flexbar
Pushups

Yoga: Warrior I, II, Tree Pose, Yin Yoga Hip Opener
Barbells: Shoulder Press, Squats, Bench Press, Deadlifts
Dumbbells: Curls, Cross Body Clean and Press
Box Steps
Single-Leg Squats
Abs: Pelvic Lifts, Crunches, Bicycles, Ab Roller, Plank, Side Plank, Mountain Climbers, Brazilian Crunch, Russian Twist, V-Ups
2-mile run

(I have a bunch of additional yoga poses to try but I usually add one of those at a time and then work on it for a while; feel free to suggest others)

I really need to spend an hour on the weight machines as I haven't done those in two weeks. I have a project deadline tomorrow so I will be getting in minimal workouts until the weekend.

I attended a seminar on Heart Rate Variability and it has predictive value for a lot of stressors and diseases including cancer. The technology to easily get a reading is still early stages though. I can get a heart rate variability measure but it's a pain - I have a chest heartrate strap and an App on my watch that measures HRV but putting it on likely affects the readings. The more convenient models just clip on your finger.

Good to hear you are doing well.

About probiotics, I did not realize there was any controversy. I give my husband capsules of probiotics daily. Could you tell me what the possible issue is with them?

mpbser wrote:Good to hear you are doing well.

About probiotics, I did not realize there was any controversy. I give my husband capsules of probiotics daily. Could you tell me what the possible issue is with them?

I didn't see problems with them. I ran into an article about whether or not they are useful and how you determine which kind to take.

Good to know. Thanks!

I did some new things again today. I started out doing a pullup - I don't think that I've done one in the past year. I was able to do one (I normally do ten) but I felt stress in the middle of my chest and one is enough for now. I probably should have worked up to it using the Lat Pulldown machine.

Also did a Roman Chair exercise where you support yourself on your elbows and lift your legs straight out into an "L" and then hold it there.

Added Burpees and a few other things. So far, so good. Everything feels solid and no aches or pains.

One of my co-workers asked me about fecal incontinence today. Not the typical thing that you ask a co-worker but I gave him a little information on how the rectum and sphincter works and suggested that he see a doctor as it could be various things causing problems. I also suggested a few exercises in case his muscles are weak. I showed him my Imodium tablets too in case he wanted to go that route. It looks like some of the things we deal with affect others as a normal part of aging.

I picked up a package of Probiotics (CVS) brand and will give it a try tomorrow. I'm using Miralax this evening and hope that it works before the morning as I have a late morning meeting.

I hope the probiotics help, Mike! My wife sells Plexus supplements so she has me using their probiotics with their vitamins and a few other things.

Until a year before my diagnosis, I had never taken any kind of medicine/supplements. She wanted me to try her stuff so I did. I think they really helped me through the chemo and surgeries.

At Mayo they could not believe I wasn’t on any prescription meds. One PA said I was the healthiest stage 4 cancer patient she had seen!

Hopefully the probiotics will settle your digestive issues.

Dave