Recovering my stamina

April 1, 2017
Hi, Tracy.

Now that my radiation therapy is over, my next goal is to recover my stamina, and  believe me, it's not there right now. After spending a couple years mountain hiking, I find it a bit of a surprise to find out that climbing up Madison Street for a few blocks can leave me winded. Most of my recent life has been spent "on the flat," near the crest of Capitol Hill.  Walking from the Condo down Madison street to the Alaskan Way Viaduct is easy enough, but coming back up the hill can sometimes sap my energy.

I think this is because of the medication I've been taking, as well as the x-ray therapy. Prime suspects for me are Lupron and Bicalutimide -- hormonal medications. According to a Mayo Clinic Web page, hormonal changes can lead to significant fatigue. (So does sitting around the house and not getting enough exercise.) And that fatigue may be short term or last several months. I am now in the process of finding out just how long that lasts. Radiation can also sap your energy, and the effect can last 1-3 months after the radiation stops.  Here's what I found on the Internet:

Radiation therapy works by destroying diseased, cancerous tissue – creating a “wound” that sparks an immune response. . . Fatigue may occur as your body tries to repair the damage to healthy cells and tissue.
Your cancer can cause changes to your body that can lead to fatigue. For instance, some cancers release proteins called cytokines, which are thought to cause fatigue.
If you're sleeping less at night or if your sleep is frequently interrupted [for instance, getting up to pee several times a night or waking up with hot flashes and night sweats], you may experience fatigue.

A friend came to visit by ferry two days ago and we knocked around the downtown area -- Pike Place Market and the Seattle Art Museum, enjoying a view of the waterfront from Lowell's restaurant and then indulging ourselves with some gelato.

A view of the great wheel from the third floor of Lowell's at the Pike Place Market.

Seattle's inside passage

Afterward, she headed back, and I headed up. And that's when I realized that I had had enough fun for the day. After less than two blocks ascending Madison, I started seeking the "inside passage." At Third and Madison, there's a small grocery/eaterie called Mel's Market, a "simple spot for American breakfast & lunch fare, including bagels, burgers & salads, with carryout," situated one street below Safeco Plaza.

A Google street view of Mel's Market at 3rd and Madison

An interior door at Mels opens out to a spacious lobby. I purchased a can of Mountain Dew and found a chair. Yes, it rots your teeth and is a lot of sugar, but it is my drug of choice because of the caffeine boost. And my mouth was parched. I finished the can and took the escalator to the level of Fourth Avenue, discovered a bench, and rested again. Then I exited the Safeco building, crossed Fourth into the Seattle Public Library and took the escalator to 5th Avenue. That took me to within a block of where the climb up Madison becomes more gentle, and I made my way home.

On Friday I went to the rental to prune a grape arbor and some trees, and before long I was tired again. Time to go home for a nap.

Today I'll walk to the waterfront again, I think.

Regardless, this has been an easy cancer. I am sooooo fortunate.

Love,
Dad