Hi, Tracy.
It's been 90 days since my radiation treatments and the taking of hormone blockers. I'm still having hot flashes and night sweats, and they can occur several times a day. But I seem to be getting strength and stamina back -- intermittently. And I'm also having a problem keeping weight off.
A week ago I hiked Twin Falls. The elevation gain was only a few hundred feet and I hiked only about 3 miles. But I had to stop several times due to fatigue. Then the following day, Saturday, I hiked it again, and again I was quite tired. As a measure of my stamina, when I was in shape, I could sustain a heart rate of 148 beats per minute. On those two hikes, the best I could do was 128, and only for short periods. This is the same speed limit I reported here June 12.
But almost a week later, I visited the Twin Falls again, this time hiking 5 miles and reaching greater elevation. And throughout most of the last I had great energy. (I also had a 30-minute nap in the car just before hiking, and a 16-ounce can of Mountain Dew, giving me a sugar and caffeine shot.) There were a couple hot flashes, but only a couple. And that night I went to a dance class without taking a nap first.
That was yesterday. Today I rested at the condo and had a long nap, but at the dance tonight I found my legs tired and my energy level poor.
My emerging theory is that I need to exercise to keep from back sliding as well to improve my condition, but I also need a lot of rest afterward to let my body recover from the stress it hasn't endured for some time.
I also need to eat more moderately. I am closing in on 215 pounds, five below my maximum weight. More than 10 years ago I took off 35 pounds from that top weight, and lately I've been putting it back on. I want to return to 185 pounds if possible, and that will be my goal for the summer.
Love,
Dad
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