Northern Lights: Pace Bunnies And New Year’s Resolutions
If you watch or run in a marathon, which covers 26 miles (42 km), you may see some runners holding signs that have a finishing time posted on them. For example, the signs may say ‘2:30,’ ‘3:00,’ or ‘5:00.’ There may be a sign for every 15 minutes of completion time.
The runners holding these signs are on track to finish in the time displayed on the sign. They are known as ‘pace bunnies.’ Sometimes they even wear rabbit ears on their hats for easier recognition. These race volunteers keep the runners working at a pace that will help them to finish the race on their chosen time.
I would like to have an imaginary pace bunny with me while moving forward through 2013. I would like to get the maximum amount accomplished and yet not overdo it or sink into discouraged lethargy.
Because I have experienced a lot of changes in the time leading up to my myeloma diagnosis, during intense treatments, and during the time getting back into a ‘new normal’ routine after treatment, I am often quite confused as to how to plan a day, let alone a whole year.
It has been a few years since I was a healthy person, functioning quite well in adult life. Thankfully, after the experiences I went through, I am well again now. Not only did I go through the toll that both the cancer and cancer treatments take on body and soul, I have also aged by a few years.
Since the New Year has rolled out its unexplored promise of new beginnings, I once again made my list of New Year’s resolutions.
It is a challenging list to make, but I have always made it, so why should this year be any different? It’s a nice exercise to go through, even if, as ever, many of the resolutions seem to be made just to be broken! But that is why we have a New Year’s celebration, to have a fresh start every year.
So I would like to share some of my resolutions with you:
- Take this year to get caught up at home from the roller coaster ride of the last few years. Looking around, I see piles of files, UFO’s (unfinished objects, as they are known in the needlework/quilting world), stacks of music books, book cases unsorted that need my attention.
- Learn more about the medical science surrounding myeloma, which has become one of my major preoccupations. One of the ‘silver linings’ to the cloud of this diagnosis was that it got me into reading about this very interesting topic. I don’t think I would know much about this topic if it weren’t for my diagnosis.
- Keep exercising as if my life depended upon it. Daily walks and other exercise help to clear the mind. Enjoying the outdoors with the new puppy certainly has kept me active. Going to the gym and doing aquacise exercises in a swimming pool are also helpful. Even trying out new showshoes over the holidays was good exercise.
- Try to adhere to a healthy diet. There is a lot of information available about eating foods helpful to one’s health. From blueberries to omega-3 eggs and Pacific salmon, the list is long. I will search out organic food at the grocery store and remember to take my vitamins and calcium tablets. There is also a lot to learn on that topic.
- Spend lots of time with family and friends. After having been so focused in on my own health problems during my treatments, I want to get back in the swim of exchanging information, both good and bad, with my loved ones.
- Do lots of interesting things and travel as far as possible, but remember limitations still exist on energy levels and the immune system. At the same time, I will try not to take on too much. It is OK to stay home and read a good book or work on music and crafts in what spare time I have. I do still have real work to do, but having had a major health scare, I want to do fun things too.
So in planning ahead for 2013, I want to achieve that elusive balance. Remembering the pace bunnies in the marathon, I would like to not go out too fast, certainly not ‘hit the wall’ mid-year, and make a strong finish 12 months from now. I also need to remember to stay ‘hydrated,’ so I’m keeping that water bottle handy.
Best wishes to all of you, and hope you have a good year – at the pace that suits you best.
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The quotation for this month is from Albert Einstein (1879-1955), a theoretical physicist and humanist, who wrote "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
Nancy Shamanna is a multiple myeloma patient and a columnist at The Myeloma Beacon.
If you are interested in writing a regular column to be published by The Myeloma Beacon, please contact the Beacon team at .
I can't relate to anyone or anything on this web site. All young people with stem cell treatments. I'm older, 3 yrs in. I was in great health, riding my horse, biking, kayaking, happy marriage, 5 grown children. My treatment worked well or so I'm told. Now I feel old & frail, lucky if I can go for short walks or make it thru the food market. Sorry for the gloom, can't pretend. Judy
Thank you for your as usual encouraging column. As another northerner I'd advise increasing your vitamin D.
Judy, I'm another older one, diagnosed at 65, I had treatments with Velcade, which left me with neuropathy in my legs, which gets a little better gradually. I also was treated with Revlimid and had a stem cell transplant at 68. I'm now 70 and feeling pretty good. Hang in there. These treatments can be a bit brutal and take awhile to recover from. Remember you are not alone. There are lots of us out here. Reach up for help too. God cares for you.
Julia
Hi Judy, Nice to hear from you. It was a big jolt for me too to give up some of the activities I liked to do, and to be honest, took for granted. I could add to what Jubyanne said that it took me quite a long time to regain my energy after all the treatments. I hope that improves for you soon too. If not, maybe your family doctor could try to find out if there is some other reason for the tiredness..maybe more blood tests? At this point, we are certainly used to those!
Thanks Jubyanne....I checked my calcium tabs and my vitamins and can get my daily allowance of Vitamin D from that. Also our milk is fortified with Vit. D, although not yogurt! There is so little daylight in the northern latitudes at this time of year that we really need the supplement. Good for you for getting through all those treatments too.
Jubyanne mentioned neuropathy. I found using vitamin B6 and R - Lipoic Acid minimized the neuropathy that gets many people dealing with Velcade. This was published on the University of California at San Francisco web site.
Eric
I'm wondering if anyone experiences this with walking or exercise...it seems no matter how hard I try, my leg muscles don't get stronger. I walk 1 1/2 miles in our beautiful park trail, but my legs always feel spongy and weak.... I'm not on any drugs right now so I just get so frustrated... Anyone else have that weird feeling in their legs. ?
hI Christina, It's just a thought, but are you doing any cross-training to strengthen up your muscles? I found that with knee pain that I had maybe a decade ago (before myeloma hit!), strengthening exercises helped and actually alleviated that pain. From taking physiotherapy, which included treatments such as ultrasound and stretching out the ilial-tibial band (sp?), the pain was helped. Then the therapists got me out into the gym to do adbdutor/adductor exercises on a machine, which strengthen the quadriceps, and also sitting on a big exercise ball to do leg lifts, again to strengthen the quads. This was to support the muscles surrounding the knees. What else....I stretch out too...it all helps. At least it sounds like your knees are fine, but I would recommend getting a session or two with a personal trainer or physiotherapist. However, be really sure to explain that your have myeloma, and can't do anything really strenuous due to issues with weak bones (if that is your issue!). How about swimming or aquasizes too, for cross-training?
Enjoyed your column about "pace bunnies", Nancy. Just a comment for Judy: when I did not see Nancy for a month (before her diagnosis) and then saw her, she looked as if she had aged many years in that month. I was shocked and worried about her. After treatment, her appearance changed back to pre-myeloma with a fresh complexion and sparkle in her eye. I get great pleasure looking out my kitchen window and seeing Nancy walking by! It is sort of a personal beacon in my life!
The reality, Judy, is that your treatment worked well but it takes time and patience to regain what you lost from being ill but it can be done. Psychologically, it is very difficult to deal with a serious illness if you have not had to cope with adversity earlier in life. Perhaps working on your resilience with a counsellor and starting to overcome the shock in changes in lifestyle would help! Your short walks are a great starting point. Rather than seeing them as a limitation think of your short walks as a first step. I find it interesting that you can't relate to anyone or anything on this site. Nancy did not become as active as she had been overnight - it took her several months to build her activities up. She has adult children. She is not exactly in her twenties. She would be the person to relate to. Do what you love to do but start slowly and build up. Horses still exist, don't they?
Thanks EAJ, for your kind comments to me. As I go past your place, usually with the young dog on a leash, I look up to see if you are out in your lovely garden...not much garden now since snow still covers the ground, but you could also be outdoors doing bird photography!
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