Normally this time of year I would be
well into my training for the Boston Marathon and you would be getting regular whining
updates on all the trials and tribulations of weather and injuries. As most of you may have surmised from my last
blog, I will not be doing Boston this year, or for that matter, any other marathon
in the foreseeable future. Despite that, I thought it would be good to provide
updates of a different kind as I make the journey through recovery. Not sure where this journey will take me but
who knows, I may someday reach the point where another marathon would be an
option.
If my recovery has taught me anything
it’s to look at my health from a totally new perspective. Before I got sick I seldom worried about being
healthy. I was over 60 with a good cholesterol
level, didn’t smoke, a heart rate in the 40’s, and regularly training for and running
marathons. I was seldom sick and even
skipped getting an annual flu shot (a real risk taker).
It’s now a year since I got out of the
hospital and I feel like the journey to recovery is a never-ending story. In running
terms, it is not a sprint, it’s an ultra-marathon…without a defined finish
line. Great thing about races is you
always know how far you have to go. In the case of this recovery there is neither
a defined goal (how much you will get back) or time frame (how long it will
take). People say it the not the
destination it’s the journey….right now I’d like to skip the journey and get
right back to being healthy.
So instead of one big goal I’m setting
up a series of smaller goals that are more attainable in the near term. These little milestones will make up my
journey back. If you are willing, I’d
like you to come along with me as I blog my way through the journey.
The first three mini-milestones are:
-
Building
up the immune system so I can get vaccinated
-
Jogging
a mile without stopping (or coughing up a lung at the end)
-
Building
my arm strength enough to lift a gallon of milk with one hand without straining
In the category of “things they don’t
tell you when you have a transplant”, you lose all your antibodies to
traditional diseases. As a result, you
have to be revaccinated like a new born.
In the interim you are susceptible to any childhood diseases (measles,
mumps, whooping cough, etc.) the grandchildren might bring home. Unfortunately
to be revaccinated your immune system has to reach a certain level or it can’t
generate the protective antibodies. My
system has not reached that level yet. First time I wanted a flu shot and I can’t get
it.
Jogging a mile is pretty self-explanatory. Seems pretty straight forward, put one foot
in front of the other. Unfortunately, I’ve
lost the muscle strength, coordination and stamina that I used to take for granted. My attempts are like watching a 1 year old
try to run. Cute in a baby, very embarrassing
for an adult.
Speaking of embarrassing, having your
arm shake like a paint can shaker when trying to pour milk from a gallon
container into a glass is right up there (not to mention messy). I thought it was just my arms but in physical
therapy I’ve learned it’s my shoulders and back as well.
Some of my future goals include
getting off steroids, getting rid of mouth sores, getting off stomach meds, getting
my sense of taste back, maybe getting hair again, and jogging a 5K.
On bad days I worry that where I am
is the best it will get. On the really
bad days I remind myself I’m lucky to still be on the green side of the
grass. I also make a point to remember the courage I
have seen in the pediatric cancer wards…. a true inspiration.
Stay tuned and I’ll keep you updated
on the progress I’m making as well as our accomplishments helping children with
cancer through Help in the Nick of Time.
Cheers
Dave
