Survivor Files: Back to the Gym

I seriously debated posting a picture of the ugly scar across my stomach. Sparing you all from that, let me just say, that I have no core muscles at all. Thinking that time on my elliptical and getting back into my normal life activities would build up my endurance, I put off once again calling Personal Trainer Matt at the cancer center to get some direction to build up my muscles and endurance.

Doctor released me to workout now so it is about time I get back into it. So, yesterday I found myself back in the gym to start working on some of the problem areas. UGH! I told personal trainer Matt (not to confuse him with my Matt) that I feel like a wimp but I get tired and worn out just doing housework and trying to keep up. I told him that after I come home from taxiing my kids around town for practices for an hour or more I feel like laying in bed and resting and I hate that!

Much to my surprise, he TOTALLY understood! And duh! Why wouldn't he? He is trained to help women who have gone through mastectomies, chemo and radiation get back to feeling like their strong selves. Let me be honest here...there is a time after the recovering when you realize that you can't just jump back into the things that you do. You have lost muscle mass, you have been worn down from multiple surgeries and your body (especially your middle aged body) doesn't just bounce back.  They don't really warn you of that up front.

So there is hope for me after all!

I may be "better" than I was a year ago but three years ago before I had cancer? No, I am not there yet. I don't think I can completely explain what sitting there and listening to PT Matt felt like. You could probably call it a mix between relief and determination. I am glad to have a place to go and focus on getting strong. I am going back on Monday to get started on my plan. I have to focus on areas that are not working right and I am excited that I can get going and keep going. The last two times I started with PT Matt in the last year, I ended up having to stop because of the need to have another surgery. Not this time...I am done with that!

At yesterday's meeting we decided my first goal will be to work on strengthening my body so that an ordinary day's activities won't wipe me out. I should be able to get through my day without having to think about the fact I am doing laundry, or decide which thing that was left on the floor I will bend over and pick up and which ones I won't right now. 

My next goal after that is to build my core strong enough that I will be able to join Stacey in her daily ab workouts! (Or maybe I should say that Stacey's next goal for me is to join her...she doesn't like to do anything by herself!) I can't wait!