Vacation at Lutsen Minnesota

The last two weeks have been interesting. Early last week I had to run slow (5.6MPH) not to get winded. No wonder, my blood test on 2/13 showed my hemoglobin at 10.5 gm/dL. Normal range is 14 - 18. My hemoglobin has been taking a big dive ever since I started chemo. Hemoglobin (red blood cells) carry oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. When I run it feels like I'm at high altitude. However, something happen shortly after 2/13. On 2/15 I ran 16 miles at a speed of 6.0MPH. I was feeling better and able to run faster without feeling winded.

I took last weekend off from running because I was on vacation with family. Every winter my family (about twenty or so) gather together in Lutsen, Minnesota, which is on the north shore of Lake Superior and near the Canadian boarder. Some of us ski or snowboard, others cross-country ski or hike, and some just hang out. We stay in some condos next to the Lake Superior shore. I normally snowboard with my son Daniel, but just before the trip he hurt his back (torn muscle) so this year while on the slopes I mostly hung out with my Dad, who is still skiing at age 72.

I didn't get back from vacation until Tuesday night. Wednesday my blood test showed why my running speed started picking up. My hemoglobin has jumped up to 11.5. I can now run my short runs (5 to 7 miles) at 6.4MPH. I don't know why my hemoglobin is going back up, but I'll take it.

The weather has been very cold in Minnesota the last few weeks, barely getting above 0F. So I have been doing all my running on a treadmill, which so boring, especially when doing it for nearly 3 hours. Finally this weekend the temperature outside is warming up to normal levels - about freezing. Today and Sunday I plan to run outside. I hope to do another 16 mile run tomorrow.

My fourth chemo treatment is this Wednesday, which puts me at half way through treatment if I go the full 8 cycles. In a couple of weeks I'll have CAT and PET scans done to see how effective the treatments have been on reducing my tumor.

Here are a few pictures from my vacation.




Lake Superior lake shore just outside our condos.

My Dad and I riding the chairlift up Ullr mountain.

Another lake shore shot just outside where we stay. It was only about 5F outside, but you wouldn't guess it looking at the lake water. Lake Superior average water temperature has been warming very fast since 1980 and the ice cover has been declining.

Beach chairs at the Lutsen Lodge beach. Looks like a great place to take a winter vacation, doesn't it?

My cousin Jeremy and I soaking up the sun on the beach.

Chemo-man carving the mountain. It may look like I'm falling down, but I'm in control.

Third Chemo Treatment Goes Well

My third chemo treatment went much better than the second. I had much fewer stomach problems. I was able to increase my running miles compared to the week of the second treatment, but I did have to considerably slow my speed down. I normally run 6 or 7 miles with a speed of 6.7 to 6.9MPH, but this last week my top speed was 5.6MPH. I must be using different muscles with the slower running speed because I felt a lot more fatigue in my legs. This week will be interesting. I may not get high miles this week since I’m planning on doing some serious snowboarding this weekend.

Good News from Chemo-Man

Good news, this last week my white blood count came in well within normal range. Apparently the Neulasta shot has finally kicked in. Now I don’t have to keep myself isolated from people. Look out movie theaters, here I come. My stomach is doing much better now that I’ve stop eating apples. I’ve read that pears have similar antioxidants for fighting cancer and they don’t seem to upset my stomach. However, someone suggested cantaloupe, which I looked into. It turns out cantaloupe has something that may make it much better than apples and pears. Cantaloupe has nutrients that make it anti-inflammatory, whereas apples and pears are mildly inflammatory. (See link in my blog to NutrtionData.com, a great website for nutritional data). Recent research has shown that cancer and other diseases thrive with inflammation. Big thanks to whoever suggested cantaloupe.

I met all my running goals for this last week. My plan is to decrease my speed in favor for distance if the chemo starts slowing me down, but so far the chemo treatment has not slowed down my running. Each week I have been able to increase both my distance and speed. This coming Wednesday will be my third chemo treatment.