The End Is In Sight

I have no patience to just sit back and wait for things to happen.  Chemotherapy #6 was coming up and I really wanted to get my radiation schedule set. So I took advantage of the option on the MSK portal to message my radiation oncologist and got a quick return phone call. And just like that, there is an end date.  Radiation appointments are now officially on the calendar with a final treatment scheduled on September 25 at 8 AM. Just about eight weeks to go, but who’s counting? I’m excited that my schedule will no longer be controlled by doctor appointments.  For someone who’s never been sick before, this has been difficult, to say the least.

Doesn’t leave much “wiggle room” to do much of anything but make sure I’m ready for the next day’s treatment.  I still sometimes feel like I am looking at myself from an out of body perspective – is all this really about me?

I’m also still struggling with my limitations.  I get tired, well it’s not really just tired.  It’s a different kind of fatigue. Kind of like the way I’ve felt in the weeks after an Ironman.  But like all the other side effects, it’s not so tough to take most of the time, and I’ve learned to adapt.  They are all temporary.  I hope.   Until I tried to put on my wetsuit, the day after chemotherapy.  The neuropathy hadn’t flared up, yet.  The cold therapy during treatment and the Celebrex had helped immensely.

Until I put on my wetsuit to swim on Wednesday after we arrived. Let’s just say that the little voice in the back of my head that every once in a while suggested I was a wimp for not continuing on with training for Lake Placid was quieted right then and there.   I have a very high pain tolerance.  Let’s just say that by the time my wetsuit was half on I was close to tears, and if there hadn’t been other people around I would have just cried. I swam the rest of the week in Mirror Lake in just my swim skin, much easier to put on.  Fortunately, the weather and water temperatures made that manageable.

There were so many high points to our week in Lake Placid I don’t really know where to start.  Maybe I should just leave it at that — I love being there at pretty much any time and I especially love the energy of race week.  I really made an effort to not overdo it, I wanted to make sure I conserved energy for race day and especially working at the finish line till midnight.  First up, we ran into a long time good acquaintance who lives in the area.  He shared his good news with us — he had just won $5,000 a week for life!  Couldn’t be happier to hear about good things happening to good people.  Well, I could be happier, if it was me 🙂

Next up, I finally got to meet my friend Kelly and Ryan’s adorable daughter Ivy in person, otherwise known as Little Ivy Otter!  I’ve been watching her grow up on social media but it was so awesome to finally get to hold her, and to pinch her cheeks!  It was great to be able to support and cheer for Ivy’s dad, Ryan Heisler, and to be at the finish line to watch him cross.  Ryan’s race report is quite moving, and I’m touched to know that I helped in some small way to make his journey to that finish line possible.  The week continued to be invigorating for me, it’s always great to see so many old and new friends.

Before our Women for Tri meet-up, I did catch up with Mike Reilly (otherwise known as the “Voice of Ironman) for the best picture of the week!

So many more highlights and memories made over the week — dinner with my Coeur Sports team, my friend and teammate Amy winning for the second time as first female at IRONMAN Lake Placid (with a 9:46 at 40 years old I might add!), my friend and one of my training partners, Ben, finishing his first IRONMAN and beating my best swim, bike and overall finish times . . . . . but not my best run, Ben (there’s always next year LOL!) . . . . and just more than I can even remember at the moment.

I’ll leave this with being so grateful for an amazing workout this morning with one of my favorite people to train and just hang out with.  Ran will always be faster than me, but always pushes me to be just that much better, and all I need to do is make sure I push him to get out the door.  This morning I felt that little bit of the “old me” that’s still in there in spite of all the drugs and treatments and the like.  Yes, just in time to start the two-week cycle all over again.  Tomorrow is #7 of 8 and how amazing and exciting and awesome is that???