Lessons Learned & Learning 7: 210 Days of Maintenance

Chemo Edition #3

My 30-day maintenance update is here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1176760-lessons-learned-learning-first-30-days-of-maintenance
60-day update:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1202553-lessons-learned-learning-2-60-days-of-maintenance
90-day update:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1228283-lessons-learned-learning-3-90-days-of-maintenance
120-day upate:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1253362-lessons-learned-learning-4-120-days-of-maintenance
150-day update:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290642-lessons-learned-learning-5-150-days-of-maintenance
180-day update:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1321007-lessons-learned-learning-6-180-days-of-maintenance

My seventh 30 days looked like this:



Here's how the seven 30-day periods compare:


Weight: I had reached my goal weight of 150 lbs. on Dec. 17, 2013. According to MFP, that would place my net calories at 1600 for maintenance.

This latest 30-day period is marked by extremes. Between days 181 and 210, my weight ranged from 146 (July 4 and my lowest weight since reaching maintenance) to 156.5 (June 20, the day after my third chemo infusion and my highest weight since reaching maintenance). My average weight was 149.45. Average weight through maintenance has been pretty rock solid.

During my first two chemo infusions I had shot up 5 pounds overnight due to edema, constipation, and steroids. I had gained 6 pounds overnight following my third infusion and a whopping 8.5 pounds overnight following my fourth. My weight gain following my third infusion had returned to baseline in only three days, about half the time as with the first two. My 8.5-pound gain had begun from a lower weight (146.5, shooting up to 155) and is still in the process of resolving.

Exercise Calories Burned: I took 2 rest days (0 calories burned) during maintenance days 181-210, compared with 1 rest day over days 151-180, 3 rest days over days 121-150, 5 rest days over days 91-120, 3 rest days over days 61-90, 4 rest days over days 31-60, and 2 rest days over days 1-30. My rest days for this period were June 19 and July 10, the days of my third and fourth chemo infusions.

My average exercise calories burned for this period (including my rest days) equaled 406/day, the highest of any 30-day maintenance period thus far. Maximum number of calories burned in a day equaled 637 (a 90-minute workout on the DeskCycle on July 4; usually my workouts last 60 minutes). After each chemo infusion, I had resumed exercise at a lower intensity and built that up as my side effects lessened. On June 16, three days before my third infusion, I set a new speed record on the DeskCycle of 21.3 mph (resistance setting 6).

Total and Net Calories Consumed: Total calories for maintenance days 181-210 averaged 1947/day and ranged from 1659 (June 23, four days after chemo infusion #3) to 2463 (July 7, three days before chemo #4). Net calories (total calories minus exercise calories burned) averaged 1541/day (96.4 percent of maintenance) and ranged from 1255 (June 23) to 2026 (July 7).

Cancer Update: I have now completed all four Adriamycin (Doxorubicin)/Cytoxan (Cyclophosphamide) infusions -- YAY! From here it's on to Taxol infusions, which will start later this month and go through October.

My side effects have lessened as a whole, though some new ones have cropped up. Here's how my major side effects measure up across the first three A/C infusions:



My fatigue has continued to decrease after last week's fourth infusion. My calorie burn the day after the fourth infusion was slightly less than after the third, but my recovery to baseline has been faster. The other measures -- constipation, edema, and days to return to baseline from weight gain -- are still in flux as of this writing. In the case of weight gain, I don't want to return to baseline (which was 3.5 pounds below my goal weight), but to my goal weight. That said, I am not restricting my food intake but am giving my body what it asks for. Keeping my strength up through chemo is my main priority.

Prilosec continues to alleviate my heartburn. Mild neuropathy centered on an old injury continues, but is not painful. My metallic "chemo mouth" has ramped up especially with the fourth infusion. In addition to adding lemon juice to my water, I have increased my use of hot sauce. On the other hand, my nausea has decreased considerably.

Three nights after my third infusion, my heart had spent 4+ hours hammering in the middle of the night at an estimated 126 bpm. The ARNP has seen this before and linked it to the steroid I'm given, so my dosage was halved for the fourth infusion. The elevated pulse rate had happened only once, but once is enough. Steroids are given with chemo to both increase appetite and decrease nausea, so I'm quite pleased that my nausea has decreased further even with the lower dosage.

I produced this piece, using several of my photos, the day before my fourth infusion: