Lessons Learned & Learning 11: 330 Days of Maintenance

Radiation Edition #1

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 update:
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
210-day update:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1356923-lessons-learned-learning-7-210-days-of-maintenance
240-day update:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1400014-lessons-learned-learning-8-240-days-of-maintenance
270-day update:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1438678-lessons-learned-learning-9-270-days-of-maintenance
300-day update:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10003569/lessons-learned-learning-10-300-days-of-maintenance

Correction:I looked up my new DeskCycle calorie burn numbers (http://www.deskcycle.com/CalorieCalculator.html) when I turned a year older during this past 30-day period and discovered that somewhere along the line I had made transposition errors. Hence, Day 6 of the current 30-day period shows a drop in my calorie burn. I'm not exercising any less than before, just burning fewer calories than I had thought. In fact, I had exercised with the same intensity on Day 5 and Day 6, despite the seeming 29-calorie difference.

My eleventh 30 days looked like this:


Here's how the eleven 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 includes my lowest weight yet, 5.5 pounds below goal. I'm not actively trying to lose more weight, so I'm monitoring at this point. If I continue to lose, I'll increase my maintenance calories. (Basing calorie intake on my higher, incorrect burn numbers may have been a good thing.) Between days 301-330 inclusive my weight ranged from 144.5 (Nov. 1) to 149 (Oct. 22) and marks the first period in which every day fell below my goal weight. My average weight was 146.8, which marks the largest deviation (in either direction) from goal. My body fat caliper measurement on maintenance day 329 showed me at 24.6%, which is considered "lean" for someone my age.


This period also marks the end of chemo (yay!) and the beginning of my radiation treatments. I am now halfway through those.

Exercise Calories Burned (see Correction, above):
I took 1 rest day (0 calories burned) during maintenance days 301-330, compared with 1 rest day during maintenance days 271-300, 2 rest days during maintenance days 241-270, 1 rest day during maintenance days 211-240, 2 rest days during maintenance days 181-210, 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 average exercise calories burned for this period (including my rest days) equaled 381/day, with the highest burn (corrected numbers only) being 412 on Oct. 27.

Total and Net Calories Consumed:
Total calories for maintenance days 301-330 averaged 1974/day and ranged from 1636 (Nov. 9, a rest day from exercise) to 2353 (Oct. 27). Net calories (total calories minus exercise calories burned) averaged 1594/day and ranged from 1463 (Oct. 15) to 1941 (Oct. 27). These include the first five days of this period, in which my exercise calorie burn is overestimated. Net calorie average using only the correct burn numbers comes to 1603.

Cancer Update:

My final chemo countdown doodle was for zero!


Large view: https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3943/15418177489_92061f367a_o.jpg

Maintenance day 330 marks 26 days since my last chemo infusion and radiation treatment 17 out of 33. According to my most recent CBC (complete blood count) I am no longer anemic (yay!), although several readings remain abnormal. I am due for a CMP (complete metabolic profile) in early December.

Among the milestones: The weekend after Halloween I was able to get out of bed in one motion. Prior, I had to sit on the edge until I could stand without experiencing vertigo from chemo. My nasal passages are healing nicely (no more blood on my hanky). My edema is gone. My immunity is normal, though I've been told that the cumulative effects of radiation might temporarily knock that down a bit. I still have metallic "chemo mouth" so am still mixing lemon juice with my water, but it's not as pronounced as it has been. I continue to take Prilosec through treatment as per my ARNP's recommendation. Another cumulative effect of radiation is fatigue, though part of mine relates to my switch from night owl to morning person because my treatments now occur Monday through Friday. After three full weeks of radiation my skin is a bit more pink, but so far I've experienced nothing more severe.

My hair has begun to grow back:



At my first post-chemo follow-up with my regular oncologist, I handed in the last installment of my chemo side effects report. That completes my chemo side effects binder:



Prior to the start of radiation I envisioned what my treatments might be like:


Large view: https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5599/15311699899_041a3281cd_o.jpg

I was off by just a bit:



Here the body mold for the patient after me is being put into place. Each mold is tailored to each individual's body shape (mine is tailored to my upper body), to ensure that the person is held in the exact same position for each radiation treatment. Calibration is also fine-tuned using grid lines projected from the wall and ceiling, along with numerical readouts.

The radiation field drawn on my chest became my Radiation Monster mascot:


Large view: https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3932/14966431554_eb78278c57_o.jpg

I appeared (at left) on local cable TV in a show about my breast cancer support group:



On Halloween my radiation center was decked out in a Hawaiian theme, though I wasn't exactly on topic there:



I told the staff I could be Captain Spaulding (from the movie Animal Crackers) returned from the tropics (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YrNQaXdOxU).