Bucket List Trip

Congratulations on beating the cancer! <3

Lots of Europe is very walkable. I don't know what you mean with 'foot boot' Did you break a bone and need to wear a healing boot? If not, would your health allow you to increase walking distance a bit and to become a bit fitter? Are there hills where you are? Depending on where you want to go you might encounter hills in towns. If you're fitness level is half ok you might be able to enjoy this trip more without fully depending on taxis or public transport. I'd say "being able to do things » looking good" but each their own. Also note that it might be very hot in July unless you plan to visit northern Europe mostly.

I'm really happy to hear about your bucket list goal coming up for you: That's fabulous!

I remember chatting with you on your intro thread. Yes, regaining strength and energy post-treatment takes time, potentially a frustratingly long time. Like you, I took an aromatase inhibitor - though I took Tamoxifen, an anti-estrogen for 2.5 years before switching to anastrozole for 5 years.

Have you talked with your doctors about the fatigue and other side effects? Oncologist might have some insights about ways to manage side effects, but if you haven't consulted PCP, that might yield something, too. In my case, I was diagnosed as hypothyroid when my improving energy/strength seemed to stall after a few months post-treatment. I later learned that not only is hypothyroidism more common for women as we age, but it's also more common in women who've gone through BC treatment.

That's just an example - there are other blood tests and such a PCP can run to ensure any other fatigue-causing factor is ruled out or treated, such as some of the micronutrient deficiencies that are surprisingly common. I remember you mentioning the anemia, but wondering if that's fully resolved, or whether there might be other factors.

On your other thread, you mentioned swimming. If you'd like to be more active but are limited in walking, is there anything you can do in the pool with the foot condition? I remember doing drills in the pool that were upper body only, and a kick board can provide some flotation if it's hard to stay up without using feet. There are also a bunch of seated exercise videos on YouTube, including some pretty vigorous ones for wheelchair athletes, or milder rehab ones, if you feel up to that.

I know it's a big drag not to do the things you enjoy most - I went through an injury recovery phase recently myself for a skull fracture and brain bleed - but if there are manageable, viable activities it may actually help with fatigue recovery, backward as that sounds.

It sounds like your trip will have some aspects that make this more achievable, even if your mobility or endurance is still not back to 100% by July: An understanding BFF as travel companion, BFF's family living near the destinations so you have insider insights about transportation and possible destinations that won't be over-taxing, and that sort of thing.

I'm so pleased for you that you're getting to take such an amazing trip. That's great! I'm hopeful that you can find some progress and perhaps some medical interventions that will lead to significant improvements by July.

Congratulations!

There are nutritional tests they can do, too. I can't think of a whole list, and some of what I do wouldn't apply to you, but there are blood tests for vitamin D, B-12, zinc, and probably more that could be worth asking about. A full thyroid panel would be good, or at least TSH to start, if that hasn't been tested and hypothyroidism is possible.