Exercise Discussion and Sharing Information with Your Medical Team

WOW
Very well put.

No offense Pete, but he did put it a little bit less militant as he called it. Although I do admire your passion for this cause. You might even have convince me to get off my fat arse and walk or swim...Thanks

HUGS
Beth

Buckwirth said:

Whose Job?
"my miltancy or enormous frustration is its not our job to warn and advise."

Actually Pete, it is your job. Some Oncologists specialize, but most treat any cancer that comes to their door. They are bombarded daily by the latest study, review, and change in approved medications. They are also trying to run an office, pay bills, make visits to patients in the hospital, and attend their kids soccer game. To expect that they know every latest thing about YOUR disease is probably a bit much.

So we get someone like ACS to create a forum, join with others on the same journey, and share what works with each other. If something comes up that we think our medical team needs to know, we write it down and take it to our next appointment.

The patient is their own advocate, the doctor can treat you, and I do believe that he knows better than I, but I do have something to share, and I can/should be part of the research team.

Agreed
It's totally up to us to maintain our health and to do things to improve it when possible. Doctor's have PLENTY to do without holding everyone's hand and checking to make sure they do their homework. I think I made the comparison to school earlier. We don't just dump kids in the 1st grade and pick them up in 12 years and expect perfect, smart kids. We have to be involved as parents. Same goes with OUR health. It's OURS, we own it...the good, the bad, or the ugly (couldn't resist).

This also goes hand-in-hand with the idea of the e-Patients.
We can be, and should be, part of the solution.
maybe it's the air mixture, too much nitrogen???
;-)

pete43lost_at_sea said:

ok its our job, i agree , well said, great points
but still they can hand over the walking shoes and pedometer at the first meeting.

we get patients being responsible from the first visit.

that waiting at first is dx before treatment is scary, walking would ease the fear and help.

i guess its just the medical system is slow,

maybe we can be the grease that gets it moving faster.

ultimately we help ourselves. i hope other crc print the executive review and take it their onc. now thats simple. then they could say please tell all colorectal , prostrate and breast about this.

lets get physical therapy in the treatment cycle early.

hugs,
pete

More is not always better
G'day Pete I don't often comment on peoples ideas on survival. Why? Because it is individual and quite frankly you only get one chance at it. Sometimes if someone has a firm enough belief in what they are doing I believe it helps as much as what they are doing.
what I will comment on is if someone asks "have you tried" then yes I will comment but not on the effectiveness but on the fact that I have tried it ,usually quite by accident.
when it comes to excercise,yes for nearly two years during my survival I walked. I don't mean that I walked..I WALKED. Over50 miles a week ,every week. By the end of two years I shed over 35 kilos. I also became very ill. After A long walk I would sit and rehydrate.After ten minutes I could hardly move, I would sieze up. I started passing kidney stones and finnished up in er with acute pancreatitis. I lost my gallbladder and developed ulcers so bad that they thought I had stomach cancer. After years of being told by doctors that I was too fat my surgeons comments to me were like a slap in the face. He virtually asked me if I was trying to kill myself by walking so @##$$% far. He was serious. In a much nicer tone he explained that once you are passed your prime if you want to get fit and excercise, first see your doctor ,get a full medical ,then do it under supervision.

After that i did not walk much,not because I did not want to,The neuropathy in my feet and legs had started to get a lot worse as had my arthritis. Both the surgeon and my rheumatologist believe that my excessive walking had accelerated the onset of some long term side effects of the chemo. They both suggested any future excercise programs be centred on water. my rheumatologist suggested swimming. I had bi-llateral frozen shoulders at the time.I asked if he was trying to get rid of me,we both had a good laugh.
So I guess what i am trying to say is sure excersise but please do it in a controlled manner, remember you are not just unfit ,you are trying to recover from a serious disease in a body that has been belted from pillar to post by all manner of diabolical treatments, cheers Ron.

Thanks for the Report
Well Done. Thank you for the reports. It gives me an incentive to keep going with my exercise program.
NB