Sunday, September 20, 2009

Go Take a Walk

One of the handouts from Duke says if you are feeling really tired, the best thing to do is to get some exercise every day, and you will start to feel better.

So, for the last five days, I have made myself take at least a short walk with Samantha the Golden Retriever. My house is at the bottom of a hill where two roads sort of dead end into each other, so there is this perfect short walk where I go up the hill, across a flat top part, and then back down the hill to my house in one loop. It's just one block, but it is perfect.

I sort of have to drag myself up the hill. My legs are so tired, right from the start. It wasn't like this before chemo. I liked walking up the hill fast.

It's an interesting walk because there are two houses under construction, and that is fun to watch. Although, they have both progressed to the point where most of the outside seems to be done and the interesting work is all going on unseen inside.

There are still a lot of empty lots for sale in the neighborhood. Those lots are all overgrown and fascinating to Samantha. So we both have a good time. Plus, if Sam poops in a wild lot, I don't have to pick it up.

Plus, my neighbors are all really nice. A couple of weeks ago, I came home with a huge bag of tomatoes. Awesome.

Today Lou took Samantha for the short one-block loop, then dropped her off at the house and then we went for a longer walk up by the driving range and the tennis courts and pool. The pool closes after today, I think. We still have never gone swimming there. Next summer for sure.

We had to stop a lot during the walk either because I was tired or out of breath. At one point, Lou suggested that I STOP TALKING because we were halfway up a huge hill, I was gasping for breath, and I was only halfway through some story about work.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please don't tell me Louie does not want to hear about work! I missed you Saturday night. I went to an awesome spiritual equinox gathering in Pittsboro. So, I missed catching up with you. Hope you are well. Sounds like you and Sam are spending quality time together. Thanks for the phone #, I still haven't called it.

Anonymous said...

It's amazing that you are up that early and actually blogging. Totally, totally amazing! I'm impressed. CQ

Anonymous said...

Hi Karen, I am glad you are feeling better and OK enough to take a walk with Lou. I need to start walking again it is the best exercise and I don't know if I could walk even half as far as you right now!!! We are having a beautiful "Indian Summer" out here in SEattle this week, warm and sunny again today. I got extended to work one more month at the bank to 10/31 before they lay me off which is very very good especially since Jim got laid off also as of 10/03. So we will have each other to support on our job searches!!

Love to both of you guys and the dogs too. Debbie P.

Anonymous said...

Glad this post didn't start out "Go Take a Hike." :-) You put me to shame -- I keep threatening to walk more, but I'm not making much progress with it (yet!!).

Sorry to see you weren't feeling well this morning (Thurs). Hoping you were able to get some rest today.

Take care,
Mer

Anonymous said...

Hi Karen, Hope you feel better soon. I got a cold which started last Friday with a sore throat. Today I'm feeling 100% well for the first time since then. I hope yours is the same or an even lighter version of mine. CQ