I bring great news!
Firstly, I’m feeling much better than I did, so last week’s blip must have been a combination of forgetting to take my HRT and my B12 jab being due. I am still tired, but not wanting to crawl in a ball tired, so that is a win right there.
I also bring glad tidings about my cycling! Do you remember a few weeks back when I did that 1.7 mile bike ride only to very nearly pass out, throw up and took hours and hours to recover.
Well last week in 5 days I cycled 41.7 miles….annnnnnd this week so far, Monday to Wednesday I have cycled a whopping 43.42 miles! And yes, it’s still only Wednesday!!
How have I progressed from unfit and unhealthy to cycling 43.42 miles? (over a 3 day period that is).
I did 18.73 today alone!
Well it’s nothing short of a miracle and all I can put it down to is this book…
Plus a Zoom consultation with Sarah herself.
Who came into my life just at the right time.
After my disaster of a ride I felt so low and so dejected. My levels of motivation to do any form of exercise was zero, which is my normal I suppose.
I thought I might as well eBay the bike because there was no way I was going near that thing ever again.
It made me shudder just seeing it in the garage.
During the Zoom call with Sarah we discussed the failed bike ride. We talked through what may have caused the issues I had after…and then Sarah said “well what you need to do is implement the things we have just discussed and go and repeat the ride”…
At this point I thought she was either mad or hadn’t fully comprehended how ill that bloody bike ride had made me.
I was still in shock from the horror of that ride and here Sarah is suggesting I give it another try.
I’m so so soooooo glad she said it, she has given me the tools to prep properly for any future attempts. Namely, hydration, hydration, hydration.
In the right way, with the right ingredients for good hydration. I use SOS hydration powders but Dioralyte works just as well.
…because here we are a few weeks down the line and I am going from strength to strength in a way that I have never attempted or accomplished in my entire 47 years on this planet, and more to the point, never thought possible.
I’ve never been sporty, school PE sessions scarred me for life, I was never encouraged to keep trying any sport, even if I’m not very good at it.
(I am a extremely slow, and very wobbly on my bike, real cyclists zoom past me at lightning speeds in their professional looking gear and cleats.
There’s me in my Halfords helmet and Primark outfit and my little bell, which I like to ring. It’s not about having all the gear, it’s about getting off my arse and doing it anyway).
But practice makes perfect, or in this case practice makes me as perfect as I need to be to burn off a calorie or two, and improve my overall health and fitness levels.
All of this has been made possible by reading Sarah’s book!
If only it had been around 10 years ago when I was first on my way to recovery.
I physically recovered from cancer and treatment but my fitness levels dropped off to zero. I wasn’t fit to start with, I was thin but really unfit.
Let us all remember not to confuse those two things. I was thin but very unhealthy fitness wise, oh and I had that cancer-y thing going on which I wasn’t aware of at the time.
I’d say I am in a better position now, I’m fatter, yes, but actually fitter, it’s the inside bit that counts most, I don’t mean emotionally, (although, that is important too) I mean heart and lung-ly.
So to go from little to no exercise before cancer to nothing after my op (other than walking about the ward, and then garden once I was out of hospital) was very bad for my health.
My already poor fitness levels declined to absolutely nothing because I was scared about aggravating my hernia, which I ended up with because I tried to rush my recovery and lifted something too heavy, too soon. Be warned.
I had tried over the years to get fit, but all attempts failed due to not having the right specialised instruction in post abdominal surgery and hernias.
That said, I did seem to have an innate sense to get moving straight after my operation, or rather as soon as my catheter was out, but that’s where it ended.
My motivation to keep moving and get out of bed was in an attempt to get out of that ghastly hospital and get home. It wasn’t powered by a knowledge that exercise is a vital cog in recovering from cancer and remaining recovered.
I feel so strongly, having read Sarah’s book, that every one should be given a copy at the point of bowel cancer diagnosis, or at the very least pointed in the direction to buy it, it is a must.
The information inside is vital to get us all in good shape, not only after surgery, but through treatment too.
I had no idea how important exercise is to cancer recovery.
I read the book and it was like a lightbulb went off in my head, which is why I went on to have a consultation with Sarah via Zoom. She knows her stuff, she’s been there (I think that’s one of the most important tools Sarah has, she’s had bowel surgery, she knows what we’re up against, even if she hasn’t had cancer, she is still an expert in the surgery and more importantly the recovery).
I feel like Sarah has given me a new lease of life. I feel different, I feel incredible actually. Even knowing and feeling my B12 jab is due, I feel good.
(*Just need to point out that cycling isn’t going to be a straight away, go to activity for anyone that’s had similar surgery to me where my anus, rectum and sigmoid colon were removed.
My bottom wound took a long time to heal, and was exceptionally painful for quite some time. But that’s not to say there isn’t some form of exercise that will work for you, until you can get back on the bike. It’s just a case of finding the right one).
My new lease of life was all too apparent when we met up with Milly, Sam and Zak in a country park last weekend.
It has an assault course. Usually I would steer well clear, literally it’s like my room 101 to be near anything to do with strength or fitness.
Well I was feeling frisky as a little lamb! Hahahahaha, or maybe just less unfit.
I suppose it helped that I was dressed for the occasion too.
Shorts set from BooHoo, Shoes from Louis Vuitton.
So, dressing for the day helped, but feeling confident helped more.
Ok so prancing about on some logs and through some logs isn’t particularly an achievement of note…but what followed was!
I not only attempted the cargo nets, I managed it too, not gracefully or athletically maybe, but for the first time in my entire life I went over the top!
I’ve attempted it many times, and many times someone has had to help me back down. Courageous I ain’t!
Maybe I feel more capable or I was just showing off in front of Zak, I needn’t have bothered he was far too busy finding sticks for sword fights with granddad.
(On the subject of Chris, he put his back out, unbelievably 3 days after Sam was struck with excruciating back pain, Chris was too! Sam is feeling much better, but sadly Chris’s is taking a bit longer than he usually does, poor old thing. He had an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon today, so he’ll be fighting fit in no time, fingers crossed).
But the fact remains, whether Zak noticed or not I went over the top of the nets. I was absolutely buzzing after that! I felt like King of the world! Hahahahaha.
We had such a fun visit, even Chris, up to his eye balls on pain meds enjoyed it.
We had a lovely picnic, where Zak mixed his jam sandwich fingers with the dirt and play bark and proceeded to wipe them on my back, albeit gently and lovingly, and he kept peering round to see my face, smiled at me and then went back to admire his artwork, which you’d think was funny enough but he then went merrily off to play and happened to touch the lid of the septic tank for the loos and the little cafe……and then he came straight back and put his fingers in my mouth! :o
You can imagine my reaction hahahahaha, actually we couldn’t stop laughing. Of all the scenarios I did not see that one coming hahahahaha
Hilarious, probably made more so by the fact I’m a complete germaphobe, but it’s ok, I’m still alive, with no ill effects. At least all thoughts of corona were gone, Ebola maybe, but not corona. Hahahahaha
He is an absolute delight, he’s so smart too, he’s an accomplished horse rider already (I kid you not) and beautiful too, with his golden locks and piercing blue eyes, he’s angelic.
He’s Nana’s little angel, who can do no wrong. It’s amazing how grandchildren can do no wrong, but our kids drove us mad. ;)
We had a great time, we also were able to collect the TV cabinet I had bought from Milly’s up cycling company.
It looks an absolute treat in the playroom. Playroom you wonder? You don’t have any children living at home? This is true but I do have a husband that likes games consoles and jigsaw puzzles…and that needs to be done as far away from me as possible. Hahahahaha
Look how perfect that is! I’m so pleased with it. Check out @boundlessinteriors on Facebook and Instagram for homemade, ethical products and up cycled furniture.
Sunday we needed to do something that meant Chris could keep moving about and get a bit more mobile (sitting still with back trouble is the worst thing you can do, even though it’s the only thing you want to do).
So we popped to Neptune in Colchester, one of my favourite places and second home.
While there Chris suggested we update the dining room styling (I like these pain meds he’s on! ;) ).
We were inspired by the new table layouts in store…
Well, I say inspired, but I literally just copied the entire look…
They do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. :)
I love the new look table. OK, so no one’s actually coming for dinner but the point is, if they did, the table will look amazing.
Dress from The White Company, Shoes from LK Bennet
I wore a loose dress because quite honestly my hernia was a bit niggly. I enjoy my cycling, and I really enjoyed the assault course, but my hernia wanted to remind me it was still here.
Duly noted. ;)
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My mum has been a busy little beaver making face masks, as you probably are aware by now, I’m pro masks, I don’t feel it’s too much to ask for me to wear one. In fact I’ve been wearing one by choice, in shops since March.
Even if it’s proved to be ineffective, I think personally it’s worth it because I tried to make a difference and be part of the solution.
But I do want lovely ones, I said I don’t mind wearing one, I didn’t say I wanted to be uncoordinated. Hahahahaha
This dress, required this mask…
Dress from Oliver Bonas, Shoes from Hermes.
…and this dress, required this mask…
Note the blue of my shoes is mirrored in the blue stars on the mask, I don’t just throw this stuff together you know. Hahahahaha :)
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I haven’t put a recipe on here in ages, but I’ve learned to make a coleslaw!!…and I’m very excited about it. Up to this point in my life I hadn’t ever attempted it, yes, I know, it’s very easy etc etc, but so too is buying it.
I found this smashing recipe a few weeks back and we’ve had it about 3 times a week now (that is a problem with me, I find out how to do something and then I just keep doing it and doing it, you should have seen when I learned to make Toad in the hole…by the end of the month I had run out of things to roast in the hole, having given most things a try!! Hahahahaha
2 Carrots grated
Apple sliced thin
Sugar snap peas sliced thin
Garlic chopped small
15 ml of rice wine vinegar
30ml Mayo
Mix it all together
Bloody lovely
Enjoy
xx