The doctors appointments are ramping up! Someone's getting a boob for her birthday!! My surgery is July 10 so I'll ring in 39 with a matched set!
About a month ago I finished the Spartan Beast in a speedy 8 hours. That was no joke. My brain said I was ready. My lungs however went on strike a few hundred yards in. I don't know what the hell happened but we started walking up the mountain and my lungs seized up. I couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't seem to regulate it. I panicked that I was going to have to DNF this and it hadn't even been 20 minutes. I didn't know what was going on.
The obstacles were only ok. 19 walls. Ok really 4 or 5 but really Spartan there's 13 miles to come up with more than the same "climb over the wall". Monkey bars that I missed. Rope climb I skipped. Spear throw I nailed. But any incline, and it was legit stairway to heaven, and I was gasping. The weight of my camelback even bothered me. I only banged the underside of B- climbing over one wall so all in all that wasn't nearly the issue my breathing was. And it's so strange because I had been doing sprints and running treadmill, not up to 12-13 miles but I hadn't been experiencing any difficulty breathing like this.
Some research I had been doing could be a few things. Post radiation effects leading to some lung capacity issues or possibly scarring. Sometimes these side effects don't show up till about 6 months or more after you're done with treatment. Or red blood cell issues and some side effects of their oxygen carrying capacity. Like anemia.
Or just my ass is out of shape.
So yesterday I started with a physical. I haven't seen this APRN in a year. She's the first one I mentioned my signs to and it steamrolled right downhill from there. So we had some catching up.
I mentioned the SOB (that's shortness of breath not naming names or anything) and she said that could be a legit issue. She asked if I'd like an inhaler. I can use it as needed. My mind flashes to
Because I've never used one before. (Although people were offering theirs to me at the Spartan, because I apparently looked like I was in some legitimate distress.)
So now I have an inhaler. What's next.... floss?!?!? Fallin' apart.
When I think back though, this shortness of breath has snuck up on me at other times. A patient mentioned I seemed out of breath after I had adjusted him, and he was by no means difficult to adjust; and other exercises such as KB swings or things that ramp up my heart rate a little just really gets me winded more now than after I had recently finished radiation.
In other boob news...
I have a wedding to attend to the end of the month. I bought a one shoulder black cocktail dress and went to have it altered wearing my VS strapless. (The only one I own.) Seamstress said, "oh that bra is all wrong. Bend over, reach from the back and scoop it all in."
Well. One side scoops. The other is unscoopable. I explain my situation and said I'd like to avoid dropping money on another pricey bra as I have to get my system updated in July. So she understood but proceeds to measure me anyway. And around my ribs I'm a 34. So she says that's my band but seriously I've never worn a 34 in my life and then I'm revisioning the Oprah where they measure all the women and they're all in wrong bras and they're real sizes are 17P and they come out looking fabulous with their girls lifted off their bellies. She thinks I should try 34d's. I'm highly skeptical.
I proceed to re-re-measure myself and buy 27 bras online. And every one fit differently.
Bra shopping is a pitfa. And shopping for a half boob is a major pitfa. Shit actually B- stands on her own! She's my good cleavage!!
This weekend I go to Long Island to take a course in Breast Cancer Yoga Therapy. I'm so excited! I can't wait to start building this part of my life to help others.
Spartan Super next week! About 8 miles. Shit I hope it's not on a mountain. I'll still skip the rope climb. But I'm going to defy my body here and keep pushing (and apparently puffing.)
