S is for swimming

I'm really excited! I got the go-ahead from the physio at the hospital and from the chemo nurses that I can go swimming again! I had a really great intake interview with a lovely physiotherapist yesterday and she said I should be doing about 30 mins medium-level exercise every day - in other words, something that gets me warm and slightly out of breath, but that I can still talk (i.e. fat burning level). It can be walking, cycling, swimming, using some apparatus at the gym with weights etc. Anyway, I have my first 'gym' appointment on 15th December where they will give me a personalised training plan that I can do in the hospital gym under supervision, in a group of about 8 other people who also have cancer. I'm really looking forward to that. In the meantime she gave me a few tips on exercises that are good to do and movements I should avoid. It is basically that my hip bone (particularly on my right side) has been weakened by cancer so is more fragile, so slow, controlled movements are ok, like cycling, but I have to be really careful with sudden, jarring movements. For example, if you miscalculate and miss a step while going downstairs or stepping off a pavement, or if the ground is uneven, or having to make an emergency stop and get off your bike. Well anyway, it's all good news for me and I have a bit more direction and feel safer in knowing what I can do and what to avoid.

So the second chemo was fine, all done within 2.5 hrs and no problems so that was ace. Esther came to keep me company and the time flew so that was great. Being able to come home and just sleep in our own bed was such a luxury and a relief. Today I feel fine and we are going to go swimming this afternoon - I can go today but from tomorrow for another week and a half I can't because of the risk of picking up an infection, as that is the period when my immune system is at its weakest and I am more likely to catch a bug. I can't tell you how genuinely excited I am at the prospect of going swimming... got my costume, hat and goggles out already. I know I won't be able to go at my usual speed or do the same number of lengths I normally do, but just being able to do something will be an achievement!

I've been up for hours already but that's ok, have used my time very efficiently by doing some translations, replying to emails, organising another new private student that Ed and I are going to share! We can make appointments for lessons when we are both available and Ed will be my sub on the bench ready to jump in if I'm not feeling well enough or my voice decides it doesn't feel like working! I think it's a great solution and the student is fine with it so we can start next week. I've also got some more proof-reading work via Marion, (thank you!) which is for a company which has quite a lot of work and it's really nice material - quite creative. The stuff I did first was flyers and a map aimed at international students going to study in Rotterdam, so all about finding accommodation and things to do, places of interest etc. It was interesting and relatively easy; I hope the guy is happy with what I have done because he said there is definitely more where that came from... fingers crossed.

The side-effects of the chemo will kick in tomorrow, so I have some reprieve today! I am aiming to eat as much as possible and do as much as possible today because I can imagine that the next few days will be wiped out with my activity limited to moving between the bed and the sofa! I hope I am wrong and that I will be relatively ok, but it's best to be prepared for the worst and then be pleasantly surprised.

It's a beautiful sunny day today which also helps the mood. It did look cocking cold early this morning - it was white and everyone was scraping their car windows, but it's all melted away and looks quite nice. Might get dressed and go out for a walk now while I have the energy.