Dissolving Bone, Wimping Out and Shaping Up

Hey, Wild Riders! How was your weekend?

Would you take a pill that dissolved bone?

You’ve seen the commercials. Almost every drug has side-effects. My oncologist switched me from Tamoxifen, which can cause uterine cancer to Anastrozole, which breaks down bone. You can imagine I’ve been more than a little concerned. I picture a vinegar-like substance hitting my bloodstream. It rushes through my veins and arteries. When it comes in contact with my bone, Tsssssss, it dissolves it like acid. Not good, right?

I’ve become obsessed with everything that strengthens bone. I’m 5’4” and don’t want to lose any height. As it is, I have a hard time reaching the top shelf on tippy toe.

With all the calcification they saw in my breast tissue before my double boobectomies, (the radiologist said my boob x-rays lit up), I was reluctant to go back to taking calcium supplements. Instead, I’ve been on a calcium-rich diet. My oncologist also mentioned, weight-bearing exercise.

You might remember how I broke my wrist the first week in January. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? The fall could have broken anyone’s wrist, according to my doctor, but you never know. After being relegated to sitting inside my house for eight weeks, I hit the gym way too hard. My knee ballooned up like a basketball. I overdid it, so I cut back. Waaaaay back.

Have you ever seen a penned up mustang? That’s how I felt, without the mane.

My daughter texted me last week. She has been taking classes to become a certified personal trainer. The next best thing to having a doctor in the family. She told me in order to build bone I needed to engage in weight-bearing exercises including quickness, speed, and agility.

Whoa. That sounded a lot like tennis and skiing. Parkour looks like fun though.

I looked it up. Walking, hiking, running, weight-lifting, tennis.

Yep.

The next morning, I scheduled the ball machine. I couldn’t imagine sprinting again after weeks of taking it easy. Even though I had been on the exercise bike (which is NOT weight-bearing exercise), and had been walking, I felt weak.

Would I dog after the ball like an old lady? Would I injure myself in some other horrific way?

I quickly banished those thoughts. Geez! I’m a Wild Rider, after all.

The last person who used the machine set it so the ball would go straight up the middle. I sighed and set a big span. Yep. I would run for every random ball that was fed.

I felt like a Jedi warrior.

Soaking wet and out of breath afterward, I felt great. The true test was the next day. No pain. My knee was normal-sized. Wow. Ha!

I had been babying myself, BIG TIME

No more.

Danny and I skied on the first of May. I plowed through the moguls and hit the trees. Not literally, thank God.

Take a look!

 

The weather has changed once again and it will be a lovely week. Time for Wild Adventure!

Are you shaping up for summer? Have you challenged yourself recently? How do you feel about videos on the Wild Ride?