Last week my doctor had sent me an email saying that the tests that I had on my heart and lungs on Jan. 23 were normal. I forgot to blog about it. Today I received the hard copy of the test results. The transthoracic echocardiogram was normal, with no evidence of dysfunction or damage due to chemotherapy. It didn't see any evidence of pulmonary hypertension, either. The v/q scan (pulmonary perfusion with ventilation) also came back normal, with no segmental perfusion defects. Chelsea looked over the test results and said that it shows that my heart and lungs are in excellent condition.
In her email, my doctor suggested that I ease back into increased physical activity, as my energy level permits. I've played racketball a couple of times with my kids. They've quickly learned that the easiest way to score is to hit the ball very softly when I am at the back of the court. There's no way I'm making it to the front of the court in time. I have to take frequent breaks to try to catch my breath. My goal is to slowly rebuild my stamina.
It's more difficult to be motivated to do the right things physically when I know that my odds of long-term survival are low. It's not like I'm trying to keep up my health because I expect to live another 30 plus years. Instead, I'm just focusing on the short term, trying to build my strength so I can better enjoy each day. Doing things like playing racketball with my kids is enjoyable simply because we're having fun together. The aerobic workout is secondary. Sort of like life: enjoy the journey while you're on the way to your destination.
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