Last Monday, I met with Dr. Angel who is my new oncologist. I was nervous and apprehensive. The first two oncologists I met - Dr. Diaz-Montes and Dr. Tweed were not very good and they were rather abrasive. Dr. Jewell was a jewel. I did not know what to expect when I met with Dr. Angel. Turns out Dr. Angel is indeed an angel.
After I was checked in, I was looking at the computer monitor and noticed this line of information next to my name "ENDO CA TRANSFER OF CARE". Endometrial cancer is like my permanent brand. I was curious to see what kind of surveillance plan Dr. Angel would propose because Dr. Jewell changed things last May.
I immediately liked her. I liked how she tried to connect with me and get to know me better. Before our appointment, she reviewed all of my records. She asked me how I was feeling overall. She recommended the following surveillance plan that Dr. Jewell initially started. Pap smear plus vaginal, pelvic, and rectal exams every three months for one more year then every six months for the next two years. For the fifth year and beyond, once a year.
She took an interest in my genetic test results and read through the report. We agreed to have me do CA-125 tests routinely just in case. The CA-125 tests for tumor markers of ovarian cancer and I need to get started on my routine mammograms. The next follow-up appointment, she'll do an ultrasound to take a look at my ovaries. She examined me and said that all the surgical incisions looked really good. Two are now hard to notice. I had to point those out to her. She was surprised how small they were. She said everything looked and felt great.
What made it a really good appointment was the quality of the sign language interpreter. The University of Rochester Medical Center has some awesome interpreters. It was nice to be able to live locally and know for sure I would get good interpreters unlike the experience I had in Annapolis at the Anne Arundel Medical Center. I did have to fight with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City to provide me with quality sign language interpreters at the beginning. It's really nice not worrying about the interpreting services so that I can just focus on being the patient.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Rope Siriasana: Loosening My Rectus Abdominis Muscles
Tomorrow I meet with my new oncologist. I am feeling somewhat apprehensive. I continue to hang on to my temporary respite from doctors as I neglected to complete forms they need from me. Last week, I had to drag my feet to the cancer center for updated blood work. I think tomorrow's appointment will push me back into monitoring my medical needs. I am ready nonetheless. I have to be. That was a nice escape for a while.
While I was working on revamping my food blog, I learned there is now a way for people to be notified via email of my new posts. My loyal readers had been asking for this for a while. I added a new gadget on the right side of my blog. Go ahead and add your email address. Happy reading!
Anyway... back to the point of this post. Two weeks ago, I groaned when the teacher asked us for the second day in a row to do rope siriasana. I often prefer to opt out of doing that pose. Before my hysterectomy, I was simply too scared of doing this pose. This is what it looks like...
The fear of this pose stemmed from a bad yoga teacher who was not certified. She did not carefully explain the steps to me. When I got into it, I fell on my head. Ever since, I had this creeping dread of this particular pose. I was able to successfully avoid doing it as much as I could for a long time.
After my hysterectomy, it seems like my teachers ask me to do this more often in the recent few months than in the past 15 years of yoga classes. Dang. The first of the two days two weeks ago, I went into the pose while facing my old inner fear. I panted heavily. While I was fighting my fear, I realized that I had this other feeling... like this pose was extremely intense for my abdominal muscles. I stopped after five minutes and told my teacher I was done.
When she asked me the next day to do it again, I groaned. She asked me what was going on. I told her. She said she would show me step-by-step how to enter the pose safely and how to exit safely. As for the intensity I feel in my abdomen, she asked me to focus on where specifically as she hasn't heard of anyone complaining of that issue. Once I got the fear out of my mind, I focused on the feeling. I was able to stay in the pose for about five minutes without panting. I got out and told her where... rectus abdominis (also known as the "six-pack" muscles). She said, "Aha... those muscles must have tightened as a result of your hysterectomy." Remember how it took me so long to rebuild strength in those. Now they're tight!! Agh! She encouraged me to continue working on those muscles. The reason why this pose feels so intense is because of the gravitational pull. She proceeded to show me some poses that would work the same muscles with less intensity. Those did feel good. After the class, those muscles felt so tired. The past two weeks, I have been focusing on working on them little by little.
My teacher showed me a book called, "Iyengar Yoga Cancer Book" by Lois Steinberg that includes some suggested poses to work on those muscles. I wish I had known about this book when I was recovering from the surgeries but glad that it is available as a resource.
While I was working on revamping my food blog, I learned there is now a way for people to be notified via email of my new posts. My loyal readers had been asking for this for a while. I added a new gadget on the right side of my blog. Go ahead and add your email address. Happy reading!
Anyway... back to the point of this post. Two weeks ago, I groaned when the teacher asked us for the second day in a row to do rope siriasana. I often prefer to opt out of doing that pose. Before my hysterectomy, I was simply too scared of doing this pose. This is what it looks like...
After my hysterectomy, it seems like my teachers ask me to do this more often in the recent few months than in the past 15 years of yoga classes. Dang. The first of the two days two weeks ago, I went into the pose while facing my old inner fear. I panted heavily. While I was fighting my fear, I realized that I had this other feeling... like this pose was extremely intense for my abdominal muscles. I stopped after five minutes and told my teacher I was done.
When she asked me the next day to do it again, I groaned. She asked me what was going on. I told her. She said she would show me step-by-step how to enter the pose safely and how to exit safely. As for the intensity I feel in my abdomen, she asked me to focus on where specifically as she hasn't heard of anyone complaining of that issue. Once I got the fear out of my mind, I focused on the feeling. I was able to stay in the pose for about five minutes without panting. I got out and told her where... rectus abdominis (also known as the "six-pack" muscles). She said, "Aha... those muscles must have tightened as a result of your hysterectomy." Remember how it took me so long to rebuild strength in those. Now they're tight!! Agh! She encouraged me to continue working on those muscles. The reason why this pose feels so intense is because of the gravitational pull. She proceeded to show me some poses that would work the same muscles with less intensity. Those did feel good. After the class, those muscles felt so tired. The past two weeks, I have been focusing on working on them little by little.
My teacher showed me a book called, "Iyengar Yoga Cancer Book" by Lois Steinberg that includes some suggested poses to work on those muscles. I wish I had known about this book when I was recovering from the surgeries but glad that it is available as a resource.
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