Side Effects of Chemo

The last couple weeks my mom and I have been going to an Active Adult Class at the local YMCA.  Clive has a Healthy Living Center and originally I got a two month free pass due to the fact that I was in treatment for cancer.  I met with a personal trainer and it was all good.

But every time I do those aerobic activities, I have to go sit down.  I'm sucking air and yesterday I got dizzy.

I was in a Clinical Trial at Mayo where they used a well known chemo agent called Adriamyacin (the red devil - it's red.....)  and a new trial drug.  I did quite well on the regimen  for a long time and then my tumors started to grow so they took me off the trial.  One of the side effects of Adria is damage to the heart.

I never knew I had heart damage until I went to Cancer Treatment Center of America.  They did an echocardiogram and discovered it.  Five percent of people on the drug have it affect their heart and I was one of the unlucky few.  So now I get winded far more easily.

So I've been enjoying this exercise class but every time I have to sit down.  I'd say I am the youngest person in the class so it is a bit embarrassing to be sitting.  I called the cardiologist today and she suggested I was jumping in too far too fast.  So now I have to opt out of the classes and just walk around the track.  My mom and I agreed that I would join the class in the wind down period.  The aerobics are over and they are doing some stretching and toning.

Maybe I could work my way up to a more fun routine but for now I guess I will prevent myself from falling over dead of a heart attack.