So What Is the Deal With My Lungs?

Many people ask me what is the deal with my lungs? What is wrong with them? Won’t they heal?  Well, this is a bit of a tricky question.  Let’s begin with what happened to them. 

When I had cancer there was a tumor a little larger than a softball located between my heart and breast bone, right in the middle of my chest.  The first treatment I took was chemo which is the part that makes you sick and bald, but that part had no effect on my breathing.

The second phase of treatment was radiation.  I really didn’t want to take it because my cancer was basically gone by the end of the six months of chemo.  However, taking radiation doubled my chances of a five-year survival rate for my specific cancer. So, I wasted no time scheduling my treatments.  Actually, the treatments were not bad.  The process was simple.   I went in to get set up and they drew a square on my chest that determined the radiation field with a bright blue sharpie marker.  Then for 20 days I went back and as quick as a chest x-ray, click-click, I was done.  I was on the upswing physically from chemo and was feeling so much better that I really did not notice any side effects during radiation.  My skin was a little red and leathery, but overall not a bad experience.

About a month after my last radiation I noticed that I could not walk and talk on the phone at the same time.  I could not finish a sentence without taking a quick breath.  Then I noticed that if I was carrying a load, I was really winded and it was a drastic change, so my radiology oncologist sent me to a pulmonologist, or lung doctor.  They told me that unfortunately my lungs were damaged from the radiation.  The radiation burned my lungs and there was substantial scar tissue.  Hoping it would heal or go away, I took 60 mg of prednisone (yes 60!) - which is a crazy high dose - for a YEAR.  By the end of the year I weighed 270 pounds and could not breathe any better than when I started. My neck was thicker than my head, I was a pile of mush and I felt as bad about myself as I looked.  So, I CHANGED DOCTORS! I found one that would work with me and help me get better by working, not medicating!  By the next fall I had dropped the weight and walked the 3-day 60-mile cancer walk!  

While working hard has helped me breath more normally without steroids, my lungs still only move about 50-60% of what a normal set of lungs would move.  So, that just means I have to work a little harder when doing anything cardio.  And, for some reason about once every couple of years, they sort of decide to shut down and we don’t know why.  But, once they get to a certain low stage they send me to the hospital for a quick round of IV steroids and I am on my way and back on my feet in about a week.

So, that is the deal with my lungs. Some days it stinks, but it’s not a bad trade off any day for my cancer free life.

Oh, and if you want to know what this feels like, just put a clothes pin on your nose and grab a McDonalds straw, put it in your mouth and only breathe through the straw…that is what it feels like. No problem sitting and reading this you say? Go walk a few flights of stairs and let’s talk.

Today I pulled the trigger and I am now a registered climber with our climb company Climbkili.  Already I feel triumphant over many of my fears.  I am no longer “thinking about it.” I am a registered climber.  I have spent literally hours and hours poring over YouTube videos, tripadvisor.com reports, and blogs from past climbers all in an attempt to decide if I “really” think I can do this.  

The verdict is - I think it will be one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.  Not the actual summit, but the 8 days on the side of a mountain, enduring rain, heat, sub zero temperatures, blustery winds, bugs, mud, dust, exhaustion, fatigue, burning lungs, pounding head, blistered feet, thrashed muscles, aching back, greasy hair, smelly clothes and sleeping on the ground in a tent.  I am banking on sheer determination to keep me putting one foot in front of the other as we make our way up the mountain.  Nothing will stop me.

I am trusting that my determination and disciplined training in preparation will also help me become mentally prepared.  I have notes on my shower door to remind me to attack each day because we have a mountain to climb and God expects nothing but the best from us.  There are stats on my bathroom mirror reminding me that every pound lost is one less pound I have to carry 19,341 feet!  Make good choices!  My car reeks of sweaty boots, muddy trekking poles and my dusty back pack just in case my day gives way to an extra couple of hours to get in an unplanned hike.

All of this focus is not only helping me become better physically but it is helping me be a better leader at ISF.  My days are filled with laser sharp focus of what needs to happen for us to reach our recruiting, fundraising and mobilization goals.  This climb is bringing me back to the level of excitement I felt 20 years ago when I could not sleep in anticipation of what I would see God do the following day.  I am so grateful for a God that created humans in a way that He can breathe excitement into our spirits that can fuel us to accomplish amazing things.

Now the training begins!  Well, I guess I should say let the healthy lifestyle begin! I have ALWAYS struggled with my weight so I figure my food choices would be the best place to begin and possibly the most important part of this journey. 

If my knees are going to make it on all these training climbs and hikes, I think they would appreciate a break of at least 30 pounds or so.  Let’s not kid ourselves, this is the same 30 pounds I have lost and gained a hundred times over my life time!  So, there you go; this is me trying to be honest with you. 

I am going to reduce my sugar intake and try to cut out processed foods – “lean and clean” is my motto.  I am not going to make any crazy across the board statements about food, but I will say absolutely no more diet drinks!  I think all the posts on Facebook have actually worked on me; I fear the diet drink.

With the diet plan in place, now it’s time for the workout plan. There is no doubt…this is going to hurt.  There will be pain probably daily, sore muscles coupled with the occasional blister, sprain and strain.  But, that is all part of the journey.  Can I do this for a full year? That is a long time to be moving toward stronger and better.  I think if I pace myself it will work.

So, where am I?  What can I do now?  How fit am I?  For the past year I have been trying to do more and I feel like I am in fairly good shape for a woman my age.  I can hike 4 or 5 miles with only mild soreness the next day.  I have been cycling again and am up to doing a 15 mile loop with moderate hills and am sore for about 2 days, but need at least 4 days between rides to really feel good again.  I stop once half way around to catch my breath and I think I could make it without stopping if I spin more on the hills.

This week I am starting a yoga class and may do a “body pump” class too if I can’t get out to hike, walk or bike.  This is my proposed schedule.

Monday: Bike no less than 15 miles
Tuesday: Yoga and 30 min on treadmill with altitude mask
Wednesday: Walk neighborhood with a 20 lb. pack
Thursday: Yoga and 30 minutes on the treadmill with an altitude mask
Friday: Fun Day! Kayak, swim at the lake, jet-ski, do something active but fun
Saturday: Long Hike - no less than 8 miles
Sunday: Rest Day!

We will see how that goes, it is going to take a lot of time for sure and also to be sure…this is going to hurt!

It is the hard that makes it GOOD.

With my lungs still functioning well below normal, it was pretty clear that Everest was probably out.  However, there are many mountains out there that I could climb, but I wanted to find the perfect one for me.  Which one is the perfect one for me to clime to celebrate ISF’s 20th birthday and my 10-year cancer victory?  Which one would I most likely successfully summit?  Which mountain in the world represents a symbol of ISF and our history?

The research began and quickly all roads led to one mountain.  Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania Africa!  It is a beautiful peak towering more than 19,000 feet above the African plains.  The best part is that no oxygen, ropes or tactical gear is needed to summit the peak.  (Well, I may smuggle some extra oxygen in my pack!)

The more I have learned about Kili the more excited I have become! It is the perfect mountain for me!  It is in Africa for one, which is a continent full of people near and dear to my heart.  It is a climb I can do with a team, and if you know me at all you know I love a close knit team accomplishing big goals.  It is a climb I can train for and most likely successfully summit the peak after a seven day journey across and up the face of the mountain to acclimatize to the altitude.

So there you have it.  I will be climbing with a team of several other committed individuals and we plan to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro the first week of June in 2014.

This blog will follow my journey and introduce you to the rest of the team.

Now, let’s do this!

If you know me then you know I am out there on the edge most of the time.  The number one question I always ask myself when I get a crazy idea is “why not?” and if I can’t figure out good enough reasons to not do something then it is FULL STEAM AHEAD!  

It is hard for me to do things half way.  For example, when I started cycling in grad school I went and bought a bike I could afford and enjoyed short rides around the neighborhood.  But soon that was just plain boring.  Then one day, a man stopped me in the campus book store and asked me if that was my car outside with the bike on it.  I told him it was and he went on to invite me to ride with their team.  We were off to the races!

Within a year I was cycling competitively on a great bike with a team of amazing people! Yes, jersey, cleats, spandex…the whole nine yards!  Suddenly my goal was not to the post office and back—it was a sub 5 hour century ride! (which I got within 25 minutes of accomplishing, by the way).  Those were great days and I was probably the fittest I have been in my entire life.

About two years ago I was in a conversation about backpacking.  I realized I didn’t know much about actual packing and camping with only what you could carry but it sounded interesting.  Being from the plains of Oklahoma, I had never hiked much as a kid.  We simply did not have mountains where I grew up.  I always wanted to and thought it was cool to see people on television, but thought it was too far out of my reach.  But, there was that voice in my head again saying “why not?”  And, you guessed it, it was off to the races!

Since that conversation I have become admittedly addicted to REI stores and I get completely giddy when we are preparing for our next 2 or 3 day hike in the Smoky Mountains or wherever our guidebook and map may take us.  We started with local trails, then state parks, then the Great Smoky Mountains; first a small back pack and running shoes, now complete gear and hiking poles!

So, it only seems natural that my goals have shifted from wanting to complete the 5 mile loop at the local state part to summiting an actual mountain that extends above the tree line. 

The question then became, “which one should I climb?”

I would like to begin by quoting from my book “Six Foot Tall and Bald”

It is important to realize that, as a cancer patient, you may never get back to your original level of health and strength.  However, that does not mean you won’t be able to feel great and accomplish many things.  One year after my last treatment, while still on prednisone for my lungs, I completed a 60-mile, three-day walk.  Just shy of my four-year remission mark, I led a team of volunteers on a service project to Africa. 
 
My lung function remains at about 50-60 percent of normal.  This may prevent me from competing in the Tour de France—that along with the fact that I am a woman—but I refuse to let it prevent me from climbing my mountains.

That was written about five years ago.  At that time I thought I would only be able to climb the proverbial mountains of life obstacles.

It has been almost 10 years since I heard the words, “you have cancer.”  For the past month I have been racking my brain to think of a way to celebrate not only my 10 year victory over cancer, but also ISF’s anniversary.  We are celebrating the fact that it has been 20 years since I heard the words from a missionary, “Cheryl, do you think you might be the person God would like to use to start ISF?” I put my “yes” on the table that day and took that step of faith.

 A lot has happened in the past 20 years!  I have served in more than 60 countries around the world and met hundreds of amazing people.  ISF has mobilized nearly 8,700 volunteers to serve in 124 countries and we have raised nearly seven million dollars for the cause of sports missions. It has been a crazy good and wonderful journey.

So, what could I do to commemorate the things that I have seen God do?  What could I do to honor Him for the ways he has provided for me?  What could I do? I have gone 20 years without missing a meal, never once been late with a house payment, always had a dependable vehicle, ALWAYS provided for…what could I do?

Well, I’m gonna climb a mountain; that is what! Welcome to Climb20.