1. < Just Want to Talk
Mentor

Let’s Go Walking! Join me for a virtual walking support group

Posted by Becky, Volunteer Mentor @becsbuddy, Feb 19, 2020

Many of you living with cancer or an autoimmune disease, like me, deal with daily fatigue. You know that exercise is so important to your health, but it’s so hard. There’s always an excuse: it’s too cold or hot, it’s going to rain or it’s raining, or it’s snowy and icy, or I just don’t want to. I, too, have all these excuses, but I have a new rescue dog who wants to go out and who doesn’t care about my excuses! And I’ve got traction devices for my boots.Now I just need a walking group who will keep me accountable. People who say, ‘let’s go for a walk.'

And I thought: What about my virtual friends on MayoClinicConnect?

Mayo Clinic has an easy 12-week walking program to get us started! Here’s the link:
- Get walking with this 12-week walking schedule https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/get-walking-with-this-12-week-walking-schedule/

So let’s form a virtual walking group. We can agree to walk every day and encourage each other through Connect. We can walk outdoors, in a mall, or in the red center, or in the hallways of our apartment building.

Who’s in? Who’s going to join me?

Come on, Let’s Go Walking!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

fiesty76 | @fiesty76 | Sep 6, 2020
In reply to @judyhodgern "Oh I am so jealous of your cooler temps. I want to walk every day not..." + (show)
@judyhodgern

Oh I am so jealous of your cooler temps. I want to walk every day not only to get extra energy (I have Mac) but also to lose some weight— 20 pounds overweight. So, today I took a 2 mile walk (1st time in 2 weeks) ,95° Humidity very high. I had to stop about five times and I either sat next to a tree or wherever I could to relieve my shortness of breath. I always have to sit down,I don’t know why. I used my albuterol inhaler three different times in the hour I walked. Does anyone use a spacer with the hand held inhaler? Wonder if that would help get more of the albuteral, it seems to go from the top of my throat instead of in my lungs. I was scared that I wasn’t going to make it and I did have a mod am’t of anxiety on the last fourth of the walk. I didn’t think I could make it but I did. I shouldn’t of walked. I keep thinking I’m 40 and healthy, not 73 and have a lung disease. Has anyone else been in a situation
where you do too much and scare yourself? I’ve got to think more before I do things. Judy

Jump to this post

@judyhodgern, I think learning to better pace myself has been one of the harder challenges for me as I age. So many times, I've forgotten that health and age make it harder for me to keep doing what I used to do with ease and have had to pay the price later. While there is a lot of truth in the saying: "Mind over Matter", I'm working to remember that while my mind might think 40's, my muscles and breathing often remind me that 77 is my new reality! Glad you took some needed sit down breaks and returned home safely.

REPLY
1 reply
fiesty76 | @fiesty76 | Sep 6, 2020
In reply to @fracturedd "@judyhodgern I think 2 miles is great! Lol- and I’m 40! I have days where I..." + (show)
@fracturedd

@judyhodgern I think 2 miles is great! Lol- and I’m 40! I have days where I can walk miles without any issues- but then I have times where I can’t walk a block. When I’m going through a “flare up” I stay closer to home, rather then going to far, with that fear of not making it back. I wonder if it’s just my mind. When I think about my breathing- it makes everything worse! I have the same issue with the inhaler. I don’t think I actually get anything into my lungs. I put a little peppermint oil on a tissue and inhale- it helps me a lot. I say, think less and keep moving:)

Jump to this post

@fracturedd, Thanks for tip of adding a bit of peppermint oil to the tissue before masking. I often chew some peppermint gum when masked but I like your tip better!

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1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Sep 6, 2020
In reply to @wisco50 "Wow. Can’t imagine 106! Where do you live? So I always am told “it’s dry heat”..." + (show)
@wisco50

Wow. Can’t imagine 106! Where do you live? So I always am told “it’s dry heat” but honestly does that REALLY matter?! 😳

Jump to this post

@wisco50 So Cal we are on a heat wave same today so staying in next week all high 90,s

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lioness | @lioness | Sep 6, 2020
In reply to @fiesty76 "@lioness, Yes, I was so surprised on a visit to San Francisco with daughter in the..." + (show)
@fiesty76

@lioness, Yes, I was so surprised on a visit to San Francisco with daughter in the fall that Sept-Nov were the warmer months. I will be eternally grateful that I was visiting her there on 9/11. At least we were together to experience the unfolding horror and uncertainty. Will make extra ice cubes to send to you and others in "hotspots" now. Maybe an extra lemonade with your chair exercises for the next hottest days?

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@fiesty76 Send them over I,LL be waiting This is our summer Sept - Nov now

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2 replies
mayofeb2020 | @mayofeb2020 | Sep 6, 2020
In reply to @lioness "@fiesty76 Send them over I,LL be waiting This is our summer Sept - Nov now" + (show)
@lioness

@fiesty76 Send them over I,LL be waiting This is our summer Sept - Nov now

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@lioness. How are you handling the heat? I managed to get a walk in yesterday morning, then stayed in to watch the FedEx Cup. I think i may start now and walk a little. As you probably know, it's going to be 106 today. Keep cool.

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1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Sep 6, 2020
In reply to @mayofeb2020 "@lioness. How are you handling the heat? I managed to get a walk in yesterday morning,..." + (show)
@mayofeb2020

@lioness. How are you handling the heat? I managed to get a walk in yesterday morning, then stayed in to watch the FedEx Cup. I think i may start now and walk a little. As you probably know, it's going to be 106 today. Keep cool.

Jump to this post

@mayofeb2020 Pretty well yesterday but already I have the a,c on will cool down till noon or so then intermittently Drink lots of cool water going to stay in and chair exercise today 😊 Next week little cooler high 90,s so you take care also

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lioness | @lioness | Sep 6, 2020
In reply to @fiesty76 "@fracturedd, Thanks for tip of adding a bit of peppermint oil to the tissue before masking...." + (show)
@fiesty76

@fracturedd, Thanks for tip of adding a bit of peppermint oil to the tissue before masking. I often chew some peppermint gum when masked but I like your tip better!

Jump to this post

@fiesty76 I miss d the post of peppermint oil ,what was it ,?

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1 reply
Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Sep 6, 2020
In reply to @judyhodgern "Oh I am so jealous of your cooler temps. I want to walk every day not..." + (show)
@judyhodgern

Oh I am so jealous of your cooler temps. I want to walk every day not only to get extra energy (I have Mac) but also to lose some weight— 20 pounds overweight. So, today I took a 2 mile walk (1st time in 2 weeks) ,95° Humidity very high. I had to stop about five times and I either sat next to a tree or wherever I could to relieve my shortness of breath. I always have to sit down,I don’t know why. I used my albuterol inhaler three different times in the hour I walked. Does anyone use a spacer with the hand held inhaler? Wonder if that would help get more of the albuteral, it seems to go from the top of my throat instead of in my lungs. I was scared that I wasn’t going to make it and I did have a mod am’t of anxiety on the last fourth of the walk. I didn’t think I could make it but I did. I shouldn’t of walked. I keep thinking I’m 40 and healthy, not 73 and have a lung disease. Has anyone else been in a situation
where you do too much and scare yourself? I’ve got to think more before I do things. Judy

Jump to this post

Hi Judy - I have 3 spacers to use with my handheld inhaler. One resides in the bathroom drawer, is quite bulky & I called an OptiChamber by Respironics, another the Vortex. I really like them, but they aren't very portable. In my "go bag" with my inhaler & EpiPen, that goes everywhere with me is a homemade version I have had for years - a 6" piece of corrugated oxygen tubing from a respiratory therapist at the hospital, with a nebulizer mouthpeice on one end. I jam the inhaler into the other end to use it. Works quite well, actually. I think there are also devices called disposable spacers or microspacers that would serve this function.

Don't feel bad about stopping to rest on your walk! The whole point of this group is to get us all up and moving at our own pace. Two miles in 95F & humid weather is quite an accomplishment. Several of my walking routes have benches on them - either in parks, next to Little Libraries, or set out by neighbors along the lakefront or walking path. Yesterday I stopped at one to stretch, and the homeowner came out with a cold bottle of water for me and visited for a few minutes - how nice!

Keep walking!
Sue

REPLY
1 reply
judyhodgern | @judyhodgern | Sep 6, 2020
In reply to @fiesty76 "@judyhodgern, I think learning to better pace myself has been one of the harder challenges for..." + (show)
@fiesty76

@judyhodgern, I think learning to better pace myself has been one of the harder challenges for me as I age. So many times, I've forgotten that health and age make it harder for me to keep doing what I used to do with ease and have had to pay the price later. While there is a lot of truth in the saying: "Mind over Matter", I'm working to remember that while my mind might think 40's, my muscles and breathing often remind me that 77 is my new reality! Glad you took some needed sit down breaks and returned home safely.

Jump to this post

Thank you!!!

REPLY
judyhodgern | @judyhodgern | Sep 6, 2020

Thanks Sue, I better get a spacer because I think I could probably get a better dose of my inhaler if I use a spacer I’ll see if I can find one like the ones you’re talking about thank you so much I very much appreciate it!

REPLY
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