World Champion

At the World Masters Weightlifting Championships in Barcelona, Spain, August 16-24, 2018.

I won first place in my age and weight combination. Something I did not expect and am thrilled about.

It is especially gratifying when other breast cancer patients are also successful with a world championship title in her group.

Side effects can happen much later

Two years out since the mastectomy.  And a lot of menstrual bleeding.
First episode was in January. Very light bleeding that went on for three weeks. Since this length is not normal, and I am taking Tamoxifen this raises all sort of fears. The radiology report after an ultrasound talks about how thick the uterine lining is for a post menopausal women. Hmm? Postmenopausal? I am clearly not (despite being 54 years old). Does tamoxifen extend the menstrual years?
Actually, after an acupuncture treatment the bleeding stopped within a day. Very cool!

Second episode was in April. Lots of bleeding. After two days of going through lots of pads I called the doctor and was told to go the ER. Another ultrasound. This time the uterine lining was a whopping 6 mm less than before, although still thicker than the average postmenopausal women. Perhaps this classifies as a D&C with out the D or the C. I like that!

The time period from January-April was also accompanied with back pain episodes that seem to come out of nowhere.

I feel better on 10mg Tamoxifen compared to 20mg which is the typical prescription. Is 10 mg just a good at preventing recurrence with fewer side effects?

Excerpts from the medical literature: 

Tamoxifen blocks estrogen for the breast, but does all sorts of things in other tissues ("exerts estrogenic actions"). The dosage does not seem to matter, just the longer duration and accumulative dosage.

Reference: Hu et al. Molecular mechanisms of tamoxifen-associated endometrial cancer (Review). Oncology Letters 9: 1495-1501, 2015

Extending Tamoxifen use to 10 years (ATLAS trial) may not be as good as taking Tamoxifen for 5 years and then 5 years of AIs (NSABP B14 study). I hope I can stop taking anything after 5 years!

Reference: Huiart et al. Tamoxifen therapy for patients with breast cancer.  Correspondence. The Lancet. 381 June 15, 2013

Practicing the Tai Chi 24 form.

Attributed benefits to the practice of Tai Chi  are enhanced flexibility and balance, lower levels of stress or anxiety, better quality of life, improved sleep.

I started Tai Chi practice about one month post mastectomy by chance. In the fitness center where I work out, Tai Chi classes are offered. One day I watched the class and decided to try it. I had no idea what to expect, just thinking that this is a moving meditation and the students would be guided through it. And we were. But 24 postures, moving arms and legs in sequence, which leads you to sometimes have the back to the teacher, take time to memorize. Any practice of meditation takes time to cultivate and notice benefits. It took about a month to feel relaxed after class for the first time.  Looking back, a year later my sleep quality and hours started improving. I can sleep through the night now for about 7 to 8 hours (feels weird to say this about adults- LOL). Whether this is due to Tai Chi practice or other lifestyle and development changes  is difficult to a say, but I very much appreciate to get back to this state that was normal about 7 years before this.

"In every movement, every part of the body must be light and agile and strung together. The postures should be without breaks. Motion should be rooted in the feet, released through the legs, directed by the waist and expressed by the fingers. Substantial and insubstantial movements must be clearly differentiated."

attributed to Zhang Sanfeng, a 12th-century Taoist monk

The Tai Chi 24 form is a sequence of 24 postures, and it takes 5-8 minutes to complete depending how slow one wishes or is capable to move. While my teacher suggested I could join the more advanced class of the Yang 85 style, I do feel there is a lot to learn and to go deeper into the practice with just 24 forms and not getting distracted by learning a new sequence. A practice I especially enjoy is focusing on one of the "Ten Essentials" during the movements. Each of these deserve more explanation and thought.

Ten Essentials

by Yang Chengfu

1. Empty, lively, pushing up and energetic
2. Hold in the chest, pull up the back
3. Relax the waist
4. Separate empty and full
5. Sink the shoulders and droop the elbows
6. Use intent rather than force
7. Synchronize upper and lower body
8. Match up inner and outer
9. Continuous, without interruption
10. Seek the stillness in motion