UKC

May I seek the comments and advice of those on UKC who have been unfortunate enough to have had to go through chemo?

After your last session, how soon were you back on the hills and at what sort of level of strenuousness did you start off at? How long was your first outing?

Thing is I'm actually itching to get back but I know at the moment tiredness would probably overtake me after quite a short time. I thought about starting off with something like the Snowdon Miners' Path so that I could easily reverse it at any point.

In reply to mypyrex:

I climbed throughout my chemo (well after the first 4 weeks when I realised I'd go frigging mental if I didn't - and the whole what if you get cut thing - well what if I got cut on a knife - you gunna ban them too?) and afterwards I went more or less straight back to it in a major way. It took probably 4-6 months to be going full bore, but I was more active then than I was before... As long as you learn your body again it'll be fine. Don't expect yourself to be able to do what you could before straight away, just take it steady - I found I learnt to climb quickly inbetween rests as I'd run out of steam so during chemo I learnt to work out the moves from below, steam through it asap and then have a good rest, then do the same. There will be your own version I'm sure...

In reply to mypyrex:

My friend had chemo when he was 25, post major bowel surgery.
After 3 weeks he could barely walk a mile on the flat , but 12 months later was fit enough to do the national three peaks in 18 hours with us. Raised 4 k!
Good luck and all the best

In reply to mypyrex:

Good on you. A medic mate says that recoveries are greatly assisted by having a focus. Seems like you've got it. Well done

In reply to mypyrex:

Had my last armful of poison on 15/8, then 2 weeks wait before 4 weeks of radiotherapy. Thereafter headed up to Ben Lomond on 15/10. I'd kept pretty active thru treatments and thought I was quite fit, but halfway up I found the going tough (also had less lung lobes than the last time was on a hill). At the top the plan was to come down the ptarmigan ridge but I ended opting for the easiest option of descending my ascent path that i was familiar with. All in all a great day but was way harder than I expected.

Your choice of route sounds a good one. I don't think it's with pushing yourself too hard while your body is still recovering. Foolishly I did several times when out running/plodding in the early recovery months and always ended up catching a bug/cold. I guess just take your time and listen to your body.

I hope you have a cracking day on Snowdon. I'm sure you deserve it.