another lovely sunny day.

[limberlou]

although I am taking it steadily I moved onto week 5 last week and did run1 , not pushing myself too much I repeated that run again this morning rather than rushing on too fast.

Strangely although the weather was better and I didn’t run uphill this time as I did on the last run, I found it harder going and ended up not running quite as fast or as far but I enjoyed the run and completed it ok so that’s the main thing. Breathing was really easy and legs felt fine and HR was back to normal by the end of my walk home so I must be getting fitter.

Then oddly I had my shower and dressed and dried my hair and got really out of breath putting my socks and shoes on!! Very strange!! I drove my son to the gym and he said he’d walk back so I came home, hung out washing and made some yeast cake dough and put it to prove in my car ( nice and warm on the parcel shelf) and then walked up to my friends house which is up quite a steep hill and my breathing was fine again. 🤷‍♀️

Another of life’s little mysteries 😂

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

You are doing well, I've had that breathless feeling when putting shoes and socks on, I think it's bending and squashing the lungs, but I'm not medical so if it happens again I'd suggest asking your doctor for a check up

[limberlou Graduate in reply to SueAppleRun]

I think you are right . I used to stand in one leg and lift my other foot to put my sock on but now I end up sitting on the edge of my bed and putting the offending foot along the bed and trying to reach it 😂😂.

I can still stand on one leg to put leggings or trousers in but not long enough to wiggle toes into toe socks

[SueAppleRun Graduate in reply to limberlou]

Me neither, I usually just sit on the bed and bend to the floor. After my cataract I got into the habit of lifting foot to hands as I wasn't supposed to bend but I seem to be back to bending double now

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Well done to you.. taking it steadily. Sometimes weird things happen.. and probably nothing. but as SueAppleRun suggets, if it happens again... maybe get it checked out

[limberlou Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

As I said to PeggySusi I think it’s cos I’m carrying too much fat around the middle but it’s starting to come off slowly

[PeggySusi Graduate]

Maybe you just got too warm in the shower? Or more likely a too tight bra? (Do comfortable bras exist?🤣)

I hope your daughter’s check up went well. 🤞

[limberlou Graduate in reply to PeggySusi]

I think it was more likely my big round tummy getting in the way 😂😂. I think her checkup is next week. Trying to fit it around work

[Annieapple Graduate]

🍏 Well done on week5:1 … maybe running up hills is the answer🤣 xx

[limberlou Graduate in reply to Annieapple]

Haha maybe .

[Pathrungirl]

I'd love to know how you are now that you've had your liver cyst fenestration, because I'm about to have the same procedure. I've never spoken to anyone with a liver cyst, much less someone that's had the surgery so I'm all ears as to what your pre-op symptoms were and how they've now resolved. Also a runner, I'm wondering if the wooziness that comes over me sometimes after a run is common to folks with liver cysts? My date is June 20 and I'm in a race on June 16 - just getting that last one in!

[limberlou Graduate in reply to Pathrungirl]

Sorry I have only just seen this. I’m so much better now. Before the op I had what felt like stitch, around the side of my waist, nearly all the time. It kept me awake at night too. At first I’d thought it was stitch from running… then I thought I’d pulled something doing Pilates…. Then I thought I needed a new mattress.

This went on for years and got blamed on IBS, pulled muscles etc. a couple of years ago I had a scan which showed up what it was and they decided to drain the cyst. That was pretty painless and day surgery. Back to normal in no time.

My defenestration op was august 4th and went really well. It was in an awkward place, at the back of my liver, which meant it took quite a long time in surgery but I have two tiny pale scars which are fading fast. I had to stay in overnight as it was done at a hospital 90 miles away from my home( that’s where the surgeon who does this op works from). The meds kept me comfortable and I slept through the night, only waking up when they did the hourly obs. And the next day at lunchtime I was given the all clear to go home. My son came to collect me and I had to convalesce for 12 weeks before exercising ( but I did do a bit of gentle Pilates after 6-8 weeks) but I was going for walks after a few weeks.

I found it a bit frustrating not being able to lift things ie washing baskets, shopping bags but I worked round it…..going back and forth with 2 or 3 pieces of clothes to the washing line, when I went shopping I put my shopping into the bags, wheeled the trolley out to the car and then asked a passerby to lift them into my car and then my neighbour carried them into the house from the car when I got home.

And luckily my daughter was on hand in the evenings and one of my sons who lives locally popped over when he wasn’t on a shift to see if I needed anything.

I hope yours goes well and I’m sure you’ll feel much better after it’s sorted.

[Pathrungirl in reply to limberlou]

Thanks so much for getting back to me! And I'm so glad to know that you recovered so well from the surgery. I was particularly curious about how long it would take and I think I have a fair idea now - mine is in sector 7 so under my right rib at the side. There's also another one more toward the midline and both will be fenestrated. I'm planning air travel around 8 weeks after the surgery and I'm taking 3 weeks off from work and going on your experience I should be able to manage both. And so good to read that you're back to running already! One big bonus of finding you (I googled "liver cyst and running") is finding the Couch to 5k podcast! We don't have anything like it in Australia, and I've taken it for a test run and rather like the music and the prompts. At this end of life (I'm 74) there can be lots of setbacks to maintaining one's level of fitness and endurance and these podcasts will help with that. I'm going to stick with this forum too, the people on it seem really lovely and encouraging. And thanks again for taking the time to respond to my questions!

[limberlou Graduate in reply to Pathrungirl]

Do let me know how you get on. I love the podcasts too and often find myself humming some of the tunes. I’m 70 now and I’m just happy to be plodding along at my own speed humming away to myself.

Where abouts in Oz are you ? My grandson is in NSW, Callala Bay and my friend is in Sydney. I have a batch of cousins in Melbourne too but not quite sure where.

[Pathrungirl in reply to limberlou]

I live on the east coast too, like your grandson, but north of Sydney on the NSW Central Coast. I think you're amazing to still be running at 70 - well, I think all of us older runners are amazing! Some days are a real struggle and we can feel like we're 90 but we're a determined bunch aren't we? I'm a counsellor (yes, still working) and had a new client this week aged 82 - also an active runner! I felt very encouraged that there's no use-by date on this, just a few speed bumps