My mind on my Body & my body on my mind
The concept of “freezing” has been a big part of the conversation as of late. Welcome to November in Southern California I guess (where the temps are dipping into the 40’s). Last week, I had dinner with a few longtime girlfriends. We’ve seen a lot of each other’s lives - from getting pregnant, raising kids to caring for our partners, parents and in-laws. We share the love of fitness and working towards our best selves- so when one of us has found the latest & greatest we have to all try it.
Cue the “freezing” conversation back to mind. Have you tried the cold plunge tub? Asked my friend. Sure, I’ve dabbled with cryotherapy- last year as I was wrapping up oral chemotherapy, I was convinced cryotherapy was helping me manage the inflammation in my arm as well as my body. But No, I personally haven’t tried a pool of ice cold water- between my red blood cells declining, the anemia creeping in and the brisk 50 degree mornings, I’ve done everything in my power to stay away from anything intentionally cold. But this wasn’t the first time I had heard about the wonders of a cold plunge tub. My other girlfriend has been swearing by it for weeks. Friends of friends claimed it’s changed their ability to recover (truthfully none of us want to admit we’re just getting older).
This conversation took place as I was gearing up for my 7th round of chemotherapy- my 4th cycle. My last cycle before my next PET CT. With every sun that rises, my anxiety levels up a notch. With every body ache, twinge, cramp, side effect, my hear skips a beat. This is my first Re-staging PET CT. My first one that will tell us if this treatment is working or not. It feels like everything is on the line with the results of this scan. But I’ve also been feeling good. I mean really good. Like I don’t have cancer good.
So I asked my friend to take me to the cold plunge. If it’s helped so many people recover and feel their best, surely it could help me too. Besides, I CAN DO HARD THINGS (Thanks Glennon). I’ve managed 6 rounds of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, plus every other drug all the while of coaching a high school tennis team and fighting for the normalcy of every day.
So help me God we did it. We jumped into the 40 degree water after playing an hour of tennis (which would have normally crushed my body for a solid 2 days). and it was COLD. I felt like I was going to throw up and black out simultaneously. But then I woke up the next morning…and I felt good. Like really good.
Who knows if it was the cold plunge, or the fresh air on the tennis court that day, or the time out with girlfriends that week whom I love and cherish their friendship - but I’ve gone back twice. And I plan to go again. Because if I’ve learned one thing on this journey to date, a strong mind feeds a strong body. A strong body feeds a strong mind. The two are so interconnected they often operate as one.
Following my 7th dose of chemotherapy this week, I felt horrible. And my mind immediately went to worst case scenario. The chemo isn’t working. The cancer is growing. I had to intentionally pause, address the negative thoughts and remind myself that there will be hard days. That doesn’t mean we are off track or the treatment doesn’t work. Hard days exist. BUT WE CAN DO HARD THINGS. Doing hard things leads to great moments and great successes.
So the jury is still out on the cold plunge- but as long as it is easing my muscle pain and aiding in my mental fortitude, you will likely find me there as often as I can go.
