I made it outdoors today at two different times to take a short walk in the Sun. I truly believe that Sunshine has healing powers along with fresh air. Walking to the sound of mourning doves is just a special icing on the cake.
At this stage in the cycle (7th day since treatment), my walks are limited to the block on which I live. We are 12 houses, with garages that back up to a T-shaped alley. I know all the neighbors, some better than others, but we have socialized in some way with all of them. There have been days when I’ve limited myself to the alley. Back and forth and back and forth. It’s closer to the garage and, should I get tired, it’s just a hop and a skip to get home. By hopping and skipping, of course I mean shuffling and sighing dejectedly. More importantly, in our neighborhood, there is usually someone outside or in their garage so, if something should happen while I’m out walking alone, there’s someone to help me hop, skip, or shuffle home.
On better, but still not great, days, I circle the outside of our block. Round and round. Slowly, but I’m moving, so I’m rather proud in a pathetic, I-remember-when-I-could-walk-5-miles (uphill!!) kind of way. I choose this route, repeatedly passing each of my neighbor’s homes, because my neighbors are nice people. It’s not just that I can quickly be home if I get too tired. I can, and cutting through our T-shaped alley is the extra bonus in that regard. But it’s really because I am confident I can rely on them.
See, my body can get over-tired. It doesn’t have a good track record for consistently providing red blood cells (oxygen carriers), so I’ve had moments of being dizzy and being unable to keep my body upright. This could present a problem if it happens outside the house, on pavement/cement, or well, anywhere. I recognize it happening, and fully and respect the body’s signals to sit down now! This is why I stick to my one block. Should this ever happen while I’m out walking on my own, none of my neighbors would bat an eye if I suddenly sat down on their steps or the sidewalk or their front porch for that matter if I felt ill. Most, if they noticed I was there, would likely join me for a few minutes to catch up (after calling Kathy to rat me out for overdoing it). For this reason, I just always feel safe circling the 12-home block I live on.
During today’s adventure circling my block, my Fitbit informed me that I had achieved the “Italy Badge.” I’m not entirely sure what this badge is for. I imagine it’s the achievement one unlocks after having circled the same block slowly too many times like an old Italian Grandma. All I’m missing in my quest is the plastic rain bonnet and one of those rolling carts for my grocery bags. On this day, though, it strikes me that it smells like garlic on my walk. Someone is making a wonderfully garlicky dinner. Then I understand — the Fitbit has powers I didn’t know.
Talk about machines taking over the world. Not only does my Fitbit sense that I am walking the same block repeatedly, it can smell the Italian dinner in progress. It’s not enough that it counts my steps and determines whether my minutes in motion are “active” or not (I’ve come to a new understanding that active is relative to our body’s abilities), it now takes in the environment in which I carry out these steps. What next? How long ’til it tells me I’m sweaty and smell like a gym? The Hang-it-up-and-go-take-a-shower Badge. When will it taunt me for walking back-and-forth to the office printer 10 times in as many minutes because that stupid document won’t print properly? The Printer Prisoner Badge. And, if it really does know these things, why doesn’t it give me credit for long hours standing in the kitchen? I can spend a couple hours in my kitchen cooking all sorts of wonderful things and the darn thing counts only 50 steps! Where is my Kitchen Badge?
Whether or not the fitbit is tracking my environment, it has been great for setting goals. At the beginning of a treatment cycle, I may only log steps between the sofa and the bathroom. Sure, it can feel like a lot (no one warns you of the frequent bathroom visits caused by chemo), but it’s no 10,000 steps. Fitbit lets me reset my goals all the time. I may shoot for 2,000 steps and gradually increase as energy returns. It’s a pretty awesome thing. But, until it starts cooking me that Italian dinner, I’m going to remain skeptical about its abilities.