What exercise do you do?

rizzo15
rizzo15 Member Posts: 153 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
According to everything I am reading, I guess it is a good idea to keep up with some exercise routine. Since I have diabetes and high cholesterol as well as breast cancer, there are a lot of reasons for me to keep exercising. I dropped out of my step aerobics class after diagnosis because it was too high impact. Now I am trying to ride my bicycle 2-5 miles a couple times per week. This is in addition to my daily arm exercises, post-mastectomy. My bones are still "tender" after taxotere chemo. Surprisingly my radiology oncologist is not encouraging exercise at all. Do you think I will really become so tired during radiation that exercise is out of the question? (I've only done 7 radiation treatments so far and will eventually do 28 total.)

Comments

  • lindatn
    lindatn Member Posts: 229
    #2
    I'm 59, finished radiation on Dec of 2002 after chemo first and lumpectomy. I don't think radiation will make you to terribly tired to excerise. I run a dog kennel and was out cleaning two hours or more a day seven days a week. My husband just finsihed 42 radiation treatments for prostate cancer and drove three hours everyday plus helped with the kennel and kept up a three acre yard. We did nap a hour or two everyday and went to bed early but keeping busy is good for the body and soul. Good luck. Linda
  • maryh
    maryh Member Posts: 33
    #3
    Hi! I just couldn't get into the exercise routine until a friend talked me into a water fitness class. It's terrific! If someone doesn't feel like exercising with the group, or can't for some reason, she just walks in the shallow end of the pool and/or does leg movements by the side. The idea is to keep moving. Sometimes we use weights. That's where I had a problem. I decided to increase the weight and ended up tearing my mastectomy scar. Ouch! Dr. said it would be "OK". He said to keep exercising, just slow down and to do more repititions with smaller weights instead of increasing the weight. The exercises are good for the range-of-motion in the arms, too. All the class participants have either had BC, arthritic knees, hip replacements or back injury. And the very best part...no one cares how you look in a swimsuit! It's a great social hour, too. (now for the disclaimer...) Be sure you check with your Dr. before joining a water fitness class.
    Mary
  • bullfrog13
    bullfrog13 Member Posts: 213
    #4
    Rizzo. I worked full time while on Radation AND Chemo, Im afraid Ford MOtor Credit INSISTED upon prompt payment no matter what my health condidtion! Anyway, I found that keeping busy and napping when needed helped in the long run. I tried an exercise program at the Y, but found it was to much to soon. I Re-grouped and started "curves" about 3 months later, and I love it. You should be fine with radation, just REMEMBER to NEVER put cream,oils,lotion on BEFORE your treatment.. Frog learned that the HARD way!
    Wish someone had told me that going into it!
    Love Jerilynfrog13@yahoo.com
  • bullfrog13
    bullfrog13 Member Posts: 213
    #5
    Rizzo. I worked full time while on Radation AND Chemo, Im afraid Ford MOtor Credit INSISTED upon prompt payment no matter what my health condidtion! Anyway, I found that keeping busy and napping when needed helped in the long run. I tried an exercise program at the Y, but found it was to much to soon. I Re-grouped and started "curves" about 3 months later, and I love it. You should be fine with radation, just REMEMBER to NEVER put cream,oils,lotion on BEFORE your treatment.. Frog learned that the HARD way!
    Wish someone had told me that going into it!
    Love Jerilynfrog13@yahoo.com
  • rizzo15
    rizzo15 Member Posts: 153 Member
    #6
    Thanks to all who have responded. It sounds to me like my doctor may be a little on the pessimistic side when it comes to exercise. I'm still working full time (a desk job, not a huge amount of running about) and keeping up with my vegetable garden on the weekends. From what I hear from my chemo therapy oncologist and radiation oncologist, very few of their patients are still going to work. With the current recession, I feel lucky to still have a job. The job market is worse than terrible in the Silicon Valley at the moment. I accidentally dropped a pole pruner on my foot a couple weeks back while sawing off a couple dead tree limbs--an accident I've previously never had in my life! I guess it takes a few accidents to remind us when to back off.

    Bullfrog13--thanks for the reminder about creams and lotions. They told me to slather on the aloe 3 hours before radiation...but if I ever forgot to do it within the 3-hour window...I'm supposed to just do without. Can't figure out why all those black magic marker pen lines they draw all over don't burn me to a fritter! I just stopped trying to wash off the dotted lines and marks every night. If I scrubbed them every night, I wouldn't have any skin left at the end of 28 radiation sessions.
  • Mico
    Mico Member Posts: 3
    #7
    I do pilates and yoga...no weights on any high impacts exercises.
  • maba
    maba Member Posts: 3
    #8
    I just had a mastectomy 3 weeks ago. I have been doing my exercises, but felt like I needed guidance as to if I was doing them correctly. I asked for a referral to a physical therapist and was delighted with the results!!. She gave me more exercises to do, assessed my range of motion and let me know I was making good progress. She also explained the tightness I felt in my shoulder was from the wound healing and encouraged me to massage the area around the scar. It has helped a great deal. I really encourage everyone to see a physical therapist if you feel you need guidance during the recovery period.

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