Mets to the Bones and Exercise

Hi! Sorry you're having so much trouble! Have you thought about going for Physical Therapy for a short time? They can help you deal with pain and at the same time, give you appropriate exercises that won't hurt you.The other thought is going to a pool and doing light exercise in the pool. 2 suggestions. You're better off going to a professional . You don't have to go for a long period of time. They can guide you and then you can follow thru on your own. Good luck. Please let us know how you're doing. HUGS!! Cathy

I like the suggestions you have already received. A nutritionist too might help adjust what you are eating to lose the weight. Exercise will help stregthen your body. Cutting the calories helps to lose weight. Both are needed for good health and surviving what they put us through with cancer treatments. Your local hospital might be able to recommend a specialist. They will probably start with you keeping a food diary. It's not as hard as it sounds and it gives you the information you need to make adjustments. I know from experience that the harder it is to start, the slower we are to get started when it comes to exercise. Mets are definately not as strong as actual bone, so you need to be gentle on stressing them. You need the kind of exercise appropriate for anyone with bone concerns. A program right for someone with osteoporosis would be a decent place to start so you can avoid injuries. No heavy lifting, no stress on joints, no dangerous fast moves that might result in a fall, that sort of caution. The doctor's advice to stop when you hurt is good. Tired muscles and pain are two different things and you don't want pain. Not just because it hurts-it might mean you have developed an injury. That will stop you from exercising at all. If the doctor said you could start, start easy. If you can't get a referral to a physical therapist, you could start with walking and swimming, easy at first. Walking and swimming are both gentle on bones and great for getting in shape. Start with a gentle five or ten minutes twice a day and move up five minutes every week if you aren't too sore until you reach an hour a day. Don't rush it. I walked for almost a year around the neighborhood and on the gym treadmill before I thought about joining a class. My local Y had trainers and consultants that advised me to start slow and keep at it. The contests they had each month to reward regular attendence kept me motivated. The trainers there were not medically trained, but they did point out things that would be useful and what I should avoid in the weight room (I had neck pain, a shoulder strain and a bad knee when I started, not to mention a right mastectomy!). When I felt ready (and bored with the bikes and treadmill!),I moved "up" in intensity first with a aquatics course. We jogged with special belts that kept us upright in the water and did lots of stretches poolside. The water held us up. The pool we used was kept warm, even in the winter, so flexibility and comfort was high. The class was filled with folks avoiding bone and joint problems. Some folks had arthritis, others bad hips or knees. Many had weight problems. I was mostly out of shape and concerned about overdoing it after the mastectomy. (Since I don't have bone mets, I eventually "graduated" to some daily land classes that are moderately intense. I would avoid them if I were you until the doctor gives you the okay.) While the local Y worked for me, some of my friends have gone to the gym run by the hospital. That gym has medically trained professionals that can fit the exercise to the medical conditions people had when they came in, though they are a step below PT. The head of that gym told us at a conference that we could see him now or see him later--by prescription. Well, ten years after he spoke, I ended up starting exercising by necessity for my particular issues. I missed the presciption, but only by a hair! I wish you all the best in your journey toward better health.

I agree with the physical therapy suggestion. My referral wasn't for bone mets but the therapist set up a good program for me -- what were my goals, what were my current limitations,pain level, etc. After a month she referred me to the clinic's wellness center and an exercise physiologist where he set up a personal training program working with me at the gym weekly for six months. I now have a program I can do on my own.