Lets Post our Daily Exercise
Comments
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Hi Julie - welcome! You'll find this is a great group - we have some members who are just starting or in the middle of active treatment, while there are others who are years out.
Others will chime in, but I noticed from your sig that you've had lymph nodes removed. This means you are at risk for lymphedema (LE). Hopefully your surgeon has given you an education about lymphedema and lymphedema prevention measures. But you may want to educate yourself as well as too many surgeons are unaware of LE and don't provide their patients with an adequate education about it. Most women will never develop LE in the at-risk arm, and you want to do everything you can to be one of those women! This means starting slowly with weight bearing exercises - using light weights and low reps - and I mean light, like one pound. Work up gradually.
The Lymphedema thread here on BCO has an excellent group of women who do everything they can to help other women learn about LE and what they can do to mimimize their LE risks. I would absolutely post your question in the Kicking LE's butt!! Exercise & Self Care Log thread in the LE section for some great practical suggestions about how to start an exercise program safely. Also, there's an excellent website all about LE, including precautions you can take - http://www.stepup-speakout.org/
You may want to ask your surgeon for a scrip for a certified lymphedema therapist. The CLT can take baseline measurements and evaluate your risk factors. He or she can help you design a safe effective exercise program, and can help determine whether it's best for you to wear compression garments on your at-risk arm and hand when exercising.
Don't let fear of LE keep you from exercising - exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself during and after treatment. Just be aware of your risk factors so you know what steps you can exercise intelligently and build up your strength in a safe way.
BTW, I love your Move to Maui plan!!!
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Thank you NatsFan (Mary)!
I appreciate you getting back to me so quickly! Lymphedema ... I did get some education on it and did have a nurse at the breast center take baseline measurements. I guess what I remember most about what they said is that I needed to avoid having my BP taken in that arm along with any blood draws or IVs. Wow I only have one arm to worry about, what others must have to worry about with both arms possibly affected!
I will definitely educate myself even further about what I can do to minimize the risks, what to look for, and how to start an exercise program with weights when I get ready to do so. Thanks for the reminder and advice.
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Hi Maui, I have both arms affected, having lost 22 nodes on the cancer side and the sentinel node on the other side. Somewhere between chemo and rads I had developed mild swelling on both sides and thought I would lose my mind.
A good PT helped get the swelling down and I am happy to report that I have been working out in the gym for 6 months now, with no ill effects. But with LE the key is to be two steps ahead of the bugger, so even if your risk is small, it is a great idea to see a PT before you start working out.
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Momine ... thanks for your input too! You guys are awesome!
I guess I should consider asking for a PT prescription. I have had to do PT in the past for back issues (lumbar fusion). So getting workout advice from an expert would probably be good even if it is only for a couple of sessions and to educate me about LE. I will inquire the next PS appointment and also at the GS (that appointment I have before the PS and is in December). I obviously have my out-of-pocket amount satisfied for 2012 and with the upcoming exchange surgery in February, I will meet it again in 2013. So why not add PT to my routine
Thanks!
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on the way to a meeting; but joyh, can you get orders from amazon.com? If so, you can order FIRM DVDs throught them.
Wecome, move!
Bye!
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Joy I'm in the mailing business, if you want anything shipped overseas I can do it for you pm me your address and I'll pm you my office address, ship the stuff to me and I'll onship it for you - I know how to fill out all the customs forms.
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hi ladies and welcome JanetB and Julie!
JanetB, CA-125 test results were told to me by surgeon before ooph, as an aside, oh BTW the results came back negative. I had the blood draw a couple of days before and was surprised it came back so fast, with the Thanksgiving holiday in there. Haven't seen any written reports so can't really answer your question. I can only assume it meant the levels weren't elevated enough to raise a flag. You may know the answer before me since your appt is Monday 12/3 and mine's Friday 12/7 so maybe you could let me know what those numbers mean! :-)
Julie, I am one of the more mellow denizens of the thread. I walk and do yoga. I've built up my arm and core strength to the point where I can do down dogs and planks without arm or trunk swelling but always warm up first.
Walked at lunchtime, they are decorating the state Capitol tree (lighting ceremony is tomorrow) and it smells heavenly under the rotunda. Logged 4.62 km = 2.87 miles for the day.
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90 minutes hot yoga. Teacher was obsessed with chair pose. Tried out side crow and lots of side planks. I am whooped, as I did HIIT 25 this morning. Night ladies!!
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Hi everyone! I'm Gwen and really excited to find this thread. I start chemo next week but joined a gym last week! I really hope to continue exercising through treatment. Have been doing the elliptical for 27 minutes. I'm meeting with a trainer the week following my chemo (assuming I'm up for it). The trainer knows my situation and is brushing up on the how to avoid lymphodema exercises.
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hi Gwen, welcome! Good luck with chemo. You can do it!
If our experiences hold true for you, exercise will help you endure and recover. I started a walking program after BMX, prior to starting chemo, and have gone 3,000 miles since then.
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Did an hour walk in the new Vibrams shoes before chemo this morning. My legs were definitely fatigued faster than with my old shoes. I hope that's a sign I'm using different muscles and will adapt to the lack of cushioning. It's a really different feeling not having that big chunky pillow under the heel. I like that my toes can spread out (even though these shoes don't have the separated toes, there's room).
I'm planning to try to switch my exercise from evenings to mornings. If I can do that I think I'll be less likely to lose the habit when I go back to work.
Welcome new ladies!
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Ann I used to be a morning exerciser, now I couldn't get up early and go to the gym unless I was dragged there
and be careful with those shoes, I believe my foot problems are because I got the new Adidas and Nike lightweight shoes and I don't think they supported me enough. Welcome Gwen, Janet & Julie we all do different things at different levels and this is a great support thread. Love your new avatar misswim.RPM class for me tonight, my butt and legs are screaming right now!!!!
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Oh and I'm thinking about Ruth and her book club and wondering what fabulous cake conconction they are indulging in right now
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11:05 pm...just got done cleaning up.
Hi to the new ladies!
Great pic, misswim.
Cheryl, it was a Red Velvet Cake Pie....well worth the high calorie intake!!
Double exercise for me tomorrow!
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Nice to see newer women today! Chemo has not stopped me exercising though I must admit it is easier on steroid days post chemo! Chemo Tuesday and last dexemethosone this AM so my walk seemed easy. My hemoglobin is on a slide but exercise is not going to change that. 10,800 steps today and a yoga class.
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LUV the new pic misswim. Am I the only one who thinks chair pose is a killer??
Feeling so bloated this morning after eating calzone last night. And ruthbru's red velvet cake pie sure sounds yummy. But I'm determined to EAT CLEAN - for today at least!
20 minutes HIIT this morning, followed by legs and stretch.
Happy Friday, all . . .
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2 mile run this morning - 26 nippy degrees out there, but it was a beautiful sunrise! 15 minute Lebeds.
Ruth - how about our two teams making that trade? I've seen Alex Meyer pitch several times at Low A - he made the other team's batters look like Little Leaguers. He's a good-looking big kid, and I mean big - he's 6' 9" but well built and not out of control or gangly at all. He's our top pitching prospect, so you guys got a good one. I don't know much about Denard Span, but from what I've heard since the trade, he's a great fit for us - we haven't had a true lead-off guy for a couple of years now, and we also need a good CF - we've been pushing corner outfielders into center, but it looks like Span is a true CF. Hopefully this is one of those win-win trades for both teams. Ooooh - I love the Hot Stove League!
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Another brisk walk at lunch yesterday, and crunches before bed. Abbreviated classical stretch this morning as I got up late
Hope to get out at lunch again today, but also have some errands so probably not - but I have my gym bag in the car!Have a great weekend everyone.
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Two classes at the gym freestyle step and body balance. My shoulder is getting remarkably better day by day.
Have a good weekend all!
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Happy Aloha Friday! I'm taking advice and educating myself more about Lymphedema this morning. My Breast Center has a free Yoga class offered on Saturdays (love free!). Can't check it out tomorrow but will definitely next Saturday.
Question ... which doctor should I request a PT prescription from? General Surgeon? Plastic Surgeon? or my Internal Medicine doc?
Hi Badger ... you will find me to be mellow too. Love to walk and interested in beginning Yoga.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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I met with my plastic surgeon this morning and asked her whether I had any exercise restrictions. She said with only one lymph node having been removed I'm good to do whatever I want! I told her how much better my chest feels (as in no pain, totally forget I had surgery five weeks ago) the more I exercise and she said that's usually the case. She said by all means to keep up whatever I can throughout treatment. What a relief!
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Brisk walk with the dog for 30 minutes, all I could fit in - busy day. It's getting colder here - snow in the forecast soon!
movetomaui My surgeon gave the prescription for PT, maybe any physician can give you one? When you do go for PT, see if you can get a qualified therapist to show you manual lymphatic drainage technique. I learned it and have had great success with it, keeping my mild LE from getting any worse. My brother and SIL used to live in Maui!
hbcheryl Thanks so much for the offer to ship. We have a P.O. box in Miami, however it's pricey to send stuff this way, and with duties added once it gets here it's really expensive. I do order from amazon in the UK which avoids tax, however for some reason The Firm DVD's are not available through them.
I ordered a Core Fusion cardio DVD through amazon, though. I'll get The Firm DVD once I'm back in the States. lilacblue Glad your shoulder is feeling better! misswim Great new avatar!
Hugs and Happy Weekend All!
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Happy Friday LuvLuLu-- when you mentioned "chair pose" I thought you meant misswim's avatar pic where she's sitting in a chair. Then I remembered what it really means. D'oh!
HbCheryl, thanks for the warning about the shoes. If my legs don't adjust in a week or so I will relegate them to casual shoes and get some cushier walking shoes. I did try on some other brands of lightweight runners and they weren't as comfy as the vibrams. I used some nike super lights for racewalking years ago and they were comfy enough, but they wore out so quickly it wasn't worth it.
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Gwen - hate to say this but take your PS "all clear" with a grain of salt. While your risk of LE is lower with only one node removed, there are many many women who post regularly on the LE section who developed LE yet had only one node removed. Sadly, too many surgeons are under the impression that LE doesn't happen to women who have only an SNB, so they tell their patients that no precautions are necessary. That's simply not true, as too many women on the LE threads can tell you. I would strongly suggest that you learn about and observe precautions as you ramp up your exercise program. Check out the LE section here on BCO and also http://www.stepup-speakout.org/ The precautions are generally easy to take once you learn about them, but once you develop LE, it's incurable and you'll have to deal with it for a lifetime. According to the National Cancer Institute, rates of lymphedema among women who undergo sentinel lymph node biopsy have been reported to be between 5% and 17%, depending on the diagnostic threshold and length of follow-up. The risk is a lifetime risk. LE can affect not only the arm, but the trunk and the breast.
I see you're in Maryland - if you're near me in Rockville, PM me and I can pass along the name of my CLT. She's young, but knowledgeable, and would be a great resource for you to get a baseline consult.
Maui - Originally I got my LE therapist scrip from my BS, but after a few years I switched over to having my PCP write them as it was much easier to work through her than dealing with the hospital where my BS works. My PCP is fabulous - she admits that she doesn't know much about LE, but knows that I do and trusts me. She never hesitates to write whatever scrips I need to get therapy as needed.
Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer about LE - as we all know most women will not develop it. And please do not let it scare you away from an exercise program - as far as I'm concerned exercise is my best weapon against a b/c recurrance, and is also key to my sanity.
I have arm and truncal LE - most likely I brought it on myself unknowingly when my BS and PS gave me the "all clear" to work out and never gave me any education about LE, what to look for and the precautions to take. I started exercising with a vengeance and took no precautions. I only found out about LE when I was dx with it. So I tend to be a bit protective of newbies who have had nodes removed and are looking to ramp up their exercise programs - I don't want anyone ever to have to deal with LE. 0 -
Thank you NatsFan for your wisdom and sharing of your story.
As a result of my conversation with you and others, I am not going to start anything (besides walking) until I have a couple of sessions with a PT and revisit my Breast Center to learn about my baseline readings and what else they may be able to tell me about LE.
I have been doing my research today and have learned that knowing about the causes, symptoms and the risk reductions practices that can be taken are a necessary part of recovery and getting back to a full-on workout routine that I hope will contain weights in the future
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Thanks Mary. I will be very mindful of this and am reading over the link you posted. Much appreciated.
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Yeah, Gwen, I was about to say the same. On the side where I only lost the sentinel, I do not have a serious problem, but I do get swelling in the armpit if I overdo and other hints that all is not 100%. So, don't get paralyzed or anything, but keep it in mind.
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Momine ... if you don't mind I am going to take the advice you offered Gwen.
I might be starting to freak out a little about starting a workout program so I am going to remind myself "to not get paralyzed or anything, but keep it (LE) in mind."
Hope you don't mind. I just felt like maybe you were speaking to my situation too.
Have a great weekend!
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Agreed - please please please don't let the fear of LE keep you from exercising. Sometimes I hesitate to even post about LE because I'm worried that I might scare someone away from exercise, but on the other hand I worry that if I don't post, someone might unwittingly start an exercise program that puts them at increased risk of LE.
I do yoga, Pilates, run, and yes, I do weights. I not only exercise, but I do normal everyday things like garden, shovel snow, lug groceries, and I can even run a mean chainsaw when I have to (we have a cabin in the woods). But I do them all safely, mindful of LE. You can do the same. Studies have shown over and over again that regular exercise is linked to a reduced recurrence of b/c. I regard exercise as important as my letrozole, and if in some world I had to chose to do only one or the other, I'd choose to keep exercising as I truly believe (as does my onc) that it's that important. It's just that too many of us are not given adequate info about LE, and unknowingly engage in very risky behaviors. I believe that knowledge is power - if you know about LE, then you have a head start in avoiding it.
So no excuses Maui and Gwen and other newbies - start that exercise program!!
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Knowledge is power! Thanks again Mary!
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