Weight training after node surgery
Comments
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Is there anyone out there who lifted fairly heavy before being diagnosed? I have weight trained for the past 30 years - body building in the very early years. I really want to get back into the gym - I don't want to lose any more muscle and strength than I already have.
I had a lumpectomy and 2 lymph nodes removed two weeks ago. I was afraid that I would not be able to do much after surgery, and now I have developed cording. Some preliminary findings show that it is a precurser to lymphedema.
Any advice or experience to share?
Munch -
Hi Munch.
I think of myself as fit. I have been doing cardio and weight training for the last 7-8 years. I am about 5'4" and weigh 138 pounds. Would like to be at 123 pounds, and about 19/20 % BF.
I had signed up for 20 personal training sessions at my gym 3 weeks b4 my diagnosis. (Consequently, my goals changed from getting buff to not falling apart emotionally and physicallyand getting ready for surgery/chemo/rad.)
I've searched the internet for stories of athletes/personal trainers/fitness experts to address fitness training through treatment (as opposed to those that start after treatment ends.) My main concern, as a lumpectomy patient with positive node involement and axillary disection, was developing lymphedema. I haven't found any answers that give me concrete direction as to what athletic types should (or should not) lift.
Soooo ... I've been working with my trainer 2/3 x week focusing on core stabilization/balance/legs/rotatorcuff,biceps,triceps/scapular retractions etc. I do my cardio 5/6 days per week. (Usually 1 hr on elliptical or treadmill at 12-14 incline, 3 to 3.5 mph) I massage (veryyyyy light touch over my arm towards my neck because of node removal), practice deep, diaphragmatic (msp) breathing whenever I think of it, and stay busy and moving. I haven't had my chemo yet ... first appnt. w/oncologist on April 9 .... then will be followed by radiation. I'm going to try and be as active and aggresive with training through this as possible. (Esp. since I cannot find other people at my fitness level that have a similar staging and node involvement ...)
I have not developed cording (yet) ... but I find myself frequently massaging and stretching the scar tissue area.
I am 46, have 2 teenage children. I go to the gym daily. I would go crazy without it. I would love to have a workout buddy!
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Munch - pre-bc were you lifting more than #15?
That's often a weight tossed around that those with lymph node surgery shouldn't exceed. I've find most women don't have a problem with that weight because they don't go heavy.
It might be worth it to visit a PT or trainer whose familiar with node removal, and have them help you work up a plan to getting back to where you were before.
I truely think a great deal of it is working up with solid conditioning, and making sure you warm-up/cool-down properly. Lifting pumps those muscles up, so you want to cool-down so you let your muscles move the fluid back out again -- easing the strain on your lymph system.
Sharon - I think 123 at 5'4" is pretty low - particularly for a mother and 40ish year old. Can you get the right amounts of calcium/protein/fruits/vegetables in on a diet that takes you that low?
Trying checking FitChick's posts out. She's about the fittest gal here that I know of!
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Sharon-
I have/had very similar weight goals (this is kind of a continuation from the conversation on the other thread I think). I have more to say on this but will be quick because I am writing during a movie break. I had total node dissection (see signature) and am working out a lot now. I go easy with the arm weights- was told no lifting over 8 pounds- ever- period. I stick with that because lymphedema is easier to preven than it is to treat/get rid of. Re: the weight goal- sounds very appropriate. This conservative healthy weight guidelines go down to 116 for a woman of any age who is 5'4" and being at the low end for BMI is starting to look like one of the best things a woman can do to prevent/delay recurrence. I am the same height and was at 138 at the start of chemo- am now 127- my onc and PCP are very supportive of me going as low as 116 and one can do this and maintain a very healthy diet- healthier than the average American approach to be sure. I started triathalon training today. Am loving running without the extra 23 pounds I was dragging around, My knees are thanking me!
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Munch & Sharon....Allyson and Rose are right on in all of their advice, though I'll say that I'm definitely in support of the lower weight and bf if you are sure that you're getting all of your essential nutrients. I'm nearly 5'8" and my ideal weight is 124, with a bf of 18.5 or so.
I would just say that those of you who have had both breast and axilla surgery should try to find a trainer who either has familiarity with post breast surgery clients or who is willing to research the issues and abide by the recommendations. If you want a few references intended for fitness professionals, PM me and I'll send you some links. Otherwise, I'd say that it is most likely completely safe to begin lifting again with 8-lb. weights or just the barbell alone for presses and deadlifts, etc. After a time (6 months) and in the absence of any cording or any swelling suggesting lymphedema whatsoever, you might want to bump up to 10s or 12s. Beyond that, I'd say you're taking too much risk unless you are working closely with a highly knowledgeable trainer and/or lymphedema specialist.
I lifted both before and after my surgery, but didn't have any lymph node surgery, so I'm not a good comparison. Good luck and enjoy your return to getting buff!
~Marin
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I lifted heavy before and after surgery (had a bilateral in 04 with 17 nodes removed on the right side). I had no iea what lymphedema was at the time and might not have been so aggressive had I known of the dangers, but...
I do not have LE, but my lifiting routine was pretty heavy before surgery as I was an athlete in training for the Olympics. I retired from my sport in July 04 (didn't make the team
) and did almost nothing physical for a while as I was in graduate school. I was diagnosed in October 04 and had surgery in November of the same year. I started rads in January and karate shortly after because I so missed the physical activity (not the best time to start such an intense activity I imagine, but all my docs were ok with it). I returned to lifting three days a week (including bench press, arm curl and dumbell rows with as much weight as I was lifting when in heavy training) in April. I had some cording, but way, way before I started karate. The activity actually seemed to help...My story is a little unique, but I just wanted to let you know that it is possible to lift weights after node disection. I would second what the others have said in terms of finding a trainer who knows a bit about post-node surgery, though.
All the best to you, Munch...
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Felicia...Do you mind telling us what sport you trained in? It sounds intense, but I guess any sport is intense if you're training for the Olympics!
~Marin
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Felicia, you rock! Like Marin, I'd love to know more.
Here are a couple of abstracts from recently published research. The first was led by Kathryn Schmitz, who will be one of the Guest Experts in April's bc.org on-line Expert Conference on exercise and lymphedema. Please, all of you, plan to be on-line and asking questions, as you're all so fitness-aware, and that will really help the conversation.
The second is about exercise during chemo. Hope they both help. Certainly they're both encouraging!
Binney
Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 24, No 18 (June 20), 2006: pp. 2765-2772
© 2006 American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Weight Training and Lymphedema in Breast Cancer Survivors
Rehana L. Ahmed, William Thomas, Douglas Yee, Kathryn H. Schmitz
From the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health; Biostatistics Division, School of Public Health; University of Minnesota Cancer Center; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN; and the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
PURPOSE: Lymphedema is a common condition that breast cancer survivors face. Despite a lack of supporting evidence from prospective observational studies, occupational and leisure time physical activity are feared to be possible risk factors for lymphedema onset or exacerbation. We examined effects of supervised upper- and lower-body weight training on the incidence and symptoms of lymphedema in 45 breast cancer survivors who participated in the Weight Training for Breast Cancer Survivors study.
METHODS: Participants were on average 52 years old, 4 to 36 months post-treatment, and had axillary dissection as part of their treatment. Thirteen women had prevalent lymphedema at baseline. The intervention was twice-a-week weight training over a period of 6 months. Lymphedema was monitored at baseline and 6 months by measuring the circumference of each arm, and by self-report of symptoms and clinical diagnosis.
RESULTS: None of the intervention-group participants experienced a change in arm circumferences 2.0 cm after a 6-month exercise intervention. Self-reported incidence of a clinical diagnosis of lymphedema or symptom changes over 6 months did not vary by intervention status (P = .40 and P = .22, respectively).
CONCLUSION: This is the largest randomized controlled trial to examine associations between exercise and lymphedema in breast cancer survivors. The results of this study support the hypotheses that a 6-month intervention of resistance exercise did not increase the risk for or exacerbate symptoms of lymphedema. These results herald the need to start reevaluating common clinical guidelines that breast cancer survivors avoid upper body resistance activity for fear of increasing risk of lymphedema.Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 25, No 28 (October 1), 2007: pp. 4396-4404
© 2007 American Society of Clinical Oncology.Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
Kerry S. Courneya, Roanne J. Segal, John R. Mackey, Karen Gelmon, Robert D. Reid, Christine M. Friedenreich, Aliya B. Ladha, Caroline Proulx, Jeffrey K.H. Vallance, Kirstin Lane, Yutaka Yasui, Donald C. McKenzie
From the University of Alberta; Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton; Alberta Cancer Board, Calgary, Alberta; Ottawa Hospital Regional Cancer Center; University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario; British Columbia Cancer Agency; and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Purpose: Breast cancer chemotherapy may cause unfavorable changes in physical functioning, body composition, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life (QOL). We evaluated the relative merits of aerobic and resistance exercise in blunting these effects.
Patients and Methods: We conducted a multicenter randomized controlled trial in Canada between 2003 and 2005 that randomly assigned 242 breast cancer patients initiating adjuvant chemotherapy to usual care (n = 82), supervised resistance exercise (n = 82), or supervised aerobic exercise (n = 78) for the duration of their chemotherapy (median, 17 weeks; 95% CI, 9 to 24 weeks). Our primary end point was cancer-specific QOL assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Anemia scale. Secondary end points were fatigue, psychosocial functioning, physical fitness, body composition, chemotherapy completion rate, and lymphedema.
Results: The follow-up assessment rate for our primary end point was 92.1%, and adherence to the supervised exercise was 70.2%. Unadjusted and adjusted mixed-model analyses indicated that aerobic exercise was superior to usual care for improving self-esteem (P = .015), aerobic fitness (P = .006), and percent body fat (adjusted P = .076). Resistance exercise was superior to usual care for improving self-esteem (P = .018), muscular strength (P < .001), lean body mass (P = .015), and chemotherapy completion rate (P = .033). Changes in cancer-specific QOL, fatigue, depression, and anxiety favored the exercise groups but did not reach statistical significance. Exercise did not cause lymphedema or adverse events.
Conclusion: Neither aerobic nor resistance exercise significantly improved cancer-specific QOL in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, but they did improve self-esteem, physical fitness, body composition, and chemotherapy completion rate without causing lymphedema or significant adverse events. -
Okay - I'm going to be a little contrary here, so get ready.
Some of us have different goals. Some of us are in a real minority, especially as women - even other women make assumptions about our fitness goals.
Nowhere in Munch's post did she say diddlysquat about ideal weight, bodyfat percentages, fitness, BMI, consulting a trainer, or the like. She asked if anyone here had lifted heavy pre-dx and said she didn't want to lose any more muscle and strength.
Out of all the responses, Felicia responded in the affirmative, and of course our wonderful Binney gave some encouragment, re.lymphedema. Unfortunately, these studies do not define what 'strength training' means to the researchers.
To a strength athlete, it ain't the little pink dumbells. Yes, it is well over 15 pounds. It's not about the ab machine. It's about standing on your own two feet with the bar in your hands (or on your back, as the case may be).
Which is my answer to Munch. Yes, I have lifted heavy. Yes, I loved it, yes, I miss it, yes, I very much want to get back some of the muscle and strength I have lost. But no doctor, no therapist, no 'trainer' I have spoken with has clue one about whether I will risk lymphedema (or eliminate my risk) by training the way I want to. There are no studies on women like us. Instead we have women like Felicia the Brave who just Did It.
I have had bilat. mastectomies (BRCA1+) and reconstruction. My last surgery was ~6 weeks ago. I'm just about ready to go - I've been doing unweighted squats and overhead squats with my 12 pound warm-up bar in addition to my reg. yoga. My flexibility is there, my core is there. The whole reason I chose to reconstruct with the method I did (DIEP/SIEA) was to leave all my muscles intact, I cannot imagine not using them!
I'll let you know what happens.
Lisa
who has a t-shirt that says
Get your low weight, high reppin', bicep curlin' 'I just wanna tone' ass outta my power rack -
Hi, Lisa!
I hear you. We do all have to make our own guidelines on how much risk we're willing to court. But I can at least give you a few ideas to LOWER your risk as you get back to what you love.
Find yourself a well-trained LE therapist and get a referral to see him/her. (At least 135 hours of specifically LE training beyond her PT or OT and at least a year's experience treating LE -- call before you go and make sure, or check the links at the Therapist Locator for a qualified therapist near you: www.mylymphedema.com.)
You want the therapist to do these things for you:
1. Do baseline measurements of your arms for future reference.
2. Fit you for a compression sleeve and glove to wear prophylactically when exercising (or traveling by air, or any unusual activity).
3. Give you up-to-date and accurate information about preventing lymphedema, especially about working up to the goals you have in mind.
4. Teach you arm/chest lymphedema massage (self Manual Lymph Drainage) to use prophylactically -- very helpful in reducing your risk! (And it's a nice, restful routine, too!)
Then, when you start back in, stay aware of your arm and chest, working up very carefully from one day to the next without rushing it. If you note ANY feelings of tingling, heaviness, aching or strain, stop at once and elevate your arm. Try again the next day, again being careful not to push it. Always stay real well hydrated, and avoid overheating (raising your core temperature).
Lymphedema is by no means guaranteed to happen to any of us
. Chances are good (especially if you take these few simple precautions) that you'll never have a "swell" day for the rest of your life. But the risk is unfortunately there, and at present there's no way to assess that risk for any given individual. So any precautions you can take will add to your peace of mind, and may very well make the difference. Position Papers on Risk Reduction, Exercise, and Air Travel available at the National Lymphedema Network, www.lymphnet.org.
Hope that helps some!
Be well!
Binney
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Lisa, I love your contrariness and would like to know how things pan out with the type of implant you chose. This is of interest to be because of what I do with most of my leisure time
I am 6 weeks post surgery and a committed yet recreational triathlete (yes I lift, but nothing like Munchy or you) that wants reconstruction later after chemo and such are over.
Based on my work schedule I could do recon in early fall, or I could race a couple of tri's after chemo is over. I think I will vote for the tri's.
Finding other BC women who workout 6+ hours a week and keep it up through and after treatment is not easy.
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Lisa- I went back and read the original post after reading your comment. You're right that many of us did not address munchy's real question. Tuning in more to the question, it sounds from the advice and cautions I've been given that sudden- lift and jerk - kinds of stuff with heavy things is often a trigger for lymphedema. My radiation onc told me it's sometimes stuff you'd never think of- like one patient she had who was doing fine until she lifted up her snowblower. I get that your chosen sport is a big part of your identity so I hope you are able to continue it at a level that works for you. I know I was really at loose ends when I pretty much couldn't run for a couple of years- glad to be back to that.
Ellen- I am doing my first tri in the end of July- any words of wisdom you have would be most welcome- maybe we can "talk"about this on the 2008 fitness goals thread. Is Dundas ON near Dundalk? I made a trip there several years ago.
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Im glad to see this Thread.
And appreciate eveyones input.
While I dont lift as much as the Some. I lift a Good amount, about 60#.
And this is a Big concern for me- because its something I enjoy & I also feel its an Important thing to do for ones Health.
Pam
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Perhaps lifting heavy after node disection without getting LE depends on what you were doing BEFORE surgery...
When I was in HS and just starting to run (my sport was track and field, btw) there was a world-class marathoner who ran a race when she was 8 months pregnant. The announcers took great pains to emphasize that she was a seasoned and well-conditioned athlete who had been training for years so the marathon would probably not do anything harmful to her or her baby as it could for someone who, say, started training while pregnant and ran a first race when 8 months pregnant. The better shape you are in before pregnancy means the better shape you will be in during pregnancy and after delivery; I'm thinking (without any scientific evidence to back it up at all, lol) that perhaps LE and weight lifting work the same way...
But all these studies crack me up; they seem to only research 50+ year-old women who weren't extremely active before dx. This section has so many VERY active women posting - from body builders and climbers to triathletes and marathon runners. Maybe somebody should conduct a LE study on US!
And I LOVE your t-shirt, Lisa
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I think the plus of being an active woman is that you are likely to already have a clue as to how to train.
i agree with Allisonw on the "lift and jerk" Even seasoned athletes can throw themselves out doing stuff they aren't used to in the wrong way.
Maybe the lymphedema studies listed more specifics in the article than the abstracts, but neither mentioned how much weight the gals lifted. There is a big difference between 60 pounds and 5-8 pounds!
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I have lifted weights for almost 30 years too (ah, remember the old days when there were only 1 or 2 women in the weight room and we got all those bizarre looks?) - not lifting the weight I used to. It has been a huge shock not to be able to work out for so long (a month now - even after my baby I did better than that). I started right after surgery with walks, then yoga, then treadmill walk/jog and finally last week (1 month after lumpectomy & 3 nodes taken out) back on weights. if you can call bench pressing 30 pounds "back on weights". My stamina for weights is very low - I've gotten back into running & light spin much faster. I'm just taking it as it comes - pushing a little and trying to listen to my body.
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I lifted moderate weights before surgery. I had two full levels of nodes dissected on the left side. As soon as I got my range of motion back (6 weeks, or so, as I recall) I started back with weights. Very slowly. Baby weights. Within a few months I was back up to my usual--benching 90 lbs, curling 25 lbs,that sort of thing. I never had any problem with LE from lifting. It was something my body was used to and I was able to continue.
Still do, and now with a trainer, after having one node taken from the other side. Lifting, and now climbing, are vital to my well-being.
Anne
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It is so gratifying to hear that some of you even with more extensive node dissection have returned to lifting successfully, like Anne. I had 3 nodes removed with my SNB and then 1 more on each side went during a very enthusiastic bilat mastectomy (better to be thorough I guess, but the left side was prophylactic!)
Binney - thanks again on behalf of all women who want to return to the active life for your good info. My current HMO doesn't have a certif. LE specialist on plan, but I am agitating for one.
Dansmom - I think it's awesome you are benching at all at this point. You are doing the right thing to take it slow and listen to your bod.
ellenoire, I had no implants at all. The beauty of a DIEP, SIEA or an IGAP like Felicia had is that 'it's all you, baby!'. It's merely an autologous transfer of your own tissue. Good luck with your tris - you can always reconstruct in the off-season!
Does anyone else do the overhead lifts? FWIW, the Clean and Jerk is really somewhat of a misnomer. If one uses the arms to 'jerk' the bar overhead, one is doing the lift all wrong. Instead, it is a bent-knee drive from the legs and butt (and core) with essentially limp arms that puts the bar speeding overhead. One just catches it. That's the essence of the Olympic lifts. And why Oly lifters don't bench
It's the same way with the Snatch - you impart force to the bar with your legs and butt and if you do it right (key word - right) it will effortlessly continue its trajectory overhead while you drop under and prepare to catch it. Then the only challenge is standing up with it. Gee, can you tell I need to get back to my lifting?!?
Lisa
Oh - my other favorite lifting shirt says
The myth that women should not lift heavy is advanced only by women who fear effort and men who fear women...
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I wasn't making any assumptions about Munch's goals. I was just relating my own personal experience in trying to find information for gals who worked out regularly before diagnosis. I have been trying to educate myself so as to prevent LE in my right arm (which I see first hand in my mother ... who can hardly walk due to huge lower legs caused by LE after lymph damage in her groin/upper leg area).
I am certified through ACE as a personal trainer, but only to work with healthy populations.
The trainer I am working with is certified by NASM and has a MS in kinesiology. Still, he has only had a handful of breast cancer patients. (And we know that we are all different in terms of staging, treatment and fitness levels.)
I called my GP today and received a referral to a LE therapy group associated with a local hospital's oncology group. (They have 3 specialists listed on lymphnet directory, thank goodness). Anyway, I had measurements taken of my arm before surgery. I am going to have a consult to evaluate where I am, and what I can do to stave off this crappy condition.
Anne, I know what you mean. Being active is vital to my well-being also. I love yoga, lifting, and my hours on cardio equipment in my own zone. Wish I could run, but I've have had an ACL/Patellar transfer on my right knee (years ago) and have developed pretty bad arthritis. Sadly, I have to stick to low-impact activities. (Never have figured ou how to swim ... my butt is always sinking
.)Sharon
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funny, I have mentioned this to a few people today.
If your butt is always sinking, and you want to swim look at the totalimmersion.net way of swimming ( man I wish I was on commision to these guys, the number of times I mention them)
It teaches you how to balance your body in the water, so no more sinking!
Noelle
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Thanks Noelle! I'm going to look that up!
Sharon
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Wow. It's really heartening to hear from all you fit women out there. Yes, I was working with way more weight than 15 pounds. I've never done any real lifting, like Felicia or Lisa (you go girls!), my workouts included dumbell bench with 35 lbs in each hand, and pull-ups with a full straight arm stretch in between each rep.
What Felicia said makes perfect sense. "Moderate exercise" and "regular activities" are different for everyone, depending on what your body had been used to. I will take that to heart.
My weight varies - not thin, not heavy - I love to eat. I stay within a five pound range, and weigh pretty much the same as I did in high school. I am 49, and have two kids. I train because it not only keeps my weight pretty stable, but I love being strong. To Dansmom, yes, I remember being the only woman in the gym. They'd all stare until someone would walk over and ask why I was lifting like I was. I loved being different in that way! It has been a large part of my identity - being the healthy, strong, fit woman. That had been the hardest part about having breast cancer - I feel like I have lost a huge part of my identity. I can no longer think of myself as super-healthy as I used to. I am afraid that I will lose my strength and fitness as well - I already have lost quite a bit. I hope I can get it back.
Today, I am pulling out my little baby weights - 5 lbs - and beginning to do a few curls, etc in my living room. Wish me luck. -
Whoo-Hoo, Munch! Good for you for starting. Remember, a journey of 10,000 miles starts with the very first step. The trick is to keep on stepping
...Have fun curlin'!
BTW, I still get stares in the gym; haven't figured out if it is because I'm one of the few women using the squat rack/free weights instead of the pretty purple and yellow machines or if it is because I'm built like the bar and it looks like I will never be able to even move the weight off the rack, lol. It just tickles me so much...
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I can totally identify with what Munchy & others have said about losing fitness being one of the hardest parts of this whole experience. I am 55 and very conscious that the clock is ticking! My first thoughts after my diagnosis were along the lines of "couldn't be. I work out. I eat right. I get my mammograms." Then recently I realized that all those things don't really prevent breast cancer - but they give you a leg up if/when it happens. Like here I am 5 weeks after surgery - running, light weights, yoga, "spinning" (hesitate to call what I'm doing on that bike "spinning" - I said my goal for the first several classes was to stay in the room for a full hour). I feel myself coming back. If I hadn't been in shape going into this .....
It's like when I my son was born & they told me to push & I thought for a minutes that I couldn't and then remembered that I can do things I think I can't do - like bench press 100 lbs (once!) (a long time ago). Thank goodness!
PS I have to say that my feelings were a little hurt that the surgeon didn't mention my massive muscles!
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LOL about your massive muscles, Dansmom. But you know surgeons - they're just trying to cut stuff out; not sure they notice too much else...
And I agree with you 100%! Your "killer workout" could be another's "moderate" - which is ok. Find what works for you and work it, I say...
Off to the gym!
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Felicia - I have to admit that I give great looking women with muscles a second glance. They're a beautiful sight!
Can you do a pull up? They're one gal at my gym, a petite woman who can jump right up and grab the bar and do about 20 right in a row. Talk about envy....
I've got that "total immersion" book. I bought it for my son when he was on the swim team. He never looked at it but I read it. I am not an enthusiastic swimmer, but I'll say that trying to do their drills and keep myself buoyant "bowie down" made it more interesting.
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Rose, I wear a few layers when I lift (the big t-shirt on the outside even hides my lifiting belt), so I don't think anyone's looking at my muscles, lol. I only strip down to a tank and bike shorts when I'm running, then I promptly put my tights and t-shirt back on to move the weights...
I also get a kick out of the young ladies who come in to workout in teeny-weeny shorts and a mid-riff out tank (who can bend over in that?!?) and the big, muscle-bound guys with massive necks and arms and little itty-bitty legs...
Bless any woman who can do a pull-up or two (or 20)! Upper body strength is soooo important - but unfortunately not something we women are encouraged to have lots of...
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I'm enjoying this thread. Thanks so much, Munch!
Noelle, I looked up the website, and in so doing, discovered the book Chi Running. That got me thinking, maybe I can learn to run without pain .... and swimwithout letting my butt sink!
Happy workouts to us all!
Sharon
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The great thing about upper body strength is that we have so little to begin with, it's fast to make big improvements.
Bummed out today - saw the radiologist and scheduled my radiation. It reminded me that I'm in a different place. he examined my breast and I thought he looked worried. Then they did the CT simulation and I thought he looked worried. Then they tatooed me. I am so tired of people messing with my poor breast! And it really bugs me to have to take my pill for 5 years. I know I'm lucky, but it still SUCKS!
but, I did manage to do a spin class & not just go through the motions.
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Remember - looks on the faces of medical staff most likely have NOTHING to do with you! They're more likely hungry, mad at their wife or a co-worker, late for another appointment, or un-happy with the out-of-date equipment they're forced to use.
I for one can get quite a scowl going when I have to wait 5 MINUTES
for my email to boot-up! Once I remind myself that people who work in a medical place aren't a bit different from the folks I work with then their odd looks fell into place much more easily!
I'm the Mom of a Dan too.
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- 9 The Political Corner
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- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
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- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
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- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
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- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
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- 591 Pain
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- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
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