Running and working out after a mastectomy with reconstruction

mckinnonloves

I must say I'm totally scared right now. I am 29 and am receiving mastectomy with reconstruction in a month. I have 4 babies all under the ages of 6 and my youngest is 7 months. I'm so unsure what recovery is going to be like. Will I be able to lift my baby and how long till I can? Will I be able to run the 5ks and 10ks I love to run. Can I do mud runs? I want to run jump and play and my hubby being in the military I don't have a huge spectrum of medical choices. Any advice would help. I have choosen to get this surgery. My mother died at 29 of breast cancer and I tested positive for the B2 gene. I know I don't have cancer yet but I feel that this is the right choice. Please give me advice if you can.

geewhiz

Hi McKinnon!



I just had my second round of tissue expanders 6 weeks ago. I trail run, bike and do hot yoga. They ask you to wait several weeks to let everything calm down, and get the drains removed. You dont want to do anything that raises the heart rate too much initially for fear of rupturing stitches, etc. You will need time to heal.

You can walk almost immediately, do stretching, restorative type yoga. You might need help picking the baby up for a week or two at least.

Good Luck!!!

mdg

I am so sorry you are going through this....have hope - you will do what you like doing after this!!! I have been a fitness instructor for years and I also run.  I had BMX last year with TE's and then implants.  I was back to teaching aerobics a few weeks after I finished chemo.  I exercised all through treatment.  I was not allowed to workout for a month post BMX and exchange surgery but I did physical therapy during those times.  I worked with a physical therapist that had experience with MX patients and I went 2-3 days a week for several months post BMX.  It REALLY helped.  I do everything I want now.  I run 6 miles a few days a week.  I teach aerobics and do yoga regularly.  My son is 6 now and I play ball with him and do whatever I want.  You will not be able to lift your kids for some time though....they will have to just climb in bed with you and cuddle that way.  I know it's hard - but you CAN do this.  Feel free to PM me any questions you have.  I don't mind.  Good luck!

loriio

One factor to consider is if you are having a SNB. That can lengthen your healing. I would advise having someone stay with you to help with the kids for the first couple of weeks at least.

NatsFan

McK - I had a BMX with DIEP recon 4 years ago.  Today I run 5K and 10K races, I do mountain hiking, I do yoga, core workouts, weight training, Pilates, swim, and just about any other thing I want to do.  And I'm a lot older than you - I'm 56 years old. 

As others have said, just take your time after surgery and don't push it.  Obey your surgeon's restrictions to the letter.  Doing activity faster or more intensely than recommended can actually set you back - you put yourself more at risk for surgical side effects such as lymphedema, seromas, increased drain output, etc. if you start lifting your kids, cleaning the house, changing sheets, or cooking meals, or doing exercise of any kind while on restrictions.   It's hard as heck to ask for help, but if you want to give yourself the best chance for a full and active lifestyle in the future, ask for help from family, friends, and neighbors as you recover from surgery now. 

Mdg's idea of getting a referral to a physical therapist is excellent.  Your surgeon should be able to do that for you.  Make sure that you get a referral to someone who works with breast cancer patients to minimize your risk for developing lymphedema. 

Good Luck!!

Sassa

You will probably have simple mastectomies, as opposed to a modified radical, and there will be no lymph node diseection.

Simple mastectomies will be easier to recover from than a modified radical (I have a simple on one side, a modified radical with SNB on the other).  You will need to stretch out and work on regaining flexibility in the chest, shoulder and neck area. It will be a while before you are allow to lift anything more than 5 lbs.

You don't say what type of reconstruction you are having done.  Type and timing (immediate or delayed)will also factor into your recovery.

curveball

@mckinnonloves,
I went to a support group meeting for reconstructive surgery earlier this week and found that with DIEP, there are strict lifting/exertion restrictions after surgery. I asked if this is the surgical side only, or any lifting. The nurse who is one of the co-facilitators explained that for two weeks at least, it means any lifting at all, because any exertion can raise your blood pressure, which might compromise the newly transplanted flap. After that the restriction becomes looser (maximum of 5-10 lbs), but goes on several more weeks, and means not only lifting but also pulling or pushing anything above that weight. That is going to be tough for me--even my cat weighs more than 5 lbs! Also, from the comments of women who had already had their surgery, you likely won't feel up to any strenuous activity for several weeks after DIEP. The women who are further out from surgery (months or years) have returned to all their previous activities. After my unilateral mastectomy (no reconstruction yet) my surgeon told me not to lift anything heavier than 10 lbs for 6 weeks. But I think this varies from doctor to doctor. I know there is a lot of variation in the kind of stretching exercises people are told to do after MX.

I am sure you are going to need someone to help you with caring for your kids while you recover from surgery, but since you don't have cancer, you won't have the side effects from radiation or chemo to cope with, just the surgery itself. I bet once you fully heal, you will be able to do everything you could before.

mckinnonloves

Thank you ladies so much. I think I almost cried reading some of your posts because fitness is such a large part of my life and just a part of the way I live from day to day. It really helps and I'm so glad I found this site. Talking to others who have gone through this surgery with more wisdom than I, really helps.

Azhelenmo1

I had my reconstruction many years ago 2006 and since have had implant exchange and just yesterday had a mass removed and implant echange left side and a breast lift as the implant had dropped. I do not run but I swim 1 mile daily and walk 5 miles daily..Just hug and love your babies, worry about the rest as each day comes. we are all different , heal different and do different surgeries.. My heart goes out to you and I know that you will do great..

aernest

I'm not the fittest person on earth - never was - but did go to the gym for mild weights, walking, sit-ups, etc. After chemo, radiation, and mastectomy with lymph node dissection on right, got prophylactic skin-sparing mastectomy on left. Was supposed to have flap recon on both sides, but not enough good vessels on left (this was discovered in MIDDLE of surgery!), so got one flap and one tissue expander. Six weeks ago, got changeout for implant and a bit of a tuck on right. Flap site is comfy, though that's the armpit that got jacked up by lymph node removal. THE GOOD NEWS - I had lymphedema on right side, and it went away after reconstruction! Implant WAY more comfortable than tissue expander, so take heart, everyone who has a TE! I just started back to gym, with VERY light weights. So far, so good. I feel better stretching everything. It all feels very tight.

Moderators

Aernest-

Welcome to BCO, and thank you so much for sharing your experiences! It's always helpful when members hear first-hand about someone's positive outcome, especially when they're in the thick of it. And we always welcome good news!

Welcome again, we look forward to reading more from you!

The Mods

maxdog

mckinnonloves-i ran a 5k 10weeks post BMX. And, I'm not in the best of shape! Take time to heal, then have fun!