Exercise After Surgery

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Carrol2
Carrol2 Member Posts: 2,903
edited June 2014 in Working on Your Fitness
Exercise After Surgery
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  • Carrol2
    Carrol2 Member Posts: 2,903
    edited August 2010

    I had a bilateral mastectomy and SNB (just one) 17 days ago. I am on my last day with the compression bra. I got a booklet before hand from the American Cancer Society with some after surgery exercises. They are all for flexibility of the shoulder and chest. I do them 2x a day and I am coming along well I think. I am not sure what I should be able to do at this point. I can lift my arm almost all teh way up straight over my head but if I am on the floor and I lift  it over my head  I cannot touch the floor  I am at about a 75 degree angle, if 90 is pointing to the ceiling.

     I am worried about weight gain so I would like to add some cardio asap like walking. I do get pretty tired so I was going to wait a few more days but not sure how much i should do. I thought I would try 15 minutes and see how it goes. Is that enough though?

    Can you all please share what you did?  

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  • JFV
    JFV Member Posts: 795
    edited August 2010

    I have a book called The Breast Cancer Survivors Fitness Guide.  Now, it was not recommended to me by a doctor or anything,  But, I have used it and found it helpful and really detailed.

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  • di431
    di431 Member Posts: 65
    edited August 2010

    I just walked at first. I was given some stretches to work on before I left the hospital to get back my range of motion. You shouldn't do too much until your drains are out. After I got the OK to workout, I added in weights/resistance training slowly, but only after I had gotten back full range of motion in my arm. I followed some DVD's for post mastectomy patients. I mostly used  Yoga, Pilates, ballet bar and light resistance training workouts.

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited August 2010

    I know my doctor said no aerobic for 3 weeks but he might have meant running not walking. I highly suggest you call your doctor/nurse and ask them.

    Every doctor is different. I know the first PS I spoke with said he didn't want me doing anying except bathing myself, brushing teeth, combing hair for the first 2 week…wanted me to hang around and watch TV or read. My current PS doesn't want me cleaning house but he doesn't want me to walk around like a tyrannosaurus Rex not lifting my arms. He says if I do that my range of motion will not come back and I will need physical therapy. He will be giving me exercises after the drains are out.

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  • Carrol2
    Carrol2 Member Posts: 2,903
    edited August 2010

    Well I didn't t do much for about the first 10 days. I just raised my arm above my head for 45 minutes in the mornings. Then when the drain came out at 10 days I added some more shoulder and chest muscle exercises. I can move my arm much better now. Tomorrow I can take the compression bra off. I still have some discomfort which makes me pretty tired. But I am able to do more an more every day. I just cooked dinner for my husband and I today is day 17. Nothing fancy, broiled a steak, instant mashed potatoes, frozen corn, salad. I hope to be able to drive at week 4. I will ask m doctor then if I can do more and see if I can meet with a physical Therapist.

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  • NatsFan
    NatsFan Member Posts: 3,745
    edited August 2010

    Besides all the standard range of motion exercies, my surgeons always wanted me to walk, walk, and walk.  It was painful, but I was doing (very slow) laps around the hospital wing even before I was discharged, and I walked just about every day after discharge. When I first got home I could walk for only about 10 minutes (with the drains pinned to a loose shirt), but after a little over 2 weeks I was doing an hour of walking daily and was able to go back to work. It was still slow going - believe me I was not setting any speed records, but I was able to sustain an hour a day.  I found it really helped me sleep better at night - on the couple of days I had to skip because of bad weather, I didn't sleep nearly as well that night.   

    As lago says, every doctor is different, so be sure to check with your surgeon.  But for me it felt wonderful to start to get out and be active again, even if every 90 year old in the neighborhood was walking faster than me! Laughing

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  • PitPat
    PitPat Member Posts: 156
    edited October 2010

    I'm on the upswing of recovery too. I had great range of motion after my BMX and recon. Bloodloss during the first surg made doing anything make my heart pound with the slightest activity. I took me 2 weeks to recover my hemoglobin levels to normal and to feel normal again. But I couldn't do anything more than walk to the end of my downward sloping driveway (getting back up was a different story)

    I've recently had a set back that has me having to hold my left arm at my side again and now I'm suffering. My whole shoulder cradle seems frozen and it is painful first thing in the morning.

    My original surgeon said no lifting over my head and to keep my arms at my sides as much as possible. Second Ps who did surgery to remove my rejected implant says the same with a no lifting objects policy. Other than that I've had no other instruction.

    I feel like I could do more, but fatigue keeps me from doing not much more that light housekeeping and the occational walk. I'm hoping once I do get moving, I'll be motivated to keep moving.

    Moving like a 90 year old..yup. I hate looking like I'm not the "picture of health" and keeping my "game face" on is hard when I nowlook better than I feel.

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  • jan508
    jan508 Member Posts: 1,330
    edited October 2010

    My oncologist wants me to walk (weight bearing exercise) 25 min 3Xa week.

    I've been walking 1 mile every day or 2 mile every 2 days and I feel great!

    Try walking and start slowly..

    Jan

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  • Carrol2
    Carrol2 Member Posts: 2,903
    edited October 2010

    I agree exercise does help. Even on my worst chemo days which was friday and saturday. I did 60 mins of slow peddling on my elliptical. Now on the upswing day 6 of chemo # 2 of 4 of TC.

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