Just diagnosed yesterday

Green, usually the timeline is something like this:

Surgery, followed by chemo starting about 4/5 weeks later. Then a break of 3-4 weeks, radiation simulation, a week or two for computations and then 4-6 weeks of radiation.

If you don't have to do chemo, just deduct those weeks. If you're a candidate for intraoperative radiation, brachytherapy or a shortened course of radiation you could be done sooner.

If you're just looking at a lumpectomy without sentinel node or ALND the recovery's usually pretty fast, especially if you're fit (as you are). The SNB adds some healing time and the ALND is kind of a major pain, relatively speaking.

If you're fit and don't have to heft your bike too much you'll probably be able to participate in events pretty shortly. However, radiation does induce its own type of fatigue, particularly towards the end. Again, current advice is that staying active seems to decrease the fatigue, so that could be a great excuse to participate in rides as long as you listen carefully to your body.

It's definitely a pain not knowing how the year will play out; I struggle with that myself just about every day.

Ok, I am doing something crazy on here. I tried to answer proudtospin (boy, wish I had thought of that name!) and my whole message disappeared? I wanted to thank you for your advice and am in total agreement about the soup with tons of veggies and spinach. Been eating it last 5 days...lol YUM! UGH. I cannot find your msg, nor my partial answer?! Where did they go?

Green, the big unknown of course is chemo. If you don't have to do that you could be through treatment pretty quickly, depending on the length of radiation.

I, too, lost my appetite completely after dx. I found it helpful to make a blender full of a green protein smoothie and keep a glass of it on my desk to sip on. It was about the only thing I could choke down for quite a while and, while I did lose weight I was able to keep up protein and veggie consumption. I still rely on that a lot, even in the middle of winter. (The upside it that clean up is minimal and so is shopping. It's a good thing my husband doesn't mind scrounging for his own dinner.)

hey green, I understand about loosing posts!  I just lost mine to you`~

thanks for liking my name!  I came up with it as I was the oldest in spin when I started!  I have to confess to changing up my exercise routine and do not do as much spin now~~Really since on an AL which can cause bone loss, I opted to do more weights and strength training.  But now I am retired so I do have time~~  

feel free to PM me if any questions but you will get through this!

by the way, I was working out for a couple of years with a guy who is working on his PHD in physical therapy as it relates to cancer survivors!  He now works with CINJ on some programs.  With your background that may be a direction for you in the future~~

Hi proudtospin

i was the oldest in my Spin Instructor Class...lol...in my classes I am at the "older" end...lol. I don't instruct, but keep the cert up in case I get the urge. And oh boy, I look forward to retiring...but no plans for a great while. What is this CINJ? Sounds interesting. I am going to do my best to keep my strength up thru-out this mess. I use the machines, no free weights...I have lowered my wgts and upped the reps...don't want any injuries. My bad experience with an MRI came when I injured my neck 2 yrs ago...hence the MRI dread Thanks for your msg and I hope we keep in touch!

Gren...it is Cancer Institute of NJ and is part of the big Rutgers/UMDNJ stuff in New Brunswick.  CINJ is more of a research type thing or that is my impression but could be wrong on that part. Sounds like a good idea on lowering the weights for a time.  I tried to keep my weights up after treatment and got myself sore and almost in trouble,  Then met my trainer and he backed me down to 1 # weights and brought me up slowly!  I have a bit of lymphedmeia in my trunk area so I do tend to worry about that 

I kept going to the gym during my treatment and yeah, it helped me to feel normal?  I cut back on the time there but yeap. it sure does help mentally

 I will be thinking of you on the day of the Bike tour!

Greenae--I was back at the gym two days after lx--with surgeon's blessing and also his restriction on arm work for a couple of weeks--and I felt great after doing leg and back resistance work and after cardio. And kept working out all thru rads, always going straight from rads to gym on MWF, and never experienced fatigue during rads. So keep up your strength now and as much as you can during treatment. Added bonus--the endorphins that exercise triggers are better (and safer) than prescription meds for keeping anxiety and stress away! tgtg

wow. You all are making me hopeful! (Oops, sort of a pun? I am going to to my best to keep at it. I just keep coming back to my fear of the MRI, and that I could have masses elsewhere. Trying so hard to not think about it. Wishing I could just Know that it's just this little spot in my ledt breast. At least once a day on the verge of tears. And 8 more days to go before I meet my doc. So, I just keep trying to plan for how healthy I will stay. And praying it has gone anywhere else. Thank you for helping me

I agree that the gym is better than any dang anti anxiety pill!  and spin? smokes but it forces you to BREATH!
You got a bunch here that will be following you!  with loads of good wishes and of course ready with answers!