Will I be able to mow and run the weed-whacker again??

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noboobiesnow
noboobiesnow Member Posts: 2
edited June 2015 in Life After Breast Cancer

Aloha from Hawaii,

I had a simple bilateral mastectomy a week and a half ago. I am doing fine, anxious to get back to work (the grass is growing!!!) Is there anyone who has had a mastectomy and gotten back into doing landscape maintenance? I feel I haven't lost any strength (I was lifting weights and doing band exercises prior to surgery), can lift my arms over my head (SLNB on left). Trying to take it easy but that doesn't come easy for me. I am aware of the slight chance of lymphedema, which I DO NOT want, obviously. This is all a huge inconvenience!! No one does it as well as I can, so trying to find someone to help has been impossible so far.

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  • 70charger
    70charger Member Posts: 963
    edited June 2015

    I did not have a mx, just lumpectomy. It is going to take time. It is hard when u are a mover & a shaker. Keep doing your exercises. Don't overdo it. Keep Away from the windows, if it really bugs you lol. Your body needs time to heal. Keep telling yourself that. I have just over 4 acres with huge flower gardens & veggie garden. Almost 2 yrs since dx. First yr was hard as I had so much gardening to do plus the fruit was coming in. Cherries, saskatoons & raspberries. Accept as much help as possible, leave your perfectionist at the door. Last yr I put down 450 cups of fruit & veggies. It all comes back with time & a few adjustments. Are you going to be doing chemo or radiation?

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  • noboobiesnow
    noboobiesnow Member Posts: 2
    edited June 2015

    Thank you so much!! I was doing upper body exercises many months prior to my surgery because I had rotator cuff repair on my left shoulder in January. SLNB was on left, and I am left-handed. Fortunately, I don't seem to have lost any strength there--yet--definitely not like how it was prior to shoulder surgery (a broken wing!).

    "Leave my perfectionist at the door"---oh boy. That's hard. Nobody does it better than me!! I think I need to start teaching classes in the proper methods of lawn maintenance... I also grow and process coffee; fortunately, harvest season isn't here yet, but will be soon. There are ways to work around things!

    I will ask about a PT who is also a lymphedema specialist. It seems that even the specialists don't know what exactly causes it, right? I'm certainly in the dark.

    As far as I know, I will not have chemo or radiation. I find out next week when I see the oncologist... my fingers are crossed.

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