Just dropping by to see how everyone is doing. Bunnie, I cannot imagine the depth of the grief you have suffered and the resultant hole in your heart from the loss of your son. I do hope that at least one of those dear grandbabies is the child of your precious son and that his legacy continues and provides you with far more joy than tears.

MarieBernice, delay in treatment would allow the cording to potentially progress, so the issue isn't how soon the cording develops, but rather the need to seek treatment once it is present. A PT will be able to resolve your cording issues, so no need to worry. Scar release is important to prevent adhesions from developing, which will pull and be painful. Deep friction massage can release fresh or mature scars, so it's never too late. Even if you haven't noticed any arm swelling, it is a good idea to consult a lymphedema specialist proactively. You will learn about preventative measures and exercises that you can do, your own personal risk, as well as manual lymph drainage techniques. You could potentially develop some local congestion just from doing something a bit too strenuous in the future, and by employing MLD, you will be able to help the swelling subside by facilitating drainage.

Sisters, I hope everyone is doing well and your recoveries are gaining ground or even completed. For those still in treatment, stay strong, you will get there. I hope that many of you are making new exercise goals to get fitter and lose some weight, if that applies to you. Make small realistic goals that are achieveable, so you don't get discouraged. Change is tough for adults. It's easier to be sedentary and to just tell yourself, 'nah, maybe tomorrow', but you should try and push yourself, even if you only do a little walking. Lots of women like Zumba and the social nature of any type of group class/activity will make it more fun and make you more accountable. You need to be a very motivated person to transform yourself solo. Start with small goals if tx has weakened you, or if you were never fit before bc. Weight bearing exercise is particularly important to my ER+ sisters, as the AIs and tamox (for those pre-meno) is deleterious to bone mineral density. Walking is a great weight bearing exercise and everyone can do it. If you want a bit more of a challenge, then my fitness nag of the week is: take the stairs. If you are physically able to with where you are with treatment, consider walking up a flight or two of stairs. If you are unsure of your health, have heart/lung issues, or are very unfit, please check with your doctor first. If you live in a rural area, you won't have the same opportunity with multi-storey buildings, but if you have a basement, there will be a flight of stairs. Do a set or two. Stairs beckon me…I can't resist. One of my favourite places with lots of stairs is Positano, Italy on the Amalfi coast. There are a couple of thousand stairs from the beach up through the town to the Path of Gods. I get up at 6 am and run them. Because I'm a little nuts. And they also help give me the body of someone half my age.

When your recovery allows and if you are able to up the ante a bit, consider HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Nothing melts away fat faster (ok, maybe lipo, but you won't gain a healthy heart and lungs!). These are short sessions of high intensity followed by a recovery period. You should not be able to talk if you are working at a high intensity level. Bootcamps and gyms are great for these programs, but you can do your own free version on flights of stairs (or hills, but stairs are easier with predictable rise/run). Run/jog up, walk down, short rest, repeat. If you are able to, alternate run/jog, hopping on both feet, hopping on right foot, next flight left foot, taking every second step, do two sets, shorter rest period etc. – so many possible variations. Good luck with your fitness goals. Listen to your body and don't be hard on yourself if tx has zapped your energy. Build up slowly with small achievable goals, that are realistic for your abilities at this stage. My two mantras: 1. You only get out of your workout what you put in to it; 2. Dig deeper.

Have a wonderful weekend, sisters, with minimal SEs. Hugs to all.

Positano at sunset:

Coast from Capri. Beyond the left border of the photo lies Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii. And over a little further is Napoli, the birthplace of pizza. Mmmmm

Katy, I hope you are on an upward trend and feeling better PFC. Keep doing your best to walk. Exercise is the best non-medical thing you can do to help yourself as an ER+ woman. No need to ever run or jog, though - unless that is something that you want to do. A good long term goal could be to work toward being a brisk walker…all the health benefits and it wouldn't take a toll on your knees. Ideally, you want to embrace exercise, and if you scoff at that thought, then at least try and accept it, just like you have with juicing. You will be blasting away sites that estrogen can hide and helping prevent other degenerative diseases. If you resent or hate it and are forcing yourself to endure it, you will likely make excuses and let it slide. You will not be motivated to improve. It's too early now, but you will get to stage where exercise makes you feel better physically and mentally. Make weekly goals. A little further or at a little faster pace. Some days you just won't have it in you to improve and some days you will even regress. Don't get discouraged. You just go back the next day and try again. Improvement comes from building fitness and sometimes digging deep and finding a little extra gas to push a little beyond the level you are at. There will be ups and downs, but you want to have an upward trending trajectory. If it helps to motivate yourself, reward yourself with a little treat when you reach a milestone. I personally find that intrinsic rewards are best. Setting a challenge for yourself and reaching it just feels so good. The things you appreciate most in life are those for which you have to work. You are going to be successful in making your big comeback. Slow and steady. It's going to take time, but you will get there.

Boobiesister, I think you should have the capsulectomy. When the entire capsule is removed, the implant is removed as well. You can have a replacement implant inserted during the surgery. While it is possible for you to experience a second capsular contracture around the new implant because of your body's response and the radiation history, you probably have a greater probability of not doing so. You can do things post-surgically to help reduce the likelihood of capsular contracture, such as PT exercises and taking the drug Singulair. You will need to talk to a PS about your risk for a second contracture occurring and potential preventative strategies for you. Other health conditions like diabetes, being overweight, smoking etc. would all increase your risk, if any of these apply to you. Another consideration is to have perforator flap reconstruction. Capsules don't form around autologous tissue. This is a long surgery with a longer recovery, so not a trivial decision. If you were in Toronto, I could recommend PSs for you. Are you consulting with PSs at a top Vancouver cancer center, or is your tx outside of Vancouver? Capsular contracture can occur with breast augmentations. You want a PS who has good experience with recon capsulectomies on radiated breasts. Perhaps you can phone some offices and inquire about PS experience with your condition and then get another referral. I would want to ask the PS directly about his/her complication rate and percentage of successful second implants. Bear in mind that sometimes complications are directly attributable to the patient, but a lot is riding on surgical skill in avoidance and intervention of complication factors. Not only are you experiencing pain and discomfort, negative psychological and emotional trauma from the distorted appearance and feel, but you are probably holding that shoulder up higher. If lovevt is checking in, she can attest to how this will cause longer term issues with posture, back pain and even hip issues with the misalignment. If you don't want to continue with reconstruction, you could have the scar tissue and implant removed and go flat or wear a prosthesis. Best of luck to you in resolving this issue or living with it, whatever you determine is the best decision for yourself.

MarieBernice, I think it is worth doing whatever you can to avoid getting lymphedema and you are not being an alarmist. Each specialist will have slightly different information, avoidance strategies, techniques and exercises, so get the most out of your appointment with recommendations, suggestions and what to look out for. You will not have wasted the money, even if you don't have stage 0 lymphedema.

Mary, I am so glad you are having a great beach vacation and walks with your family. Your mental attitude and strength is inspirational. Half of this battle is mental outlook. You are going to do fine through tx and moving beyond. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!

Have a great week, sisters!