Help with exercise after mastx

Callygee...Hopefully, your onc team will give you proper exercises for immediately after surgery so that you can increasingly regain strength and range-of-motion. S/he might also refer you for PT so that you can learn the exercises under professional supervision. But I understand that it will be helpful, both practically and emotionally, for you to have a plan set up. I posted these exercises a few threads down on this Fitness forum, but here it is again:

http://www.oncolink.com/types/images/pdf/exercises.pdf

You might want to plan a walking schedule to maintain throughout treatment and begin it right away (now) so that it's already part of your routine. Start out by walking at a faster-than-normal pace for as long/far as you can and gradually increase your speed and distance. Set a max and when you reach it, stay there. Do it every day, if possible. If you have access to a bike (indoor or outdoor), try to alternate walking days with biking days. Yo might also want to begin a basic weight-training program. Before my lumpectomy, I pumped some pretty heavy iron, focusing on chest, shoulder and back muscles. It was my intent to be as strong as possible in the area about to traumatized in order to lessen the impact of the "assaults." But you certainly don't need to bench press your own weight. A few push-ups and a routine with light hand weights will work well for you.

Basically, if you aim for a moderate program that can realistically maintained throughout treatment, you'll be keeping yourself in decent shape AND allowing yourself the opportunity to feel as positive & energetic as possible! Do remember though that this is a time for healing for you and that might sometimes mean cutting back on activity and just chilling out or resting. So be gentle with yourself too.

~Marin

Cally, I did nothing special following my mastectomy last May, other than the exercises recommended by my surgeon. My range of motion recovered fairly quickly, except for being able to extend the arm on that side all the way up while I was sleeping (one of my favorite sleep poses). Recently I started doing more yoga after not doing any for several months. The other night I slept with my are extended up for the first time in nearly a year. I am seeing an orthopedist on Fri. for problems with my "unaffected" shoulder. I've had shoulder problems in the past and they've been worsened by using the unaffected arm for heavier lifting, etc. Look out for overstressing the other side in compensation for the affected arm is the message here. Overall moving helps. Allyson

If you've already had SNB (looking at your signature line here), you may not have much of a problem with range of motion after your mastectomy.  It's hard to sort it all out, of course, and everyone is different, but . . . most/all of my range of motion issues seem to be related to my node dissection, not the mast (unilateral, no recon).

I started mild range of motion exercises (wall climbing, tracing a circle with my arm - the standards) two days after my surgery.  Even before then, I made a point of rolling my shoulders and using my left arm as much as possible, just to make sure everything was in working order.  I got most of my range of motion back pretty quickly (maybe 2 weeks) - it's that last little bit that's hard/frustrating.

Walking/hiking/stationary biking should be very doable, even with drains in.  I was out walking around the neighborhood the first day post-surgery.  I jogged a mile (gingerly!) the day after my drain came out, one week post-surgery.  My energy level recovered quickly and remained good - various well-meaning people warned me to take it easy, I was going to crash if I overdid it, but that never happened.  I think getting outside every day actually kept my energy up. (Of course, I wasn't just coming off neoadjuvant chemo.)

On the upper body stuff, I think the limitation is going to be the way your incision is healing, rather than your drains.  I'll be 4 weeks out tomorrow, and I still haven't attempted any lifting or pushups or anything like that - but I plan to ask my surgeon about it when I see him this afternoon.

Good luck! 

Linda