Am curious and would like to ask a question

I "celebrated" 4 years a couple of weeks ago.

 I get weird feelings in my chest sometimes, but it's not a constant reminder. I think one legacy of the cancer surgery is that you will have scars and they need to be stretched all the time. Plus we're all four years older!  

 If you aren't in the habit of lifting heavy things I think you could expect to feel it after moving a wrought iron table around! 

I had gotten to the point that I could barely walk.  Would get out of the car and have to stand there for a while to get all the joints in line.

I was rehabbing to get my quads in shape to get a knee replacement and began working with a trainer in the pool 3xwk.  I progressed to 1xwk on the floor (workout room) I began in so much pain, people had to close my car door for me, I couldn't reach it.  I crashed for the rest of the day at home.

I increased my upper body strength from 4 lbx to 65 lbs. in 6 mos.  I have delayed the knee replacement to ??? don't need it now.  I also swim laps for 30 and work with the trainer for 30 min. (no machines)  (trainers are cheap around here, $10/half hour.  I no longer feel guilty about the $ since I don't play gold or tennis or what ever)

I spend at least 15min streaching every day----have only lost about 10 lbs but have had my slacks taken in 2x and can wear nice clothes that fit better and I stand taller with better posture. 

Now, I''m really not bragging----I was in the worst shape of my life and could barely walk around, let alone any distance, and was very short of breath.  No upper or lower body strenght.  I am a plus size woman and will likely never loose it now that I'm almost 65, but by George, I feel pretty dang good.

I have never given much validity to the"you need to exercise, you'll feel better" theory.  I just didn't beleive it.  I was very wrong.

I began the work out to just become flexible again---and have.  I had a beer to celebrate when I was able to touch my toes!  I needed to get upper body strength---couldn't open a bag of chips, let alone a jar.  Now I work in the yard, get up and down(totally unable to do that before) I have leg strength that was totally gone before.

Ok, I'll stop, but I just feel so damn much better!  The streaching was the best place to start, IMO.

Normal?  Yes but not the same normal as 5 years ago.  I do have days where I feel like BC is just creeping around waiting to strick - well more like moments not full days.  I've created a new normal for me and my family and I think that's all we can do after going through all this.  We are new people and we have a new life. 

After my first BC, lumpectomy, rads and tamox, no chemo I felt totally back to normal.  There was a little residual numbness - but it didn't matter.

After the second one with chemo, lumpectomy, rads, herceptin no I didn't feel normal.  I still have numbness in hands and feet.

After the third with bilateral mast I don't feel any worse than I did before.  The odd twinge but I don't miss the breasts.  I care about my hands and feet because they are still useful and when they don't operate properly it matters. 

I am in awe of Dottie.  I need to get there, I want to feel somewhat strong again. 

I so agree with Iodine. I get in the pool 5-6 days a week for 1.5 hours each time. I go to a warm water pool a few miles away where I have learned strengthening exercises in the water. I spend 2 days a week swimming laps for 1 hr--can only do breast stroke and lots of kicking with fins on using a kickboard. The 6th day is my optional one, as I go to the pool when I can with my 14 mo. old granddaughter and my daughter. We have a fun time just enjoying the water. The bonus for me is I have upper body Lymphedema, so the water acts as a compression mechanism to keep my lymph fluid moving through the nodes and out of my body. If I can't go to the pool, I really notice the difference. Because the warm water pool is only 4 ft deep, I even get some weight bearing exercise, which is critical as we get older.

I purchased my "equipment" from Hydrofit online--includes 2 dumbbells, 2 cuffs (for ankles or arms) and 2 webbed gloves to wear when I do laps or walk in the water and work my arms. The warm water pool classes are offered by our local hospital and are taught by physical therapists with experience training clients to use the force of the water to get stronger and more fit. I have been taking the classes for 2 years. I get overheated very easily on land, even if the temperature is only about 60 degrees. The water prevents me from suffering from heat exhaustion.

I also walk several days a week with my husband and our 2 dogs. We do about 2 miles each time. However, several months ago, I did a walk to raise money for our LE clinic, and I walked over 7 miles. Of course, I was toast for a day afterwards! But I was really proud of myself, as I have never been an exercise fan.

Believe me, if you feel the same as I do, look for some water exercise classes in your area. It has made a huge difference in my life and I am in better shape than I was before bc diagnosis!

Here's to walking in the water--and it's fun! 

Oh, yeah!  Forgot the benefit of no overheating in the pool!!