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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Breast Cancer / October 2005please allow me to introduce mysell
hi i'm 37...just been diagnosed with breast cancer, had a bi lateral mastectomy just over 3 weeks ago...have decided i like yoga whereas i was a runner gal before...have 2 kids 4 and 2...and i'll be meeting my oncologist on thursday nov 2nd...any advice? moz > hi > i'm 37...just been diagnosed with breast cancer, had a bi lateral > mastectomy just over 3 weeks ago...have decided i like yoga whereas i > was a runner gal before...have 2 kids 4 and 2...and i'll be meeting my > oncologist on thursday nov 2nd...any advice? Welcome to the best group no one wants to have to join! Like you, I had bilateral mastectomies, a little over 5 years ago at age 44. I found yoga very helpful for regaining range of motion after surgery & radiation. Keeping up exercise through treatment tends to be good & helpful, and there are signs that regular moderate exercise (3 hours or so a week of aerobic activity) has positive effects in terms of potential for recurrence. These days, I'm a rower, and I love it. I assume your oncologist will be talking with you about what further treatment, if any, is recommended. One resource you can look at is this group's FAQ, on the web site http://www.cancersupporters.com . In the FAQ, there's a link to questions to ask your oncologist. Another good resource is "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book", available in most large bookstores, at many libraries, or from online stores (e.g., Amazon). Positive wishes to you as you embark on the next stages, and please ask any questions that come to mind (or just come here to vent, if things get frustrating). Take care, Ann T. Remove 'dontsendspam' from address to reply by email > > hi > > i'm 37...just been diagnosed with breast cancer, had a bi lateral [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > so a week of aerobic activity) has positive effects in terms of > potential for recurrence. These days, I'm a rower, and I love it. ------------ Let me second that, about the yoga. It's been *very* helpful to me, I lost quite a bit of range of motion after my mastectomy and yoga has helped a lot--plus other, non-BC-related, benefits like reducing my back pain and restoring my flexibility. Oh, and it also helps ease the swelling in my feet and ankles. I'm 57, always thought yoga was some kind of cult thing, but now I'm really sold on it! Eva > hi > i'm 37...just been diagnosed with breast cancer, had a bi lateral [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > moz Make a list of any questions you have. Take someone with you to make sure the questions get asked and answered, and to provide a second viewpoint to review the answers afterwards. Oncologists tend not to have much time and these sessions tend to be intense. Although probably not as bad as the first one with the surgeon. Tim Jackson >> hi >> i'm 37...just been diagnosed with breast cancer, had a bi lateral [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >Tim Jackson I think the yoga is a great idea. Was that suggested by the doctor? My hospital booked me in for several appointments with a breast cancer physiotherapist after my surgery. She showed me two gentle stretching exercises to do twice a day and made me return to make sure I was doing them correctly. Marilyn hi i'm not really sure how this works so i hope i get everyone. thanks to Ann and Eva for going with me on the yoga. i've no idea if it's recommended or not but my arm felt the best it had been since the operation...mind you i've been paying for it since then. sore ribs etc. SO will be coming with me on Thurs but i write down everything anyway so as not to forget. it's a habit from working 60 hrs pw with small kids, ya gotta get organised. Tim, I checked out some other websites and got a list of questions which i'm sure i'll find again before thursday...my org skills don't go that far. thanks to you all it completly sucks to have met you but i'm glad to have you here (ya, i'm selfish like that) moz I'll "third" that about the yoga. Helps with everything including mental outlook. Best parts for me are breathing (wish I could integrate it more into non-yoga time) and becoming aware of how I hold tension. Walking is good too, but yoga really keeps me going these days. Good luck with your next steps! Pell oops, missed you pell, thanks also about yoga..still learing to breath though :) >oops, missed you pell, thanks also about yoga..still learing to breath >though :) I've been doing yoga off and on for 40 years and I've never learned to breath. It just seems icky to me to be conscious of breathing. But I've never learned to relax either. At the end of a class when the teacher is saying "tighten your shoulders aaaaand relax", I'm always thinking that I could be home dusting or something. The well-known "bad attiture" syndrome. <g> Marilyn Marilyn wrote: > I've been doing yoga off and on for 40 years and I've never learned to breath. It just seems icky to me to be conscious of breathing. But I've never learned to relax either. At the end of a class when the teacher is saying "tighten your shoulders aaaaand relax", I'm always thinking that I could be home dusting or something. I can relate to the "I could be doing X" attitude. For that reason, I don't attend the yoga class aimed at relaxing (Snore and Restore or something like that) but the Ashtanga Yoga class, where we're worked quite hard. After a few warmup sun salutes, the teacher actually cues us when to breathe in and out with each pose. It really helps, not just with those poses but for the rest of the class. I have learned not to worry about what's going on outside the yoga class for that hour. For just that hour, my job is to listen to my body and figure out whatever it needs. If I look at yoga and medical treatments that way, I get a lot more out of them. BTW, when someone tells me to relax, I automatically tighten up. I relax by being completely focused on something. |
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