Nolly

congratulations and getting through and now pushing on

im now 3.5 years post treatment for a head a neck cancer and six months post treatment was ready to build myself back up again ... I had lost about 3.5 stone and about 60% of my muscle tone

so I went back to salsa dancing (I had started 6 months before I was diagnosed) it was a great low impact but strenuous workout, that got me physically and mentally fit

git it a go, there are loads of local classes

let us know how you got on

vatch

I've been fighting cancer now for 18 years.  Every year from 2000 - 2009.  First cancer, squamous cell carcinoma head and neck, 2000 - 2002, dropped from 225lb to 162 lb in 3.5 months.  First patient to have radiation and chemo at the same time.  Radiation Mon. - Fri. and chemo every Wed.  No energy, shortness of breath, could move about for about an hour then sleep for two.  Then I started a high protien diet and added boost to each meal.  Then I started to walk.  Slowly at first and once around the cul-de-sac where I lived.  3 times around was 1/4 mile it took me a month to get to that level.  Stayed clean for 6 months then had follicular lymphoma, non-hodgkins, from 2002 - 2009, it just liked me as a host and moved from gall bladder to groin, twice, and then to left arm pit.  Still followed my high portien and walking regiment.  Energy slowly came back breathing became easier so I started going back to the gym.  Light weights to start to tone up and slowly worked up a little heavier at a time.  Don't be shy about going to the gym, they'll offer guidance and using the treadmill is easier to judge your progress.  I'm 68 now and still follow what worked for me in the past.  No one said it will be easy, you may have to force yourself to get out of bed one day and feel ok the next.  But stick with whatever plan works for you.  STICK WITH IT & STAY POSITIVE the key words.  I am waiting for the results of my latest PET scan, the lymphoma came back again last year and if it's good I'll be clean a year this time.  I find out 02/16/18.  I wish you all the best of luck. 

Hi Nolly,

First of all, I wish you a very warm welcome to Cancer Chat.

I have has two bouts of breast cancer, the first 8 years ago and the second 7 years ago. I initially had a lumpectomy, then a double mastectomy. After that I had both knees replaced. Like you, I was very breathless after all this. I had also piled on the weight. I attended my local pain clinic, where I did some very gentle exercises overseen by a physiotherapist. When the classes finished there she referred me to my local gym, where rehabilitation classes were run. These were free for the first 10 weeks. I was then referred to another class in the gym. This was for seniors and was more testing, but it made a huge difference to the way I felt. With all classes I only did what I could manage to do and gradually built my capability up.

I then discovered that the NHS was running a Weigh to Go class in my local gym. This was free for the first 15 weeks. Here we talked about diet and the effects of various foods, food combining and sensible eating in general. We were weighed every week, had our waists measured every second week and did an hour of exercise after this. I now attend both classes weekly and have managed to lose a lot of the weight that I put on due to medication (6 stone so far). I also feel considerably better in myself. It might be well worth your while seeing if there is anything like this in your area.

I also like Vatch's idea of doing something for fun. If you can't manage salsa to start with, perhaps you will after a few exercise classes?

I hope that you manage to find somewhere. Please let us know how you get on.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx