My Daughter aged 46 has had a partial Mastectomy and has started Radiotherapy this week, she has returned to the Gym twice a week I feel she is pushing herself needlessly she admits she has been told she can exercise but is this too much too soon also as she says she is exhausted ? She has sessions until the 19th December.
She has very fair skin and burns with the sun very easily, should she have been Prescirbed Medical Honey Ointment to help with this.
Hi Navy Mum2
Thanks for getting in touch.
My name is Paula and I am one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.
I can see you’ve joined a couple of the online cancer forums including the carers only forum. I hope you’re finding it helpful sharing your experiences with others.
I am sorry to hear about your daughter’s Lobular breast cancer diagnosis. I can imagine it’s been a worrying time for you both and therefore understand your concerns about your daughter returning to the gym twice a week, especially as you feel she is over doing it.
Here at Macmillan, we can give general advice and support. We are independent from the NHS and don’t have access to medical records so cannot give personalised information.
Physical activity is often encouraged before, during and after a cancer treatment. It’s suggested moderate exercise is advisable as it can help with troublesome side-effects of treatment for some people. Exercising safely is equally as important, especially if your undergoing cancer treatment.
Hopefully, the gym your daughter attends are aware of her diagnosis and current treatment plan and her exercise regime is tailored to accommodate this. If not this needs to be discussed with the fitness instructors at the gym and your daughter so she is pacing herself during these exercise sessions.
You mentioned your daughter is struggling with fatigue, this could be down to the side effects of treatment or other causes. If this is a new or worsening symptom, we would suggest your daughter should report this to her clinical team. As they are in an ideal position to assess her symptoms to make sure she isn’t experiencing anaemia because of her cancer treatment.
Medical Honey Ointment can be prescribed to help manage some side effects of Radiotherapy treatment. However, that would be down to her team to prescribe this if they felt it was appropriate. The Radiotherapy department she is currently under will discuss and advise skin care management with you daughter whilst having treatment. As each hospital have their own policies and protocols regarding this as it varies from hospital to hospital. You many find this link useful to look at
I know this is a worrying time for you, so it’s important that you don’t feel alone. Here at Macmillan, we offer a range of support and services you can access. You may find this link useful to look at.
I hope you find this information helpful, but if you need further support please don’t hesitate to get back in touch. Sometimes giving us a call can be helpful. We can talk through your concerns and discuss how we can help you more.
Best wishes
Ref: PW/AC
