Getting back to running post mastectomy and chemo

Hi, I’m a runner too and I went for my first run about 6 weeks after surgery I think but best to ask your surgeon. I got a new sports bra after some advice and I just took it easy the first time, and was definitely a lot slower than previously. I will say I have struggled to get back into it as much as before due to tiredness and the various medications I’m on I guess. 

Hi,

thanks for replying, I’m sorry you are on this journey too, and hope you are making a good recovery. I’m really confused about whether I should run with or without a prosthesis, but I think your advice about asking the surgeon is very helpful, so will do so.

I haven’t run at all since before my surgery, in August, and while I am looking forward to getting back into it, I feel some trepidation about whether I will be able to. As you say, the tiredness can feel overwhelming. 

I guess the thing I’m holding on to is that I’m 61 and only started running in my mid 50s, so if I could do it then, I can do it again, it’ll just take time and patience, and maybe we also need to be kind to ourselves too, and not  push too hard too soon.

I wish you all the very best with your recovery and with the running, thanks again for your response, I appreciate it.

Hi MTT , I’d agree that best to ask your surgeon as each operation is different. I had a lumpectomy/ wide local excision and reading posts here have made me realise that each case is unique. Some folk have 2 smaller scars whereas I had one long incision as the surgeon chose that way to access both my lump and my sentinel nodes. I’d imagine not all mastectomies are the same either. 
There’s a really good book called ‘Get your oomph back after a cancer diagnosis’ by Carolyn Garritt, well worth a Google. 
Well done for wanting to get back to pre cancer fitness. Walking has been my sanity saver (including Nordic walking to control breast lympheodema) and I’m definitely fitter now than pre diagnosis. But do pace yourself as you’re still going through chemo which must take its toll. Love and hugs, HFxx 

Thanks for your reply and advice, I’ll definitely look at the book, it sounds great, and I’m speaking to the Drs this week so will ask their advice.

well done with your fitness success, I agree that walking is a great way to get fit and always good to be outside too

tale care x

I only had a lumpectomy, not a mastectomy, but that was followed by 24 weeks chemo, radiotherapy and microwave liver ablation. I returned to running as soon as my wounds healed, wearing 2 sports bras. I managed to continue running until about half way through chemo, although it got harder and harder. I have now restarted, it’s about 4 weeks since my last treatment. 

Giving your remaining breast proper support is the most important thing. If a soft prosthesis helps keep your bra in place then it might make sense to wear one. 

It feels fantastic to be back running. 

Thanks for your reply, I think it’s amazing that you kept running so long into your treatment, and so good that you’ve started again only 4 weeks after finishing. I’m so looking forward to getting back to it, I feel very unfit and miss the feeling of having done a good run.

I have some good running bras, and I think they will offer the support needed. I’ll get some advice from the dr, but I think it might just be a case of seeing what works best once I start,

thanks again for you response and suggestions

Hi, I too had a mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy. I'm about to start my 5th round on Tuesday. For whatever reason this week I felt the best in a long time so decided to go to netball training which I hadn't been able to since early October and yesterday went for a little jog, only 1.5 miles. Both were tiring but the feeling of getting a little bit of "you" back was amazing!! I wore my prosthesis with my old sports bra and was fine. Felt very secure. My heart rate was high but soon settled. I honestly can't tell you how good it made me feel.

Go for it, but take it slow xx

Thanks for your reply, it made me smile to hear about you already getting back to it, you must be so pleased. I think I’ll try with and without the prosthesis to see which works best, but thanks for letting me know that the prosthesis and the sports bra worked well. I bought a couple of new runderwear sports bras just before my diagnosis, so I hope they will still be usable.

interesting that your heart rate was high. I wear a garmin watch, and keep getting high heart rate alerts, my resting heart rate has gone up from mid 40s to about 70 since I stopped running, so looking forward to hopefully getting that down again.

Good luck with your recovery and with the running, and thanks again for your message

I run with a prosthesis in my bra. You don’t need a special one, though there are special more breathable/ body cool ones. Nicola Jane has a variety, which they discount by a large amount every 3-4 months. There are also sports bras for prostheses too. I don’t like the tightness of them, so use a normal bra.

I found I was tired after chemo and wore out completely if I overdid it. Took a lot of trial and error to get the balance between activity and rest. It’s taken me about 12 months, little by little, to be almost back to normal. The almost is because of the hormone therapy. But, I have continued to exercise (it can halve recurrence risk) and do resistance training. My advice is try it and see. Little and often is good. Interval training is excellent exercise and better workout than a jog. Could walk for 2 mins, run at 80 percent of max speed for 45 secs and repeat twice more. Advice would be not to reduce or increase anything by more than 5 secs a week, and don’t alter walking/ running speeds by 0.5km/h per week. Slowly but surely you will get there and you might be one of the lucky ones who bounce back to normal within weeks, esp as you have always been so active. 

good luck with your last chemo and your speedy recovery xx

Thanks for your reply, and the advice regarding starting running again. As I feel atm, I think it will take some time, but I am very happy to take a slow and steady approach.Intervals sound like a good plan as does little and often, rather than over doing it.

I’ll look at the Nicola Jane site, but might, like you, just use the prosthesis I have already got.

Thanks again for your response and good wishes, I wish you well in your recovery too.