Any breast cancer survivors out there?

tammythaxton

I'm 52 and a one year survivor trying to regain my health by getting active again and dropping some serious poundage. Would love to swap stories!

RetireeWanabe

Hi Tammy. I am 52 also and a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in July of 2015.

manderson27

Hi there. One of my friends @AnnPT77 is an amazing lady. She is very active on the boards and speaks openly about her breast cancer and shares very useful information regarding weight loss and fitness. I am sure she would be happy to chat with you.

AnnPT77

Thanks for whistling me in, @manderson27 !

Hi, Tammy and Z00Keep!

Yes, I'm a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in late summer of 2000 at age 44 with stage III locally advanced breast cancer (5 tumors in one breast, largest 3.1cm; 1 tumor in the other breast; one positive lymph node). I had bilateral mastectomies (no reconstruction, by choice), 6 months of chemotherapy (4 x Adriamycin/Cytoxan, 4 x Taxol, each at 3 week intervals), 6 weeks of radiation (some of us get that even after mastectomy, if - like me - we do a particularly thorough job of getting breast cancer ), 2.5 years of Tamoxifen, 5 years of Arimidex.

The BC diagnosis was kind of the last straw in a sequence of bad things that happened over a couple of years (widowhood, father blinded himself in an accident and moved to assisted living, more). I'd spent a lot of time in hospitals and nursing homes with family members, and working long hours in IT (year 2000 prep stuff), so I was extremely physically depleted and out of shape, especially after the BC treatment (which itself was followed up by diagnosis with hypothyroidism and osteopenia {eye roll}). All of this had happened on top of what had been largely a sedentary life for decades.

I realized I was going to really need to work at it, if I wanted to feel strong and healthy ever again. I started getting more active, first with some manageable things like yoga classes, then branching out to a women's weight training class. Then, the best luck ever: There was a breast cancer survivor's rowing team just starting in my area. I had to ask myself what I was thinking, trying to do something like that, as an obese then 46-year-old! But it turned out that I loved it, and got addicted.

It was a slow (multi-year) process of gradually increasing my activity level. I started training with the team, using rowing machines in Winter and rowing on the water in Spring and Fall (it's sponsored by a University, so it just meets during the academic year). Recognizing that I was in terrible physical condition (and still obese), I started adding in some aerobics videos in between team workouts that were only a couple of times a week. I wanted to row in Summer, too, so I joined the local rowing club. I even competed in some races, on rowing machines (yes, machine races are a thing ), and on water. Who would've thought?

Motivated by wanting to be a better rower, I took adult swimming lessons (rowers gotta swim), other group classes, did some yoga, even went to rowing camp (so fun!).

All through this period, I stayed obese: It was pretty easy to out-eat any amount of exercise. Finally, with some other health problems going on - high blood pressure, high triglycerides/cholesterol, gallbladder adenomyomatosis (an inflammatory thing requiring removal) - something snapped, and I decided I needed to lose weight.

At first, I just cut down on portions, and lost about 25 pounds, but sort of stalled. Recognizing I needed to track my intake better, I joined MFP and started logging my eating. Once I realized how simple (not always easy!) it was to lose weight this way, I wished I'd done it decades before. Over the course of about a year, I lost nearly a third of my body weight in total. This was 2015-16, at age 59-60.

Fast forward to now, age 62, I'm going into my 3rd year of maintenance, at a weight in the 130s at 5'5'". Since I'm lucky enough to be retired, in summer I still row 4 days a week, and go to spin class 2 days a week, plus throw in a little random biking, walking, etc. Winter is a lighter activity schedule, but I still stay active. All year long, I tend to be a bit on again/off again with strength training (good for me, and I like being stronger, but don't love lifting itself).

I feel great . . . right after breast cancer, I think I felt around 20 years older than I do now. And my blood pressure, cholesterol/triglycerides, etc., are solidly and consistently normal. And a bonus is that there now seems to be some decent evidence that we improve our BC survival odds by being regularly active. I'm really lucky to find something that is so fun I'd do it even it weren't good for me!

And that's my story! Welcome to MFP!

RetireeWanabe

Hi Ann....Wow....Just Wow! I am truly inspired. Mine was only stage 1B and I opted for just radiation after a lumpectomy. I wonder all the time if that was the right decision, but I wasn't even 50 and terrified of chemotherapy (I remember thinking "I don't have time for this, I have *kitten* to do". There was a study that came out about the time I was diagnosed that was supposed to make the decision of chemotherapy easier based on test results, but in my case, the Dr. said it could go either way and was my choice. I am doing tamoxifen for another 2 or three years still. I am in awe of all that you have accomplished. You make me want to do better! Thank you for the warm welcome.

tammythaxton

I was stage 2a.......found my lump in the shower shaving my armpits to go get my mammogram......how's that for a new definition of irony???? Was offered lumpectomy......but I've been an RN for 30 yrs.......told the surgeon to take them both. I also chose to remain flat.......rarely wear my prosthetics........I think the last time was my daughter's nursing school graduation in December. Luckily, I had clear margins and no positive nodes and BRCA negative......but it was hormone driven so onc suggested four doses of taxol and cytoxan which I did. Gained 40lbs from the steroids. Tamoxifen wreaked havoc on my joints......could barely walk and couldn't do stairs or bend down to pick stuff up off the floor. Went off it last month after 11 mths of hell and am now on anastrozole with less pain. I managed to lose 18 lbs since January with dietary changes......cut out A LOT of sugar. I'm now working on stretching and toning and go to a gym 2-3 times per week depending on how I feel to do the elliptical and the treadmill........I work 3 days per week and get a ton of steps in then. I'm also coming back off a frozen shoulder that I've been through physical therapy for so no weights yet. My main goals are to regain flexibility and endurance and hopefully knock off another 40 lbs. It's been crazy but I'm still here to *kitten* about it so all's well lol!