Thank you for all your kind messages. How are you all doing? I’m so up and down atm. It’s all consuming and rather than thing about plans for the future and stuff, now all I think about is diagnosis, research, treatment … it’s driving me mad.
I have found some relief in my allotment, I was able to just think about planting and jobs to do there. And watching the wildlife helps.
If you can get out in nature try it…watch the bees and flowers on a beautiful sunny afternoon helps. Atm alot of things I do like swimming and climbing are making me sad because it feels like they’re ending for the moment. So I’m trying to build a plan for things I can do this year.
I go for another biopsy on Tuesday then results on 28th and date for surgery should be set. It’s all becoming real
This will take time to be processed and will certainly take its toll. However, it is amazing what we deal with when challenged like this, and you will move on even though I’m sure it doesn’t feel like it most of the time. Take comfort where you can and rely on your team for information not Dr Google. I’m sending a massive hug. X
It really stuck a chord what you said about things you enjoy making you feel sad. I had started running a few months before diagnosis. I forced myself to do my first 10k and cried most of the way because it felt so bittersweet. You’re absolutely right, though, these things are only ending temporarily. x
It’s a lot to process. I also had Stage 1. It is a shock. Give yourself time to accept the diagnosis and process your feelings. Stage 1 generally has a 95% cure rate. Take it one step at a time in making medical decisions. Come back to this forum for a lot of support.
It depends on what journey you are on. I hit the gym more often during treatment as I had bags more time, while off work. Activities dont need to end, and in fact shouldn’t as they are a welcome distraction from it all and help to keep your strength and energy levels up. I did find I had to cut the running down by half during radiotherapy, but compensated by doing it twice as often.
Hi @entropy , that gives me some hope, that these things might be possible, just moderated, thank you x
@seren1 they absolutely are! I think my views on exercise are very similar to those of @entropy and when I said “ending temporarily” I meant for the time immediately after surgery when it wouldn’t have been the best idea to be bouncing up and down! I had a little funk before surgery and stepped away slightly but then forced myself back into it right up to the day before. Then, like entropy, I was back in the gym 10 days after, running after two weeks. I’m convinced exercise helped me with a quick recovery and no ongoing issues and cannot recommend keeping up with it enough. x
I finished C25K, the evening before surgery (diagnosed half way through the programme). I don’t advise this, but 9 days after was going stir crazy not running, so armed with an elasticated strap for extra boob support( got off amazon) I ran up a very steep hill near where I live - its only about 150m but takes effort. Didn’t properly run, more of a odd gliding gait (would of looked weird, luckily nobody about). Anyway, was good for my morale and scratched an itch.
Hi, I hope you’re doing ok now and the worst of the shock is over. I absolutely agree that pausing exercise is only temporary. Train for the operation as if you’re training for a big running event, so you go in strong, and come out healing so much quicker. I also had stage 1 breast cancer, needed chemo and am on induced menopause , but my 5km time a year on is 3 minutes faster than pre cancer me! I’m so much stronger in my head, and that made my body stronger too. Get through this storm, and a rainbow and sunny skies will be waiting for you on the other side 
Hey all, here I am nearly 9 months post diagnosis, mastectomy and chemo done. And on a phased return to work. Boy what a ride it’s been. Your words really helped me through some pretty terrifying moments 
Exercise did indeed help me massively….I went home same day from surgery (my choice), next day out for a walk and back down the allotment the week after to water in the sunshine 
12 chemo sessions done, training never stopped…I used strava to keep a record of what I did and boy am I proud of myself. I refused to let chemo reframe my training days. And this helped me, holding onto what drives me to be me.
When I couldn’t swim or climb, due to surgery I started walking, and discovered train journeys out to the peak district to walk was a really lovely thing. 12 weeks post surgery I got a PT and she got me lifting weights safely. I dead lifted my own bodyweight 2 days ago….6 months post surgery and 6 weeks post chemo 
my fingernails are chemo damaged plus neuropathy in my feet….climbing tape on my nails and my friends larger shoes meant I could climb 2 weeks ago when I couldn’t climb at the wall due to chemo I scrambled outdoors with my friends .we all loved it
My journey is now recovery but it gave me some unexpected gifts like resilience, adaption, connection, some self confidence that I can deal with anything and a love of walking again.
What an inspiring and positive post to read this morning Thank you for sharing that!
I really loved to read that you remained active and you feel it helped you. It will be good to remember that if we cant do what we did before we can absolutely adapt!
I am still only at the surgery stage of my journey but I can already see a few gifts from this. Acceptance has been a big thing for me. And if this experience doesn’t teach me some resilience then nothing was going to haha I look forward to some self confidence haha
Wishing you all the very best
thank you Good luck with your surgery, and keep us posted how you get on, what you try and find works, its good to hear idea’s how to adapt! I’m really proud of myself for not giving myself a kicking because I couldn’t climb, swim or any of the other things, I was down right furious though, with the cancer and the effects of the chemo, which made me dig my heels in and look for different things to try.
Sara Cox on her ultra for children in need when she was knackered on something like day 4, said something like, we’re not having it are we women….we’re having it! It stuck with me through chemo particularly. Because I though not 1 of us here is going to have this. We’re going to have it, and get through it, and we’ll be stronger for it x