Hi Pip,
Very quickly as its Monday night and Ive drunk too much red wine! What Id like to say is Im running as “normal” whatever that is whilst on Herceptin and Tamoxifen. However, I feel Im so much more unfit than I was and finding it very hard to reach the fitness levels I had before, I used to think I was unfit now I think I was like Paula Radcliffe! But I love running. Whilst on FEC and Taxotere I didnt do any exercise, not that I couldnt just that I was very lazy, Taxotere gave me joint pains for a few days after and also made me very tired. I conserved my energy I liked to think! I like to think that running whilst on Herceptin is helping my heart strength, my onc is certainly happy that Im exercising regularly and am getting fitter. Just do what is right for you, everybody feels different and everybody has a different experience of chemo, just because some people never exercise doesnt mean that you cant and vice versa, dont beat yourself up if you just dont feel like it. Take care,
Pauline
Hi Pip,
I, too was bloody-minded about it all and ignored all those who said I should be resting. I’m just not that sort. I always felt better for doing some exercise.
I was dx in Feb 07, had mast Mar 07, then 4 x FEC & 4 x Tax, 20 rads and am now on Tamoxifen and have Herceptin no 7 tomorrow. I have never stopped running. I had three weeks off after my mastectomy (but walked every day once home) and took a few days off after each chemo, just when I felt really tired. I found tax to be the worst - it gets to your muscles and makes them weak, and it got progressively worse with each one. I did the Race for Life last year. It was originally due to be a weekend in between FEC & Tax, so I booked to do it. Due to all the rain we had last year it got postponed a few weeks and I ended up doing it between tax no 2 & tax no 3. Before tax started I could still run 5k in less than 30 mins but by the time I’d done two tax I was slower and had to walk for a way half way through, and it took me 31:30. By the end of tax I could no longer run a mile without stopping, but I carried on running/walking as best I could.
I don’t think herceptin is having any effect, although maybe it is slowing my progress back to full fitness. I can finally do 5k in less than 30 mins again, but that is very recent (I finished chemo in September).
I also swim, tho’ I wasn’t allowed to during chemo. I was back in the pool when I started rads.
We too went skiing - we went Feb half term last year, in between having the tests at the breast care centre & getting the results, so the holiday was rather over-shadowed. So we went again this year in Feb - my hair was just long enough to go without a scarf. I found I got really tired, and could no longer keep up with the kids (three teenagers) but I skied morning & afternoon most days. Felt like I needed a holiday to get over it when I got back!
My advice? As Pauline said, do what feels right for you. That’s all I’ve ever done. And for me it felt right to carry on regardless. That way I had some control over my life.
Best wishes
xx
Thanks guys that has helped. Have you got port-a-caths in? and you still run ok? Am a bit scared of the thought of a ‘thing’ in a main vessel and then raising my heart rate and blood pressure??
Pip
Sorry, can’t help you with the port-a-cath as I’ve never had one.
pollym,
thankyou for your reply, and I’m running with my sister , who has a place with breast cancer campaign, so I am raising money via her wepage. And there is a picture of me on the web page after finishing the Race For Life last July!!..Sneaky sister, as she put the photo on then told me about it!!! That’s little sisters for you!!
For the other ladies on here, keep on going with what exercise you can do at the moment. I was given really good advice last year, and that was to be good to myself. All the effort you usually put into looking after other people, working, hobbies etc, well put all that effort into looking after yourself. Listen to your body and be gentle with it. It really is going through some hard work to try and get better. And not only that but you’ve got to get your head round the horrid bit of having cancer.
After my rads last year i was tired out walking for 10 minutes, and look at me now. So don’t be disheartened, and take things gradually.
Also a great inspirational book I’ve just finished may interest others. Its one by Jane and Mike Tomlinson called “You can’t take it with you”. Jane did some amazing things when she was going through her treatment, and unfortunately died last year. But the book is an interesting read… Don’t get me wrong I’ve no doubt that other people in the same position as Jane may not be able to do the same. But it is certainly an inspirational book, Certainly helped me when I did my 20 miler the other week.
Lyn,
I got cording under my left arm, with phsyio and some hard work it has completely gone. So keep your chin up
Hi everyone,
Sitting here with my coffee day 2 after quadrentectomy and snlb I feel so far behind you all - I was feeling so fed up about possibly not running through my treatment (and I don’t know what that’s going to be yet) but having read all your messages I am now convinced that I’m going to. Not sure I’ll manage another marathon (think I said that before I found out i had bc) but I’m going to run and try and keep fitter and by the sounds of it try and keep the weight off. Big thanks to you all.
Speedie
Good on you Speedie! I’m finally finding it getting easier. Lots of hard work, but it seems to be paying off. I am doing the Race for Life in Loughborough this Sunday, with my daughters. I shall be running with my 18 yr old - now there’s some competition! My 13 yr old will be doing it with two friends (I think they will do a lot of walking).
I have run for over 10 years now. Nothing fantastically fast and my limit was a half marathon but I always felt good afterwards. I swam too, usually 1-2 kms 3 times a week. Now I cannot do that as I am on chemo and I cannot run anymore as my muslcles seem very weak. I go out and walk a couple of miles each evening when I feel good and come home feeling very energized.
I had a portacath inserted today and now I, too, am wondering about running once I am off the chemo. Any advice from runners/ swimmers with portacaths would be great.
I find my feet and joints ache more and wonder if it is the Taxotere. Roadrunner, when you say tax, do you mean Taxotere?
I know this is all just temporary and I hope to get stronger when chemo ends in July. I feel I must keep the exercise going as I am over 50 and I know it is harder to get back the fitness with age. I just know from experience that this works for me and makes me feel good. As you say, you feel more in control and that is good when things have got out of control cellwise inside you.
Good luck for Sunday, Roadrunner. Have a great run!
Carolina
Hi Guys
Me again from back in April. Just to let you know Portacath is in and am running fine. Have just finished 3 FEC and have managed to run 7K regularly on my 2 good weeks off (feel rubbish week of treatment so no sport at all). Am an avid climber and have recently returned to the climbing wall and am really enjoying a few ‘normal’ activities during all this crappy business (also the climbing has totally got rid of my cording). Am about to start Tax so whether or not I remain this active remains to be seen but I’ll just go with the flow!
Good luck everyone
I use to run to keep fit - not for competition, but since finishing chemo 3 weeks ago,I can’t seem to run more than 2 mins and have to stop.
I’ve returned to the gym to try to get fitness back on the treadmill but again can only do a brisk walk with an incline. Surely I couldn’t have lost all my fitness so quickly?
I’ve also tried the static bike and the cross trainer but the cross trainer makes the arm on the affected side feel really stiff and bulky. I’m worried about creating lymphoedema from the repetitive movement and pressure.
I would really like to get back to running again but feel it’s not possible.
Thought I might add that I have just started Tamoxifen and have rads starting next week - so more fatigue on the way!!
Well my 18 year old beat me in the Race for Life today in Loughborough. But her presence made me run faster. She passed the finishing line about 30yds ahead of me. I did it in 28:03, so was really pleased.
Greanpea - I don’t know what chemo you had, but taxotere really made things difficult for me. By the end of it I could barely run 1/2 a mile, and it has taken me a long time to feel anything like normal again. I finished chemo last september, and it has been a long struggle to get my fitness back. I’m still not as fit as I was before, but I am still on herceptin, and the tamoxifen hot flushes mean I don’t sleep well, so I’m not doing too badly.
Well done RoadRunner
That is such a feat. I did the race for life last year in 28.32 and that was being fit without any nasty drugs so you did exceptionally well. Well done to you!
Thankyou for your comments about fitness. Perhaps I’m too impatient and expecting too much. I have had 6 x TAC chemo. I just hate seeing my ever expanding waistline and feeling like s**t because of the lack of fitness.
I usually have a long walk 3 - 6 miles with the dog most days but it takes so long. Not like putting on your trainers and running 3 - 6 miles.And I’m knacked for hours afterwards. At 48 I suppose it will take longer to get the fitness back too especially going through the menopause because of the Tamox.
Moan over. Will look on this thread for inspiration to keep going with the exercise.
Well done RoadRunner! That’s a very respectable time.
I have just been taken off Taxotere and Cyclophosphamide. I am staying on Herceptin and my onc is starting me on Xeloda. I have been having a very hard time on Taxotere and my muscles are gone so I cannot even run 50 yds. I am so encouraged to read how you have come back. Makes me feel that I can work at it and get back in my stride too. Thanks for the inspiration!
I have just found this thread and am reading enviously! I ran all the way through all of my treatments until December when the pleural effusion caused by my lung mets meant that I was too breathless. I continued walking and it was drained but my lung has only partially re expanded and is trapped by what my oncologist describes as scar tissue. I simply cannot breathe well enough to run though I still walk briskly and for reasonably long distances. i’m really frustrated by the lack of running, it was my stress relief from work and social life as well. I’m on Xeloda now so I hope that it will do something for my breathing.
I get cross with my oncologist as he seems to think that if I can climb stairs I am doing well but this time last year I was running an off road half marathon.
I have been skiing as wel which was fine except for getting up to the lifts!
Well done to those doing the race for life ,I will probably enter with my daughter and walk/ run
Best Wishes Kathryn
Thanks for the inspiration - I’ll get out running soon… and see if I have any ability left. Finish rads next week but want to do the half marathon in Oct.
BB