Hi @amy46
Thanks for reaching out and I am happy to share what I have gone through and what I have learnt and still leanr.
This is my journey and I hope that it can help you. Sorry for the length of it.
I am an amateur trail runner (doing it for fun, no competition) and my favorite distance is 15-20 km. I used to run 3 times a week (a short run, a interval run and a long run). In February 2020, I feel skiing and ruptured my median collateral ligament (MCL) and my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). No more running for me for a while but after rehab and surgery and more rehab (and COVID in the middle of all that), I was given the clear to run again. So I started running again up to 10 km until February 2021, when I got diagnosed with BC.
My first thought was 'no I just started running again and feeling great about it and now it will all stop again'. I was told that I would get surgery first. So between the diagnosis and the first surgery I run a lot to compensate, several times a week... never more than 10 km because of my recovering knee. I also searched and read a lot for scientific papers about training and running through chemo but also testimonies of cancer patients doing it.
I read two very good books, unfortunately one is in French.
- Run for your life. How one woman ran circles around breast cancer. Jenny Balker
- Les malades de sport. Un remède contre le cancer. Lea D'all'aglio et Vincent Guerrier (he had lymphocarcinoma cancer at age 23). This is the french one. It was good because the writers are journalists and they reviewed the scientific literature. There are a lot of evidence for the benefit of sport in treatment and prevention of cancer.
When I met my oncologist for the first time and I told her that I wanted to continue exercising and to my surprise she encouraged me. She told me that nothing was off limit, except swimming (and sauna, I live in Sweden 😀😅) because of the PICC line and the risk for infection. She told me 'don't start a new sport but continue the ones you were doing. You know your body, and what it is capable to do'. She said that a minimum of 30 min per day with a higher pulse was the Swedish recommendation from the oncology association. She also said that I might not be able to do anything at all and to get prepared for this possibility. This was individual but she encouraged me to try. After that, I was determined to try exercising through it all. Each time I met her, she is cheering me up to keep up. I know that it is different in different countries. In France for example, not all oncologists are promoting the practise of sport during chemo. The more conservative approach is to advice rest, which is also needed.
I got my first surgery on 16th of March and 10 days later I put on a double bra (to keep everything in place... felt like having a 18th century corset on😩), I put my running shoes on and I run 5 km. I cried the whole time of happiness. Unfortunately, I had to get a second surgery on 6th of April for getting clearer margins. This was not going to stop me, I did it the first time, I was up to do it again so 10 days later I put my running shoes again on and I run 5 km. Equally happy and proud. It was like I had something to prove myself. I knew I was going to go through hell and I was going to loose control, putting my life and health in the hand of doctors and nurses and chemo. Going through chemo would take me to dark places for hopefully bring me back to the light side. Running would help me to keep seeking this light.
I started chemo on 3rd of May. The plan was 4 EC every two weeks followed by 12 weekly paclitaxel. End date was expected 20th of September. This end date is now postponed to 27th of September because unfortunately I can't control my white blood cells. I also decided to try to run and exercise through chemo. And so I did and I still do. Some days are better than others and I am grateful for every drops of sweat and every minutes I manage. I am listening to my body and my body is loud and clear when it does not want to.
During the EC treatment, I was given 4 days of steroids and one injection of fligrastim (Pelgraz). While steroids take you on an emotional rollercoaster and sleepless nights, they also helped a lot with the running and training. They give you a serious boost (no wonder it is considering as a doping agent in competition). I was fortunate to not have too much pain and aches from the Pelgraz. I sometimes think that I could have mixed pain/aches from the medication for training aches. Either I went through it not too affected.
Day 2 after EC, I did core training, weight lifting in the outdoor gym and strengthening exercises at home.
Day 3 after EC, I always run. It was my best day. I never decide how much I would run and I would just listen to my body but once I even managed to run up to 12 km.
Day 5-7 was when my blood count would drop and my hemoglobin level were down the drain. So then, I could barely manage running 3-4 km. It just stopped. One day I was running and I had to stop at 4.8km. My brain was telling it is just 200 m to make it to 5 km but my body could not do this 200 m. I stopped but I was grateful for the 4.8 km. Day 7 was always the worst.
Day 8-14 my body slowly recovered and usually by Day 11 and Day 14, I could run again 5-8 km. In between, I tried and still try to do something every day for 30 min: cycling, walking, core training, going to the outdoor gym, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I cycle everywhere in Stockholm as we have good cycling paths and I don't want to take public transports because of covid. I cycle with my youngest to school. This too, I forced myself to do every day to make sure I get these 30 min. On bad days, I walked in the forest.
I started the weekly paclitaxel on 5th of July. Although the drug itself is 'gentler' than EC, the weekly treatment took a bigger toll on me. I was given steroids only on the first day and with decreasing dose each treatment. This week was the first time without and I can feel the difference. Also, with paclitaxel comes the worries about the neuropathy. Again I was determined to not try to exercise and run.
Day 1 (or day of the treatment) I walk or cycle for 30 min to 1 h.
Day 2. I resume my Pilates class since it moved online. I do basic Pilates class for 50 min.
Day 3 I run between 5 and 10 km. This was the best day for me but it becomes harder and harder to reach 10. My body is getting tired and I am off the steroids.
Day 4-6. I try to walk, cycle, do some core exercises for 30 min per day.
Day 7. I run intervals. As I said it becomes harder and harder.
Bottom line, I never take any days, runs or trainings for granted. I never know if I manage or not and therefore I never set a goal to achieve. Exercising has kept me sane, as it shut off my brain and I don't think about cancer. I think it helped me so far through the chemo side effects and I feel fortunate that I did not experience them too hard. Some thing, I still tape my scare since the surgeries. I will do so until radiotherapy. I was told to do it for three months after the last surgery. I kept doing because I wanted to avoid rubbing from running (although still running and exercising with a double bra). Not sure it helps any but I think my scare looks quite thin.
I still have 5 paclitaxel to do. Next one is tomorrow if my white blood cell count is good enough. Then I need 5 weeks radiotherapy, 3 years of zoledron acid and 10 years tamoxifen. I don't know how well I will tolerate the rest of the journey but what I know is I will try to continue to run and train. I can't live without it.
I hope you can resume your running and training and I would encourage to do so. It has only brought me benefits. Sorry for the lengthy text.
I send you lots of energy for your return to training.
