How exercise helped me prepare and recover (even when I almost lost my nipple!)

Today’s blog has been written by Lucy, aka @ourbrcastory (and super fundraiser!). She talks about how she used exercise to prepare for, and recover from, her mastectomy.

How exercise helped me prepare and recover (even when I almost lost my nipple!) 

My journey began back in 2021 when I found out I was BRCA2+ following my sister’s breast cancer diagnosis. I swiftly arranged my preventative mastectomy for a few months later.

 

So, how did exercise help me pre and post-surgery?

 

I will preface this by saying that I was no stranger to surgery or pain having had major spinal operations previously and living in chronic pain; thus giving me an insight into how important it is to embark on surgery in the right place physically and mentally.

 

As an exercise lover, I could write a million things about its benefits, but I’ll narrow it down to 4:

1. Feeling in tune and connected to my pre-surgery body was an important part of my journey as a previvor.  

During each training session, I’d reflect on how much my body had already been through, but I also felt such gratitude towards it, that it had managed to get to the age of 37 without cancer finding it.

 

I can vividly remember exercising at 5am, two days before my mastectomy and just being overwhelmed with emotion. The gravity of what I was about to do felt so real. Yet with every minute of exercise that passed, I felt more prepared, more empowered and 100% more ready.

 

I truly believe that it helped me navigate the emotional aspect of surgery.

2. This is an obvious one, but going into surgery as fit and healthy as possible will support you as you heal afterwards.

My muscles and flexibility were in a good place; I felt minimal pain afterwards and 24 hours after surgery I was home with my head awkwardly poised over the bath for a hair wash! (not recommended, but I did it!). Of course, this isn’t to say that exercise will ensure you have an easy recovery… (I ended up having a blood clot in one breast which led to me almost losing my nipple), BUT it will help your body to be in the best place possible.

3. One word – endorphins!

The journey pre and post mastectomy is a long and often heavy one, emotionally and it’s important to do everything you can to look after your mental health. For me, exercise has and always will be a type of therapy. I have lived through 16 years of health issues and had prolonged periods of time when I have been unable to exercise, so believe me when I say, that moving your body is the KEY to keeping your mindset strong and your soul happy.

4. In the same way that exercising pre-surgery was important for me to connect with my body; exercising post-surgery was paramount in feeling connected to my new body!

For a short while, my new boobs didn’t feel like a part of me, and I just saw them as a reminder of a really rubbish year. However, over time, and through regular exercise, that changed. I felt like me again. Well no, actually I felt like a NEW version of myself. I felt stronger! I was soon able to do what I did before in the gym which helped my new boobs to feel like a part of me.

 

Healing in any situation is never linear, and I don’t know what stage or type of journey the person reading this is on; I can only speak on my own experiences.

 

For me exercise calms my mind when the overwhelm is deafening,

 

It strengthens me when I feel weak or vulnerable and it helped me say goodbye to my old boobs and connect to my new ones!

 

So, exercise … thank you! ❤️