- bowel movements
- Pilates in bed (can be done earlier, but I didn't think about it)
5 days post surgery
- drains were pulled (output less than 25 cc for two days)
- first time shower and washing hair
10 days post surgery
- can pull a T-shirt overhead
- Pilates on a foam roller
11 days post surgery
- drive a car a short distance with a pillow under the seat belt
- bicycling on a stationary bike at moderate intensity
13 days post surgery
- stationary bike with speed intervals at high intensity
- back in the gym for squats with a barbell
24 days post surgery (End of Week 3)
- first time teaching Pilates at the yoga center
- shoulder mobility is back to what it was before the surgery
26 days post surgery
- surgical tape peeled off completely
28 days post surgery (End of Week 4)
- back squats up to 80% of pre surgery max
- front squats up to 80% of pre surgery max
- load bar with 10 kg plates
- Olympic lifts (slow) with PVC pipe
32 days post surgery
- Mondor's syndrome: superficial thrombophlebitis across abdomen
- Swelling/fluid from pectoral muscles to under arm to latissimus (shoulder blade); right side = site where two lymph nodes were taken, and where there was a lymph node biopsy pre-surgery.
35 days post surgery (End of Week 5)
- clean&jerk with 15kg bar, strict press 15 kg, deadlifts 35kg
- box jumps
- rowing, push-ups against wall
- strength training for arms muscles with dumbbell (10 lbs)
- Pilates side-lying poses
40 days post surgery
- Oops, menstruation has returned
42 days post surgery (End of Week 6)
- clean&jerk at 35kg, snatch at 30 kg
- improvement of Mondor's syndrome after one week; but swelling under arm is still there
8 weeks post surgery,
- starting a regular weightlifting training plan for competition preparation
- clean & jerk at 90% max(55kg), snatch at 80%(40 kg), front squat 83%, back squat 80%
- Mondor's syndrome seems to have disappeared (=about 3.5 weeks); still swelling under arm, sometimes more, sometimes less
- End of 8th week: start Tamoxifen L
- Got the prescription filled for a breast form and mastectomy bra, so that I have them for "special occasions", if they come up. It feels very comfortable breast-free. J
- First conference trip after diagnosis. A sabbatical from breast cancer for a week long challenge to think and interact with many people.
- Doing more self massage for lymph system under right arm for relief of swelling or to prevent fluid built up.
4 months post surgery
- Light exercises for building shoulder (deltoid) and chest (pecs) muscles. Since these exercises increase the lymph fluid accumulation under the right arm:
- Kineseo taping to help drain the lymph fluid accumulation under the right arm
- Very tight compression shirt (I only use it during weightlifting)
- Improvement of swelling under the right arm: it is gone when waking up in the morning, but builds up during activities.
- Proprioceptive sense of the upper body is returning during the overhead lifts in weightlifting training
5 months post surgery
- Competing in World Masters Weightlifting Championship in Germany - my big goal post surgery that I was hoping for to succeed. 4th place.
6 months post surgery
- American Masters Weightlifting Championship (2nd place).
7 months post surgery
- Lying on the front is possible without discomfort, but I continue sleeping on my back.
- Pec muscles (without fascia) have tight spots.
- Recurrent swelling on the lymph node excision site is less frequent.
8 months post surgery
- Edema on the lymph node excision site has resolved (and hopefully stays that way)
11 months post surgery
- National Masters Weightlifting Championship (3rd place)
- Activities that previously resulted in swelling are now possible: push-ups, trampoline, battle ropes.
12 months post surgery (End of one year)
- Check-ups show excellent condition, great blood test results, better than before the cancer diagnosis
14 months post surgery
- Personal record in the clean & jerk at the 14th International Women Weightlifting Competition, Nagold, Germany.
- Working on push-ups, side planks, and shoulder exercises to get more stability (and more muscles!)
- Increased tamoxifen to the regular 20mg dose instead of the 10mg I have been taking this last year due to side effects. No noticeable changes so I am seem to tolerate it now.
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