Cancer Exercise Blog
When I was diagnosed with cancer, I wanted to find someone like me
Someone I could relate to, who’d been through a similar cancer and exercise journey. I was (relatively) young, sporty, a mum - and suddenly I had cancer. Everything I read seemed to be for people much older or more sedentary than me. So this blog aims to be what I needed to read. I hope you enjoy it. I hope you find it useful. I hope it gives you hope!
Why I chose to have my ovaries removed after breast cancer.
After 18 months of active cancer treatment, you’d have thought I’d be finished with hospitals. But I chose to go back and have my ovaries out too. Why?
Running the 40km MCC exactly a year after I finished chemo.
The MCC is a 40km trail running race in the Swiss and French Alps. It’s a pretty prestigious event to be part of. And seemed like a perfect idea as a post cancer goal.
Radiotherapy. How was it for me? The mental and physical side effects.
When most people think about cancer treatment, chemo is usually front of mind. But radiotherapy takes up a chunk of time too and comes with its own long list of side effects.
Cancer. Osteoporosis. Osteopenia. The gift that keeps on giving!
3 days ago, I put my back out. Doing one of those silly, twisty moves you know you shouldn’t do. It’s the first time in my entire life I’ve hurt my back.
Why I’m still a cardio addict. And why it’s essential for cancer patients.
There is so much noise in the media around strength training. But I will still always be a cardio girl at heart. Why?
Alcohol & me. The end of the longest relationship of my life.
Alcohol is classed as a group 1 carcinogen. Which is the highest, up there with tobacco and asbestos. There is a proven link between breast cancer recurrence and drinking.
Fear of Recurrence. It never goes away. But it does get easier.
When a ‘normal’ person has a headache or a funny twinge somewhere in their body, they ignore it. For anyone who has had cancer, we automatically think “METS”.
Strength Training. Why it’s essential for cancer patients.
I feel like everywhere I look, someone else is banging on about strength training. So I’m jumping on the band wagon. What’s all the hype?
Lymphoedema. How I’m preventing it from getting worse.
If, like me, you’ve had lymph nodes removed - I’ve had a full clearance - it means you’re at high risk of lymphoedema. What is it and what am I doing to dodge the bullet?
Losing my femininity. A cancer side effect I wasn’t expecting.
I have never been a girlie girl. I’m sporty and outdoorsy. But I didn’t take into consideration the cancer cost of losing my femininity.
Why menopause after cancer doesn’t mean weight gain.
At 48, I am post cancer, post menopause and taking hormone therapy. For the next 10 years. All of those are associated with weight gain. So how have I avoided it?
Insomnia and night sweats. How having cancer has cured my sleep problems.
There is a reason why sleep deprivation is used as torture. It’s brutal. The world is very bleak at 2 o clock in the morning, night after sweat soaked night.
Why cancer is harder after cancer is over
Having cancer is undeniably terrifying, life changing, and lonely. But what no-one tells you is that many - most? - cancer patients find it harder once the treatment is all over.
How to - and what - to eat during chemo.
This isn’t a sermon about nutrition or a lecture on fasting during chemotherapy. But here’s what worked for me. I hope it helps!
Chemo Brain. The struggle is real. And it’s scary.
I expected to feel sick. I expected to be tired. I expected to go bald. I didn’t expect to become stupid and lose my mind.
Menopause and me. There are some positives too!
When I started chemo, I was plunged into chemical menopause. Here’s how it’s treated me. Menopause gets a lot of bad press, but it turns out there are some good things too!
Let’s talk about joint pain. I’m 48 but I sometimes feel like an eighty year old.
My instagram life, with all the smiley, sporty pictures would have you believe that I have no lasting effects from cancer treatment.
How cancer has changed my reason to exercise.
I have pretty much always exercised. It’s not new to me. But my reason why has changed completely since cancer. Here’s how. And what I’ve learnt.
How a decade of partying and ultra running prepared me for cancer.
Happily, my teenage years and 20s are not documented on social media. I spent a lot of it drunk or hungover.
What does healthy eating look like for me?
Eating healthily means something different to everyone. Post cancer, here are my top 5 rules to eat by.