It’s fair to say that I’ve never been much of a Sporty Spice! I wasn’t great at sports in school, and playing hockey or netball in sub-zero temperatures, wearing only PE knickers and an Aertex shirt on top of a Welsh mountain, kind of put me off. So, until my breast cancer diagnosis, I only ever dipped my toe into the exercise pool. This changed with my diagnosis.
Leading up to my first surgery (the lumpectomy), I became a bit fanatical about getting my daily steps in. It served two purposes: movement and mental health. I’d read a lot about the benefits of ‘getting out into nature,’ and it helped immensely. There’s something so soothing about being surrounded by trees and nature. During chemo, I tried to get some steps in every day (sometimes just around the block), and I believe it made me feel better. I still try to get my steps in most days, and my body tells me when I don’t.
I’ve also fallen in love with swimming. I’ve always enjoyed being in the water, but now I try to swim most days. The pool has become my sanctuary, a place where I feel safe. Initially, when I started back at work after my active treatments ended, I struggled to fit in exercise. I was often too tired after a day’s work and, like many working mums, my exercise routine kept getting pushed down the list. To prevent this, I now swim before work. It sets me up for the day.
I’m not the best swimmer in the world, and I tend to pootle up and down the slow lane, but I can feel my whole body stretching out and my busy mind slowing down. Swimming is also the only thing that really helps with the Tamoxifen aches and pains. Having been plunged into medical menopause, it’s hard to know if the aches and creaky joints are side effects of Tamoxifen or menopausal symptoms. But whichever they are swimming keeps the pain at bay for me. Recently, I didn’t swim for a few weeks and by the end of the third week, I could feel myself seizing up. Motion is lotion, as they say!
I didn’t swim during my year of active treatments because chemotherapy weakens the immune system, making it easier to contract infections from pool water. Nobody wants that. Similarly, radiotherapy can cause skin changes that might be irritated by chlorine. I had to wait six weeks after my radiotherapy ended – but as soon as I got the green light, I was back in the pool.
For those wanting to swim after breast surgery, there are some fabulous post-surgery swimsuits available. I got a flattering one from M&S that has a zip in the front (so easy to get on and off) and is gentle against my scar. And don’t forget that many stores offer a VAT exemption on post-surgery products for customers who have had surgery for breast cancer.
