What health or lifestyle changes have you made since diagnosis

Pinkcloverss

Hi everyone
My diagnosis with BC is still pretty fresh (Feb 2019). I am just curious to know the changes people have undergone since their diagnosis in terms of changes to their diet, lifestyle and positive changes to improve mental wellbeing. This road to recovery is long beyond my 24 weeks of chemo. I feel like it will be a shadow that will follow me from here on but I also want to make sure I am doing everything I can on my part to ensure I am looking after myself.

kmakm

I am now more mindful of dietary guidelines, four serves of low fat dairy a day, two of fruit, five of veg, that kind of thing. I'm firmer about saying no to avoid stress overload, and I'm firmer about taking time for myself. I'm trying to make more time for exercise, and trying to make meditation a habit. I don't eat processed meat any more, other than once in a blue moon, and I've cut back on alcohol a lot. If I wasn't so sore and depressed I'd feel great!! K xox

arpie

We all wonder if our lifestyle has contributed to our diagnosis ..... Eat well, stay as fit as you can ..... and this will help you as you go thru your treatment.

Stay open to alternative suggestions to alleviating pain and discomfort during treatment ..... even possibly the use of cannabis oil etc ......  https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/19569/medicinal-cannabis-oil-amp-reduction-of-pain-improvement-in-well-being#latest

Try and Keep busy .... busy is good. 

Be vigilant of any changes in your body as you go thru treatment (and afterwards,). If anything concerns you ... get checked out.

take care xxx

Blossom1961

My diet was pretty good before diagnosis so I just continued. No artificial anything and lots of fresh stuff. Unless I go out, then I am bad. I now try to walk for half an hour a day as it clears my headspace. I avoid stressful situations (where I can) and caustic people. I mostly avoid dairy as it gives me lumpy boobs, well, only one now. The most important thing, is that you do what makes you feel as good as possible. For some people that will be eating vegan and doing yoga, for others it will be eating everything in moderation and doing sport twice a week. No one knows your body like you.

Harvey1903

I was pretty good with diet and exercise before bc. However we used a fair few chemicals to keep the farm disease free. Chickens. 160,000 of them. 

 So I'm now stuff it I'll eat what I want and so much more relaxed about diet but am staying clear of chemicals.  No antiperspirant s at all.

Hubby now uses the sprayer to get rid of unwanted plants.  J

Afraser

Exercise more, fret less, laugh as much as I can, work as much as possible on things I enjoy. Less alcohol, more greens. Mostly I deal better with ageing and how I want to spend my time than I did before cancer. Most of the changes are about living better, possibly none will do anything to avoid cancer again. But living better seems a good outcome anyway. 

Artferret

Gym/pilates 3 times a week, low cholesterol diet, slashed alcohol intake and yes @Blossom1961 avoiding stressful situations. Keeping my mind busy with embroidery and now that i have a dedicated craft room I'm finding more time for it as i can just leave where I'm up to rather than having to pack it away. Anthing that keeps you positive is always a good outcome. It doesn't happen all the time but it can most of the time then you're on the right track for good mental health. The shadow does lift but it takes time.

arpie

My sister has sourced some bits from Nimbin over Easter and is sending them to me - hopefully arriving later this week .... I will see how it goes!!   
 

Laura_Ann

I’ve made some pretty big changes, mostly to help my peace of mind. If it comes back, I want to know that I’ve done everything in my power to prevent it.

i’m a Dietitian/Nutritionist and thought I had a pretty good diet before. But when I really looked at it, there were lots of areas for improvement. I read lots of studies on breast cancer and diet, and decided a vegan whole foods diet was my best bet (I was mostly vegetarian before).

I only drink wine on special occasions - could easily get through 1-2 bottles a week before. I thought I would miss it more than I do.

I drink 1.2 L of green tea (caffeine free) per day. I cold brew each 300ml for 2 hours for maximum catechin levels.

I have a smoothie for breakfast everyday with 1.5 cups of kale, 1 cup of berries, flaxseed meal, mushroom powder, turmeric and almond milk. 

i also started running again. I have a toddler and I had slacked off with exercise since giving birth. So I decided to run everyday in the month before my surgery so I could going into treatment as fit as possible. I exercised throughout chemo, but wasn’t able to run everyday. I still don’t run everyday now, but will get in around 20km per week. On the days that I don’t run I make sure that I move as much as possible. This helps with the menopause symptoms too, and helps with stress.

Looks a bit crazy with it all posted out! I was I only diagnosed in March 2018, so who knows how long I will keep it all up for.

Everything I do is based on scientific evidence, and I try to see everything I’m doing like another bit of medicine, which helps when my brain slips into ‘it’s going to come back and I’m going to die’ mode.

Milly21

I have cut way back on alcohol,I try to do something active each day even if just a walk, I think stress contributed to my cancer so I try to be relaxed. I try to eat healthily,but I’m not perfect at any of those, just balance. It put a lot of things into perspective so I left a position at work which looking back I found really stressful and took on one less demanding. 

Milly21

I have also switched to natural cleaning products,

kmakm

I have made changes but sadly not round the consumption of Easter eggs...

primek

Nutrition is my focus (it always was) but I ficus also on brain health, joint support and hydration. 
Exercise I struggle with since treatment. But I keep trying.

Pinkcloverss

Did anyone continue to go to the gym during chemo? Im just wondering how cautious i have to be with germs etc as my blood work came back this first round saying i now need neulasta injections

Glemmis

Hi @Pinkcloverss, I continued to go to gym & work through chemo. My oncologist told me shopping centres & public transport were the biggest risk for germs. I didn’t get sick at all, may be just lucky. Check with your oncologist to see what they recommend.

Lynn65

I have cut back on alcohol, at most one drink a week and then sometimes can’t even be bothered with that.  I have swum more since my diagnosis than in all of my life prior.  I am not a swimmer at all, but have gradually worked up to a slow 500m.   At the moment doing that daily (how insane for non athletic person like me) as visiting family in Arizona and in the hot weather,  indoor swimming then dangling in the water up to my chin for 10 minutes afterwards to let things settle, together with Kinesio taping seems to help.  I expect to go back to a few times a week once I get home.  At the moment I can’t do anything that causes me to heat up without getting swelling in side of chest/armpit and breast, so trying to thread that needle of exercise but at just the right intensity/length.  I had a pretty good diet from years of trying to manage migraines, but since the diagnosis I probably am less careful with my diet.  I really really really need to reduce stress, but visiting family is setting that way back - hoping to get back on track when I return home.