Exercise can apparently lessen the rate of cancer cell growth and even help prevent its recurrence.

Hang in there Kath and I do hope that things turn the corner for you.  I imagine that being back at work full time must be taking a lot out of you.

Whilst I think it's great some people feel well enough to work through chemo, keep doing all the same exercise etc ....don't for one minute think others haven't because they gave into it. 

I went through AC chemo requiring 3 different anti-nausea medications to not vomit, a blood pressure with a systolic lower than 85...hense fainting at times, I had bloating and constant wind pain and severe constipation like passing bricks. ..lets see someone who works in a people focussed job like I do, with those side effects....just excuse me while I lay down here and let one rip. 
Then the second part...I was so excited thinking I was going to be able to go back to work as they said it was easier..on taxol and herceptin... errrr no....gastritis, low blood pressure again, balance issues. ..I fell over in the wood pile one day and couldn't get up and unable to drive as I would forget what I was doing in the middle of the intersection. Oh ...and my people job also involved driving. I had heavy legs that felt like I was walking through wet cement, and oedema from the high steroids I needed causing me to blow out like a beach ball (allergy to taxol)  I haven't even mentioned having heart failure twice...or reconstructive surgery.

So yes...some people do fine on chemo and have little interuption to their lives. Others. ..are smacked squarely in the face with horrid side effects, crippling fatigue and a long recovery. 

I've had to work hard to get condition back. If I overdo it...I crash...for days or weeks...and then I'm barely able to get through a work day. It took me 6 months to return to full time work. 

So we are all different...and fantastic if you can do it. But likewise if you can't just do what you can...keep at it and hopefully you can return to a full life with regular fitness.

Even with those symptoms...I would walk on a treadmill at a snails pace as that is as fast as my legs would allow and I went to a hydro pool for resistance deep water walking / exercise...which was challenging as I often got motion sickness in it due to chemo side effects ...and almost chucked in the pool one day! I used to be able to swim laps for 30 minutes on weekends and went to the gym 5 days a week prior diagnosis and treatment. 

This YouTube clip by Raelene I think is great advise. (Hope it works)  Kath x

https://youtu.be/HlFotiP5D0I

I've gotta say that I relate in both directions to the discussion.  Exercise has been fantastically helpful to me through my treatment and recovery in helping to feel strong, optimistic and involved in life.  It has been helped by living so close to bike paths so I've been able to get out on the bike a few times a week. The bike is great in that it's both strength and aerobic building but not too stressful  to my rather tender post surgery/radio breast and shoulder region.  However,  I do struggle with the mental fatigue and can't believe how exhausting it is to front up to work for even just a few hours every week.  I'm also known to have fallen asleep on the train on the way home on a few occasions.  I think the post-radio fatigue is a lot more persistent than I had expected.  And despite exercising a lot and having had a very positive clinical course,  I've been knocked very flat with depression, just when things should be brightening up for me but maybe I'll write about that in another post....maybe start my own thread and invite comments from others about their experiences

I think my restart @Afraser was suddenly deciding to do a 10km Walk for Breast Cancer. It was way beyond what I had been doing in my recovery (no more than 3km up until then) but I started doing 2 walks a day from that moment onwards (a 2km morning walk and a 3km evening one). I was motivated to complete the 10km so that got me going. I did the 10km and did not even feel sore the next day!

That helped me to realise that exercise gave me energy, it did not leave me depleated at all. The more I did the better I felt. It was onwards and upwards from that point. xxx

There is a 3 month exercise trial being run by a lady called Prof Pru Cormie at ACU in Melbourne about to start some time in October 2017, maybe later, called Ex-Med Cancer. It's for anyone who's had any type of cancer, over the age of 18 and completed treatment within the previous one year (if you're currently on hormone treatment you are still eligible). If you want more details have a look on the anzctr.org.au website or just google Ex-Med cancer trial then you can ask your med team about it. Currently i do Pilates reformer once a week and also walk our dog everyday (it's hilly where i live) but would like to pick up a gym circuit involving more cardio and weight bearing. Still waiting on gene assay results to come through so further treatment can start with this other trial I've signed up for. Waiting, waiting, waiting..........

I do think there is a big issue about restarting - exercise, work, lots of things. Like Cate64, I worked through treatment and I still think it was the best thing I could have dome. BUT I felt pretty good. I had no nausea, no fatigue, no chemo brain (warned my staff to tell me if I showed signs, which must have been tempting!!). I had bad peripheral neuropathy and a few weeks worry about it getting much worse, but it didn't. But many others could not have done that. Neither could I if I had been vomiting, was exhausted and could not think straight. I was never much of an exerciser, but once I had finished treatment, I signed myself up for a year at the gym (in advance,I know my backsliding capacity) and now it's simply a regular part of what I do. I could not have done this if I was still combatting fatigue, inching my way back into work or facing financial ruin. My big restart issue was about who I was - the active busy person who just ignored her age, or a damaged person with weird feet, bung arm and an irregular heartbeat. I was of course neither, but I needed some restart help in getting going. Would be interesting to know how other people got their restart - what worked and why?

I have to agree with the experts here. I find exercise helps - A LOT - I run on Saturdays (5km) & compete in running events regularly. My last being on the 8th October in the 15km Kokoda Challenge. My next being City2Sea November 12th.

I certainly had to build my fitness but I pushed on & won over the tiredness. I do occasionally have an "I feel tired" day & dont do too much but I dont ever feel the need for a Nanna Nap. I work full time & did right thru Chemo. I refuse to give in to it & pushing on, building fitness has certainly worked for me. I feel better than I ever have.

Well it is interesting isn't it, my Oncologist said it can take up to 2yrs to recover from treatment. I think exercise is great, but like others treatment has ruined me and I'm nowhere near where I was pre diagnosis/treatment. Begs to question though, how people who are fanatical about exercise still get it?? 

Im 2yrs nearly post treatment now, and whilst alot better am along way from where I was and the fatigue is still there, and what Ive found no specialist wants to know about the implications post treatment, they honestly don't. Their job is to treat you only. So its really a combination of things, treatment, medications and for me an unnatural menopause LOL. I just keep pushing forward and know my limitations. I need to resume full time work but cringe knowing it will be extremely difficult and how on earth I'll manage. 

@InkPetal. That was my discussion this morning with the breast surgeon and I popped in to see the lovely people who did the radiation and explained that to the nurses there. And mentioned that maybe they should tell patients of that delayed tiredness. Or maybe they did but I didn't want to hear it.

@inkpetal tiredness, fatigue, no energy, all of the above, doesn't it drive you nutty..............it just keeps giving but they don't tell you about this part!