kim lewis on sun 10 jul 05
My first post
Now facing a modified radicle mastectomy and wondered if anyone out there has experienced this and can share if made throwing and lifting harder after healing? I will be grateful to survive to play another day but hearing from anyone would be appreciated. I also was wondering how soon I might resume teaching classes in wheel throwing.... Thanks
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
Marcia Selsor on sun 10 jul 05
Dear Kim,
I can only speak as an observer of my mother's recovery from an
extreme radical mastectomy. She lost most of her pectoral muscle on
the right side and had swelling and fluid build up in her arms and
hands to this day 55 years later. We use to massage her arm with
cocoa butter and wrap it with an ace bandage. I think techniques
have improved greatly in the last half century so I hope you will be
fine. Take care to heal at a good pace and don't force yourself. You
can look forward to a full life as a survivor. My mother is 85. I
miss Alice.
Take care,
Marcia Selsor
On Jul 10, 2005, at 8:06 AM, kim lewis wrote:
> My first post
>
> Now facing a modified radicle mastectomy and wondered if anyone out
> there has experienced this and can share if made throwing and
> lifting harder after healing? I will be grateful to survive to
> play another day but hearing from anyone would be appreciated. I
> also was wondering how soon I might resume teaching classes in
> wheel throwing.... Thanks
>
Fonda Hancock on sun 10 jul 05
The swelling mentioned has more to do with lymph node removal. I did not
come to clay until after my mastectomy, six months of chemo and then
radiation. I aked for my wheel and kiln from my husband as a "survival
prize" at the end of it all. I am still a very newbie potter (love it
beyond all rationalization, though) but I always did aerobics and strength
training and do not feel the surgery weakened me in any significant way.
The chemo now was another story, but with time and patience you bounce
back from that too. The timetable would be hard to predict, but don't give
up something you love..just give yourself time. I'd be happy to "talk" off-
list if you would like. I do some volunteer breast cancer counseling and
from experience, it does help to discuss this CRAP with someone who has
walked a similar path.
Prayers and all good wishes
Fonda in Tennessee
Gail Fullerton on mon 11 jul 05
Here is my experience, everyone is different.
At first throwing will seem impossible, wedging even less possible. Start
with small amounts of clay and both will return to normal, eventually.
Focus on rehabilitating the effects of the surgery, rather than on what you
can't do, for me that was lots of gentle stretching. I have done yoga for
over 40 years, so that part was easy.
Don't push yourself to do too much. That was my big mistake and it made to
whole process take longer. It's hard to know what's too much though,
because everything is uncomfortable at first.
It took me 2-3 years to return to feeling completely comfortable and normal,
but only a few months to be functional. It has been 4 years since my surgery
and the whole episode now seems like a nuisance detour in my life which I
would have preferred not to experience, but other than a scar (and a certain
asymmetry), I'm just fine.
Good luck and take good, good care of yourself.
Marianne Lombardo on sun 17 jul 05
> Now facing a modified radicle mastectomy and wondered if anyone out there
> has experienced this
>and can share if made throwing and lifting harder after healing? I will be
>grateful to survive to play
>another day but hearing from anyone would be appreciated. I also was
>wondering how soon I might
>resume teaching classes in wheel throwing.... Thanks
Hi Kim,
There are a lot of us claybuds that have breast cancer and you will find
that the return to clay varies for everyone. Your physician will tell you
when and how to begin exercising your arm afterwards. It is very important
that you do the exercises.
If you need to schedule for teaching classes, I think it would be safe to
say allow yourself six months. I can't give you a better answer because
there are too many variables, such as possible radiation or chemotherapy
afterward.
Good luck with your surgery, and if you have any questions or need to
talk/vent, feel free to email me privately.
Marianne Lombardo
| |
|
