Recovering your health – an action plan
This action plan covers patients who have had radiation treatment. We are still working on incorporating chemotherapy into this. This is one person's helpful list. We hope it is useful for you but you may find not all the suggestions are things you want or are able to do.
1st week
In hospital
- Get up and start walking the day after the operation. Take care to hold up your drain to avoid tearing. (ask for a drainage bottle holder bag)
- Do a little more each day (shower & get dressed if able, in comfortable clothes)
- Do eat regularly (and drink plenty of fluids to prevent constipation while in hospital.
- Take painkillers if you need them. Often after the first or second day it is best to have painkillers only at night so you can sleep. (let staff know if you are feeling sick or if your pain is not being controlled)
- You may be able to go home after 2-3 days if you don't have a drain or if you feel up to it and your doctor agrees to an early discharge.
- If you still have a drain you will need to come in to see the surgeon to have it removed. (check if there are community nursing services in your community to assist with any home care support)
- Your drain will be removed when the fluid level is low enough. It may hurt, so consider a pain killer first. (once the drain is removed watch for any swelling, this may be a collection of fluid under the skin, that need to be drained by the surgeon or GP)
- Take a nap or two each day (very important to be self caring, you usually don’t feel sick so its easy to over do it)
- Take time straight after the operation to recover. Use the time to prepare for treatment and catch up on things. (remember to do gentle exercises such as walking as this will help with tiredness and wellbeing)
Weeks 2-3
Back from hospital
- Try to walk each day, for longer each time
- Have a warm bath after any exercise
- Do some gentle stretching (be guided by the physio )
- If swimming, avoid freestyle (as this can overstretch the arm area while you are still recovering from the initial surgery)
- Exercise your arm gently using the instructions you are given in hospital
- Do not lift heavy objects or do anything too strenuous
- Don't drive until you doctor says it is OK to do so
- You can start light housework
- Massage your scar gently and moisturise it (at least daily)
- Rest each day to regain your strength
- Eat healthy meals with good protein and fruit, vegetables and grains.
- Book into your first radiation therapy appointment
- Consider booking into the lymphoedema therapist for an initial checkup if you have had lymph nodes removed
Weeks
4-8
Start radiation treatment during this time
- You could go back to work. Take it easy and work 9-5 or part time if you can, especially if you are having radiotherapy.
- Take 1 or 2 weeks off at the end of radiation treatment
- If at home you can resume most normal activites
- Don't drive until the doctor says you can
- Keep up the arm exercises and increase the intensity each day. By the end of week 6-8 you should have most of your reach back.
- Try to protect your arm if you have lymphoedema
- Continue to moisturise your scar
- You could start more physical exercise and perhaps light weights. Take care not to use heavy weights or lift too much.
- Try yoga, focussing on your legs. Take it easy on exercise where you hold your own body weight.
- Have a nap in the early evening if you are having radiation treatment (remember to do gentle exercise such as walking)
2-6 months
Your full recovery
- You should be back to work by now (its your choice)
- If at home you should be back to a normal life (usually physically but you might still need some emotional support)
- You can get back to most normal exercise. Ask your doctor about more physical sports such as tennis, especially if your affectedarm is the one you use
- You should have close to or 100% of your reach back. Keep up the exercises until a month after this happens
- You may feel tired for some time, especially if you had radiation and even more so if you worked through and have not had a break
Throughout your
recovery
Some things to remember
- Rub vitamin E cream and aloe vera gel into the scar. Keep it moisturised
- Start regular gentle exercise such as walking and build up over time. Take it easy and don't overdo it.
- Persistent pain from the operation is not normal but sometimes happens where a nerve is cut etc. See your doctor to help to deal withthis pain.
- Ensure you do the exercises recommended by the surgeon or breast nurse to get full movement back in your arm as soon as possible (see get your arm mobile)
- Do build up to your normal exercise program
- Take as long as you need to get back into things
- Let people help you. You will be tired for a while
- It may take a while before you can wear a new bra. (Wear an old, stretched and comfortable one, preferably without underwire) (Sometimes crop tops are comfortable too)
