3 Recommendations For After Breast Cancer Surgery

After receiving the diagnosis of breast cancer, your world can completely change. Multiple medical appointments, side effects from treatment, mental health struggles, and continuing with the responsibilities you had before your diagnosis is A LOT for everyone!

After a lumpectomy or mastectomy, there are things you CAN and CANNOT do that will help your healing and could affect you long term. In the clinic I tell my patients in the clinic that the patients that need me for multiple visits are the ones who either did TOO MUCH or TOO LITTLE after surgery.

Here are 3 recommendations for after surgery to help you heal and help prevent complications.
1. Do not raise your surgery arm(s) above shoulder level for at least 2 weeks.
a. This allows your body to heal from surgery and to not overwork your lymphatic system.

2. Move your surgery arm(s)’s elbow, wrist, and fingers as long as you are doing it below shoulder level.
a. This includes bending/straightening your elbow, wrist and fingers.

3. Go for slower paced walks one time per day and start off with a shorter distance.
a. In the beginning, it is safer to have a companion walk with you in case you need help.
b. Start with a short distance (i.e. to the mailbox and back) and slowly increase.
c. Bonus points if it is outside for fresh air!

Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is life changing. Following recommendations can be hard for the first two weeks, but can help you long term. Please review recommendations with your medical team for individualized care.