After a Stage 3 Breast Cancer Diagnosis, 52-Year-Old Finds Strength in Weight Lifting to Get Through Chemotherapy: ‘Fitness Gives You Focus’

 

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Stage 3 breast cancer often involves a larger tumor that may have reached nearby skin or muscle, and it can include lymph node involvement. Most patients require chemotherapy as part of treatment.

WATCH: Stage 3 Breast Cancer Explained.

Paclitaxel (Taxol), one of the common chemotherapy drugs used, is powerful but known for challenging side effects such as fatigue, anemia, nausea, infection risk, bruising, neuropathy, and hair loss.

“In my many years of treatment, I think I’ve had two patients who did not lose their hair on Taxol,” says Dr. Leslie Boyd, a gynecologic oncologist at NYU Langone Health.

WATCH: Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects

Dr. Lynn P. Parker of Norton Cancer Institute adds that hair typically begins to grow back a few months after treatment ends, though lingering fatigue and neuropathy can persist.

Despite the physical toll, Williams relied on weight‑lifting to stay centered and strong throughout chemotherapy. She’s not alone — breast cancer survivor and researcher LaShae Rolle also turned to strength training during treatment. In her peer‑reviewed study published in Lifestyle Medicine, Rolle found that delayed post‑treatment exercise and moderate‑to‑high‑intensity workouts can help reduce side effects while preserving muscle mass and strength.

“Fitness gives you focus, and you have to be focused,” Williams says. She carried that mindset through every step of her cancer journey.

WATCH: What to Consider When Thinking About a Mastectomy 

Alongside chemotherapy, Williams underwent a double mastectomy as part of her path to remission. The decision can be deeply emotional for many women.

 

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“A double mastectomy typically takes about two hours for the cancer part of the operation, the removal of the tissue,” Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, tells SurvivorNet. “The real length, the total length of the surgery, can often depend on what type of reconstruction [a patient] has.”

Better Understanding Breast Cancer Surgery

Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, says there are a number of factors to weigh when considering a mastectomy, chief among them is whether breast-conserving surgery (or lumpectomy) is possible. Your doctor will look at the size and features of your tumor as well as your family history in order to make a recommendation.

“When I talk to a woman who comes to me and she has breast cancer, I evaluate what the standard options for treatment for her are, which typically include cutting out the cancer– which is either a lumpectomy if you can get it all with just a little scooping around of the area that’s abnormal or a mastectomy for some women meaning taking the full breast because sometimes these lesions can be very extensive in the breast,” Dr. Partridge explains.

If you’ve had a mastectomy, breast reconstruction is one of the major issues to consider. There are several options available. The reconstruction process can happen at the time of the surgery to remove the breast or later on in the case of implants. Some women opt for no reconstruction, but decide later on that they want reconstruction to restore a sense of self, or simply get back to the way they used to look.

WATCH: Breast Reconstruction: Regaining Your Sense of Self

“Breast reconstruction is about restoring both a woman’s form and her sense of self,” explains Dr. Andrea Pusic, Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. It’s a deeply personal decision, and today’s surgical options can create breasts that look natural and real.

Immediate reconstruction can produce better results than delayed reconstruction, resulting in fewer surgeries. However, it may require a more extended initial hospitalization and recovery time. This long surgery may also have a higher risk of complications, such as infections, than two separate surgeries.

It may be worth noting that “Delayed reconstruction has fewer complications than immediate reconstruction,” Dr. Terry Myckatyn, a plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction, told SurvivorNet.

When implants are used, the procedure can take two to three hours (so the total surgery time would be around five hours). During reconstruction, one can also take one’s own tissue (usually from the belly area) and transfer it to the breast area.

After breast cancer surgery, women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer may also need chemotherapy, radiation, or hormone therapy.

Dr. Myckatyn emphasizes that the process is collaborative: “It’s a shared decision-making process between the patient and the physician. The patient needs to advocate for herself and make her goals clear. The physician needs to provide clear, logical, evidence-based explanations for their recommendations.”

WATCH: How some women may keep their breast size and shape in cancer surgery.

Plastic surgeons typically reconstruct breasts using either implants or tissue taken from another part of the body—such as the back, abdomen, or inner thigh. This tissue-based approach, known as a flap procedure, often produces breasts that look and feel more natural than implants and can change with your body over time, for example, with weight gain or loss.

However, flap procedures involve more extensive surgery, longer recovery, and additional scarring—both at the breast and at the donor site. They may also weaken muscles where tissue is taken, and not all patients are candidates. Women who smoke or have certain health conditions, such as poorly controlled diabetes, circulation problems, or connective tissue disorders, may not be eligible.

Implant-based reconstruction usually requires fewer surgeries, smaller incisions, and less scarring, allowing for a quicker return to daily life. The trade-off is that implants don’t adapt to body changes, which can make them look less natural over time. Implants also carry risks of leakage or rupture, which would require replacement.

Every surgical option comes with risks. Understanding those risks—and weighing them against your personal goals—is essential before making a decision.

Another aspect of breast cancer surgery involves the possibility of sparing the nipple.

WATCH: Understanding Nipple-Sparing Mastectomies

During a nipple-sparing mastectomy, doctors use special techniques to remove a woman’s breast, leaving the skin and the nipple intact. The idea is to maintain, as close as possible anyway, the natural look of the breast. After a mastectomy, a plastic surgeon will use either an implant or the woman’s own tissue to recreate the breast. When a woman’s own tissue is used, doctors typically take it from fat in the patient’s lower abdomen.

“Nipple-sparing mastectomy, or nipple-preserving mastectomy, differentiates itself from the traditional mastectomy where the nipple was not saved,” Dr. Irene Wapnir, a surgical oncologist and breast surgeon at Stanford University Medical Center, explains to SurvivorNet.

“It’s the ideal procedure for those women who choose to have prophylactic mastectomy who don’t yet have breast cancer, who will choose that route because they have a strong family history of breast cancer, or if they’ve been tested and are a carrier of a mutation, a gene mutation, that predisposes them to a much higher risk of developing breast cancer,” Dr. Wapnir explains.

Coping With Your New Body After Cancer Treatment

After breast cancer surgery, patients often struggle with the changes to their bodies that others can see, whether those changes are temporary or permanent, like hair loss and weight gain. However, survivors also struggle with changes that may not be as obvious — such as infertility — and these can create body image issues and make survivors feel vulnerable.

One way to prepare yourself for possible body changes during cancer treatment is to understand that changes are possible but also, frequently, temporary. This can also help build up your self-confidence. Your support group, filled with loved ones, can help you during this stage of your journey as well.

WATCH: SurvivorNetTV Presents: ‘SN & You – Body Image: Embracing Your Body’

Psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin shares with SurvivorNet some additional tips cancer warriors can explore to help manage the emotional toll body changes can have during treatment.

Dr. Strongin encourages survivors to take ownership of the part (or parts) of their body impacted mainly by cancer treatment. She says that although they may represent “fear and pain,” they also represent “strength and courage.”

“Research has found that when looking in the mirror, we are more likely to focus on the parts of our body we are dissatisfied with, which causes us to have a negative self-view and lower self-esteem. Therefore, I would like you first to spend time gazing at the parts of your body you love, give them time, honor them, and then thank them,” Dr. Strongin said.

Dr. Strongin then suggests focusing on the part or parts of your body affected by the cancer or its treatment. She recommends creating a regular practice of accepting your body image because it helps you accept your cancer journey emotionally and physically.

“As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body. It may not happen immediately, but with time, you can begin honoring and thanking your new body,” Dr. Strongin added.

Coping With Chemotherapy Side Effects for Breast Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy is an effective tool for oncologists to help treat cancer by stopping cancerous cells from growing, dividing, and spreading to other organs. Chemo works by traveling through the bloodstream, killing cancerous cells. However, healthy cells are also impacted in the process, leading to side effects.

Patients almost universally experience fatigue, often alongside gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea. Doctors have many effective medications to combat chemo-induced nausea. “But mitigating that fatigue often depends on the patient,” says Dr. Renata Urban, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

“Neuropathy is probably one of the most challenging side effects,” says Dr. Urban. Neuropathy results from damage to the peripheral nerves. It usually resolves after chemotherapy treatment, but sometimes symptoms can persist. While it’s typically characterized by numbness or a pins-and-needles sensation in the hands and feet, neuropathy can have several different symptoms, including:

• Weakness in the hands or feet
• Stabbing or burning pain in the hands or feet
• Difficulty gripping, such as when holding a fork
• Difficulty with fine motor skills, such as writing or buttoning a shirt

Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy. When chemotherapy affects the rapidly dividing cells in the lining of the stomach, the resulting cellular havoc in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to side effects such as nausea and vomiting. However, doctors can help patients mitigate the hit with various medications before, during, and after treatment.

“Part of the chemotherapy prescription includes a set regimen of anti-nausea medications,” says Dr. Urban. “We also ensure that patients have medications at home that they can use should they develop nausea after treatment.”

Hair loss is another side effect of chemotherapy.

WATCH: Coping with hair loss.

“For cancer patients, losing one’s hair can be unbelievably stressful. To start with, the dread of losing one’s hair can lead to some sleepless nights and feelings of anxiety,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, told SurvivorNet.

Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment.

It happens because this treatment targets quickly dividing cells throughout the body. That includes cancer cells but also hair cells.

Most patients can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment. However, it is possible that when your hair grows back, you may notice some changes in its color and texture.

Tips for Navigating Chemo Side Effects

When dealing with fatigue, doctors don’t have an arsenal of weapons to combat fatigue in terms of prescription medications. However, you can do several things to help minimize the hit and restore your energy.

• Exercise: While it may be counterintuitive, physical activity can help alleviate side effects, especially fatigue. “Although ovarian cancer is not common, we often draw upon the experience of patients with breast cancer and colon cancer, who have shown that physical activity can not only improve quality of life but may also have beneficial impacts on cancer outcomes,” Dr. Urban says.
• Eat well: Even though nausea may interfere with your ability to eat a healthy diet, it’s essential to ensure you’re eating appropriately, getting enough protein, and not losing weight. Not only will nourishing your body support your recovery, but it may also help you feel more energized.
• Sleep: Want to mitigate fatigue? Be sure to maintain your regular sleep-wake cycle while on treatment. Sticking to a set sleep schedule helps reduce fatigue by ensuring enough hours for your body to heal and restore itself each night. It may also help you recover more quickly by keeping energy levels high during the daytime.

Treating Neuropathy Symptoms

Doctors have several strategies for helping patients deal with this side effect. Once a patient begins experiencing the symptoms of neuropathy, they’ll be carefully monitored to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Before each chemotherapy infusion, the attending oncologist will assess whether the symptoms have progressed. If the symptoms worsen, they may adjust the dose or delay treatment. They may also try switching to another chemotherapy drug.

How to Get a Handle on Nausea

Most of these anti-nausea medications last for more than eight hours. One of the infusions commonly used reduces the degree of nausea for up to three days.

Complementary approaches may also be helpful. A few favorites:

• Ginger: Studies consistently show that ginger helps alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea. The powerful herb appears to have an anti-spasmodic effect on the gut. Not a fan of raw ginger? Suck on ginger candy, sip ginger ale, or make a steaming cup of ginger tea.
• Pressure bracelets: at your local pharmacy, these bracelets provide consistent pressure on a particular acupressure point on the wrist to reduce nausea.
• Deep breathing: Moving air in and out of your lungs with a few deep breaths can help relieve nausea, particularly if you pair deep breathing exercises with meditation. It can also help you relax and release stress and anxiety.

WATCH: Managing chemo side effects.

Coping with Hair Loss

If losing your hair is a concern for you before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, among other things.

Another option that can minimize hair loss is cryotherapy, “just a fancy way for saying cold therapy,” says Dr. Renata Urban, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Cryotherapy involves wearing cold caps or special cooling caps before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment.

Breast Cancer Symptoms & Self-Exams

Women are encouraged to do regular self-exams to become familiar with how their breasts feel normally, so when something unusual, like a lump, does form, it can be easily detected. A self-exam includes pressing your fingertips along your breast in a circular motion.

For some women, that means going to their doctor and walking through what a self-breast exam looks like, so they know what normal breast tissue feels like, so if they do feel something abnormal, whether it’s a lump or discharge from the nipple, they know what to ask and what to look for.

Below are common symptoms to look out for:

• New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
• Any change in the size or shape of the breast
• Swelling of all or part of the breast
• Skin dimpling or peeling
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipple turning inward
• Redness or scaliness of the breast or nipple skin
• Nipple discharge (not associated with breastfeeding

When to Screen for Breast Cancer

The medical community has a broad consensus that women should have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should now start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.

The American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year for women 55 and older. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.

WATCH: When you’re getting a mammogram, ask about dense breasts.

Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.

Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.

Questions For Your Doctor

• What stage is my cancer, and how does that affect my treatment plan?
• What are the recommended chemotherapy options for triple-negative breast cancer, and what side effects should I expect?
• Are there any clinical trials or emerging treatments I should consider?
• How will treatment affect my fertility, physical activity, or ability to work?
• What follow-up care and monitoring will I need?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.