Breast Cancer Rehab with the The Pink Ribbon Program,- Fairfield New Jersey

As a breast cancer survivor you realize that the cancer experience does not end the day treatment ends. You can’t wait to get back to your “real” life and put the cancer behind you. You may be cancer-free but you are not free of cancer’s effects as you adjust to body changes brought on by surgeries and/or treatment that impacted your physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing.

“Without help, the aftermath of cancer treatment
can be as devastating as the cancer itself”

(Curetoday.com 2009)

Get Back to Living, Not Just Surviving

The Pink Ribbon Program will help stretch and strengthen the shoulder, chest, back, and abdominal muscles, allowing women to regain full range of motion to those areas affected by breast cancer surgery. This program is suitable whether your surgery was recent or several years ago and accommodates all fitness levels.

Woman covering her breast

Common Issues That May Arise From Breast Cancer Surgery And Treatment:

Decreased Shoulder Range of Motion
Decreased Shoulder Strength
Pain
Fatigue
Poor Posture
Increased Risk for Lymphedema
Impaired Functional Ability to Perform Activities of Daily Living

The Pink Ribbon Recovery Program Can:

Improve Range of Motion
Restore Sensation
Help Prevent Lymphedema
Restore Strength & Combat Fatigue
Improve Functional Abilities

How It Works

You can start your post-operative breast surgery rehabilitation program as soon as your doctor says you are ready. This can be as early as two or three weeks after your surgery. You can participate in your rehabilitation program during your radiation or chemotherapy treatments, or after you have completed all treatments.

A typical post-operative breast cancer rehabilitation program is 6-weeks in duration, meeting 2 times
per week. This program can be conducted as a hospital-based program and maintained with
a home-health plan.

“With ongoing collaboration and interdisciplinary efforts, cancer rehabilitation will maximize
the quality and quality of each patient’s life for the present and in the future.“

(ONS, 2005)

Pink Ribbon Certified Instructors

Please click here to see a list of all Pink Ribbon Certified Instructors.

The Pink Ribbon Recovery Exercise Manual

The Pink Ribbon Recovery Program is designed to facilitate recovery from breast cancer surgery.
These surgeries include lumpectomy, mastectomy, and breast cancer reconstructive surgeries;
including TRAM flap, LAT flap, and implant reconstruction. This program also reduces the risk of
lymphedema. The Pink Ribbon Recovery Program works in conjunction with your doctor's
recommendations for an exercise program. You may also use this program in conjunction with,
or as a follow-up to any prescribed physical therapy.

If you cannot find a certified instructor in your area,
you can purchase the Pink Ribbon Program exercise manual here.

About the Creator

Doreen Puglisi, MS is a college professor and renowned international presenter. With a master's degree in Exercise Science, 24 years as a business owner, academic educator, and Pilates instructor, she provides a unique perspective on both theory and practice. Doreen transformed her professional-then personal-experience with cancer into a successful rehabilitation program for breast cancer survivors. In just six years, the nonprofit organization she founded, The Pink Ribbon Recovery Program, has trained and certified more than 500 instructors internationally. The Pink Ribbon Recovery Program originated when Doreen began working with breast cancer survivors as an exercise physiologist and Pilates instructor. This recovery program was underway when Doreen faced her own breast cancer diagnosis. She applied the Pink Ribbon protocol to her own recovery. Today the Pink Ribbon Recovery Program is a gentle, staged process that begins when the survivor is either six weeks past her surgery or has received her doctor's approval to begin gentle exercise.

Pink Ribbon Program - Contact Information