Caro Hames went through a year of treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a lumpectomy for her breast cancer – she shared her wonder at how short walks with WALX total body walking poles, gave her the confidence to plan a ski holiday.
“ Honestly, I was laid to waste, I could hardly walk. I just hadn’t got any energy, and I lost my core plus all my muscles in my legs. They all kind of got knotted- you get neuropathy as well with the chemo. I was making progress and then I had radiotherapy which then again laid me to waste a bit with fatigue. I was starting to walk again and that is when my Husband was training to be an instructor, and he persuaded me to walk with poles. It was just amazing I can’t say any other word I could not believe it. I used to be a dancer in my earlier years, so I’ve got quite a lot of cell memory in things like my core, but it was squidge I mean totally squidge. When he showed me how to use the poles, I honestly was only able to do three or four K at a time. Probably max, but I just gradually built on it and by the time we went on holiday in 2 months later, I literally had a bit of my core back and did some climbing mountains with him as well. They are fantastic for going up really hills honestly, just amazing! I was so chuffed with my progress and it’s all to do with the poles because I had stopped doing any other exercises. I am now back doing squats and lunges because I want to go skiing in 5 months and it looks like I’m going to be able to do that. I have to lose one week in every three because when I’ve had the chemo the first week I’m a bit low energy but the second and the third week I’m out there with my poles – I just could not believe the difference to my core, fitness and I was getting bingo wings but they have gone now too! It’s brilliant thank you so much.