Sabrina Wang
Sabrina had blood cancer (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) twice in her early 20’s and now lives with an irreversible lung condition called Bronchiolitis Obliterans as a result of the cancer treatments.
She says “Fitness has completely transformed my life after cancer and I believe it is a major reason why I’m still alive today and despite having a serious lung complication, I’m still able to maintain a normal life and live without limitations. “
1. When I discovered about my condition
I was diagnosed with Leukemia a few months after my 19th birthday, in July of 2009. I went to the doctor’s one day during summer break in between first and second year of university, because my period hadn’t come for a couple of months. After she ruled out pregnancy, she decided at the last minute to send me for a blood test. She told me she wanted to see if a hormone imbalance was the cause of my irregular menstrual cycle–it turned out to be something much more sinister. She called me that afternoon and instructed me to go to the hospital right away. A few days and a myriad of tests later, I received the official diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. And that was the start of an 8-month long journey of chemotherapy. Luckily, I responded well to the treatment and the doctors were optimistic about my prognosis. But almost two years later, in 2009, the Leukemia returned. This time, I required a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor in order to have a fighting chance at survival. In August 2009, I received the transplant and I have been in remission ever since.
2. My fitness routine
Before my diagnosis I was not active at all. I hated exercising and would often skip out on physical education class in high school. Because of this lack of exercise, a few months after the diagnosis, I found myself in terrible shape. my muscles became extremely weak and I was suffering from aches and numbness all over my body from lying down too much. I was also short of breath and couldn’t even walk for more than a few minutes at a time. The doctors told me I needed to start doing some light exercises. I was reluctant at first but with the encouragement of my medical team and my family, I started to take daily walks. At first, I could only do short and slow walks. Even 10 minutes walking on flat ground wore me out. I gradually improved from there and my 10-minute walks turned into 15-minute walks, then 30 minutes, and so on. Eventually, I got to the point where I could walk for an hour or more each day, on top of doing exercises with resistance bands to help strengthen muscles. Then I started swimming, hiking, taking Tai Chi, zumba, and kickboxing classes. 3 years ago, I even joined a dodgeball team in a hobby league where we run and try to dodge balls flying at you at breakneck speed!
My current fitness routine consists of:
- 45 minutes of working out at the gym (30 minutes cardio plus 15 minutes strength training) at the gym 5 days a week
- playing dodgeball 1 night a week
- 1 hour of outdoor walking every Sunday
- Qigong 4 days a week
- outdoor hiking in the spring and summer
3. My diet pattern
I used to love greasy, crunchy, and spicy food. I stopped eating those after my diagnosis and switched to a diet based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I believe every type of natural food has certain properties and it’s good to include a large variety of different foods in your diet. I don’t believe in cutting out any particular food groups for a long period of time–the key is balance and moderation. I eat a variety of natural, whole foods–mostly vegetables, tofu and fish. I eat some white meat and a little red meat here and there. I avoid highly processed foods as much as possible and opt for fresh ingredients that are cooked with simple methods such as boiIing, steaming, or lightly stir-fried. I also try to include a lot of healthy fat in my diet with foods like avocado, olive oil, salmon, and nuts.
4. How fitness helped me grow out of this disease
Exercise not only helped me regain my strength after my first bout of Leukemia, it made me the strongest I’d ever been in my life up until that time. It helped prepare me for the tougher regimen of treatments that would come in 2009 when I needed the bone marrow transplant. I recovered at a remarkable pace after the transplant so much so that I was released from the hospital just 2 weeks following the transplant, cutting the anticipated hospital duration by half. My recovery created a sensation amongst the staff and other patients at the time. I was doing so well in my recovery that my doctor didn’t catch a side-effect of the transplant until a routine lung function test in 2016. The test and a subsequent CT scan revealed that the donor’s cells had attacked my lung tissues and restricted my breathing abilities. The condition is called Bronchiolitis Obliterans. My lung function is at 60% of what it should be for a woman my age. But despite this condition, I continue to live a normal life and do all the things I love to do like playing dodgeball, hiking, and travelling. My lung function has been keeping steady since this diagnosis and I don’t require any medication, which again, amazes my doctors. I credit how well I’m doing to my regular fitness routine.
Georgianne Anker
Georgianne Anker was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in late January 2013. She had surgery in March followed by 7 weeks of radiation. 5 years later she did 2.5 years of tamoxifen and 2.5 more years of letrozole. She officially went into remission last July.
After she felt well enough to pick back up her physical activity, she turned to Lara Heimann’s LYT Yoga. Rooted in physical therapy and over all well-being, she felt supported and empowered.
1. When I discovered about my condition
I was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma in January of 2013, at the age of 45. The day after my mammogram screening I received a call from the radiologist’s office saying there were areas of concern on the screening and would like to do an ultrasound of those areas, one of which was confirmed to be malignant. I had no family history of breast cancer so was understandably shocked by the findings and I soon found myself quite overwhelmed by stress and anxiety.
2. My fitness routine
I have always been active. I have run 10 marathons, numerous half marathons. I love to cycle and weight train. Prior to my diagnosis I was regularly running 4-5 days a week and doing Crossfit twice a week. I belonged to a gym and would take a spin class 1-2 times a week, and dabbled in an occasional yoga class. I considered myself very fit, felt very strong and enjoyed challenging my body with varied forms of exercise.
3. My diet pattern
I consider my diet to be very healthy. The majority of my meals have always been plant based. I would have the occasional fish or chicken, limited amounts of dairy, and tons of vegetables, grains and legumes. Since my diagnosis I have further limited animal products from my diet on my physician’s recommendation.
4. How fitness helped me grow out of this disease
I tried to keep up some semblance of a “regular” fitness routine after I began treatment, but the physical toll the diagnosis, surgery and radiation took was debilitating. I found myself barely able to muster up enough energy to climb the stairs or walk the dog, never mind run or cycle. The emotional toll of the diagnosis manifested far more profoundly. I was having bouts of intense stress (worrying about my 3 kids… would I be here to see them graduate high school? College? Would I see them grow into adulthood?) I was experiencing crippling anxiety related to the treatment itself. (what it was doing to my body… worried about long term effects… I knew I needed to take 5 years of post-treatment oral medications to further prevent recurrence and worried about side effects from that….what would my “new normal” be?) I was having difficulty sleeping, difficulty eating. I lost 20 pounds. The toll it took on my body and spirit was overwhelming.
Towards the end of my radiation treatment I had reached an emotional breaking point. My oncologist brought in a social worker for me to speak with. Among the coping skills we discussed, which included slowly returning to regular exercise, was the suggestion to begin a regular yoga practice in a studio setting. I felt an immediate connection to the YogaStream community and to Lara Heimann’s style of teaching.
I noticed an immediate correlation between beginning to practice yoga and a decrease in my stress level. It became a catharsis of sorts…. The more I practiced, the more I was able to harness the stress and chaos that had been consuming my life. The more I practiced, the more at peace I became and found myself crying on my mat during savasana, not from stress or fear, but from a profound release of stress, a release of fear, a release of the uncertainty a cancer diagnosis can bring. The more I practiced, the stronger I became. The YogaStream style is an incredible example of the beauty of yoga, the beauty of movement and the beauty of meditation. Lara’s style is a marriage of sorts of all three of these facets.
I decided to do Yoga Teacher Training with Lara in October of 2017 to deepen my own practice. What I never realized was that it would be so much more than yoga. It has been truly life-changing. It enabled me to navigate the stress and chaos and fear that is part and parcel of a cancer diagnosis, and emerge a stronger, more self-confident version of myself than I ever could have imagined.
Jaclyn Alterwein
At 47, Jaclyn Alterwein’s life had been rocked by breast cancer more than once. Over the past six years, she has helped her mom and several close friends through their personal battles with the disease. Two years ago, both she and her sister received their own diagnoses.
Following her diagnosis, Jaclyn decided to undergo a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery almost immediately. It wasn’t until she returned to her job as a CycleBar instructor, where she could barely ride at half of her usual speed, that the reality of her diagnosis really hit her. But when life gives you a lemon called breast cancer, Jaclyn says, “Turn it into pink lemonade!”
More than a year later, Jaclyn believes her recovery wouldn’t be where it is today without her job and the CycleBar community that supported her physically, mentally and emotionally. She uses her platform as an instructor to spread awareness and host fundraisers for breast cancer survivors. Fitness truly changed her life after cancer.
1. When I discovered about my condition
That’s an interesting story. It all started at my last annual mammogram in December 19, 2016, just a few days before my 46th birthday. The mammo showed suspicious calcifications. I went through months of testing, including biopsies, ultrasounds, more mammos and second opinions. Finally, after three and a half months of testing, I received my diagnosis. My surgeon didn’t even have to say it. I knew it the moment she walked in the exam room. Fortunately, the breast cancer, DCIS, was found at one of the earliest stages possible. Although it hit me hard (I don’t have the words to truly describe that moment), once I gathered my emotions, I weighed the options and decided to take the most aggressive approach, obliterating that beast with my first shot. My double mastectomy was my choice… an extremely difficult choice, but one that I am incredibly grateful for now.
2. My fitness routine
Fitness and health have always gone hand in hand for me. My father was a physician, and incredibly bright man. I grew up learning from him about the importance of health, fitness and nutrition. It’s no wonder I have opted to live a healthy lifestyle and I am so grateful to him for instilling that in me. A natural-born dancer, I remember taking aerobics classes when I was about 11. I loved that it felt like dancing. I fed off the energy of the others in the room! I continued to dance and cheer as a teenager. I started dancing professionally at 18 years old while going to college, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Adult Fitness from Kean College. During my career as a dancer and choreographer, my fitness routine was aimed mostly at improving my cardiovascular endurance. I spent lots of time on treadmills, ellipticals and stair mills outside of a grinding rehearsal and performance schedule.
After the birth of my first son 18 years ago, I still had a significant amount of weight to lose. I had gained 52 pounds! Fortunately, I was in my best condition going into my pregnancy (6 seasons with the NY Knicks City Dancers definitely helped!). I finally went back to the “gym”, again using the same cardio machines, light weights and some group fit classes. Along with a change in my diet, the weight started to come off. I gained only 27 pounds with my second son – I learned my lesson the first time! About 7 years ago I started to dabble in yoga which has turned into one of my absolute favorite forms of fitness. Eventually, I went back to my first love, dance. I created and taught dance fitness classes which jumpstarted my fitness career, the second time around. I had heard about indoor cycling but had never had the guts to try it. Not being a “cyclist” I could not understand why people found it so appealing. I finally took my first class 3 years ago. I was hooked immediately. I started to take classes in the gyms I was teaching dance fitness at. Then in August 2016, I stumbled upon the job post for a CycleBar CycleStar. Having no experience as an indoor cycling instructor, I honestly didn’t think they’d even look at my resume. I’m so glad they did! Little did I know that only a few months after making the cut and beginning my career as a CycleStar, I would be diagnosed with breast cancer. Since becoming a CycleStar, the majority of my fitness is spent on the bike, taking yoga, resistance band training and light weights.
3. My diet pattern
I don’t have a specific diet I stick to other than fairly clean eating. My dad always said, “If it comes from the ground or a plant, it’s meant to be eaten!” Fortunately, I have always loved fresh vegetables and fruit. Both have always been a big part of my diet. I gave up red meat about 26 years ago. In the last year, I have significantly reduced my chicken and dairy intake. Fish (primarily salmon) and other seafoods are faves as well as roasted veggies like brussels sprouts, kale and broccoli. I miss yogurt but absolutely love unsweetened almond milk! After the birth of my first son, I realized the impact bread and pasta were having on my weight. When I cut both out, the baby weight fell off immediately! Since then, other than the occasional pizza (gotta treat yourself too!), I take in very limited amounts of bread and pasta. My next challenges are eliminating sugar and slowly, but surely, I plan on eliminating all processed foods. Of course, lots and lots of water… and my homemade ginger turmeric green iced tea… I love it!
4. How fitness helped me grow out of this disease
Thank goodness I was already active and health conscious when I was diagnosed! My surgeons confirmed that my fitness level sped up my recovery and healing time. I was in great shape going in to my double mastectomy at 46 years old. I had been a CycleStar for about 6 months prior to my surgery, which significantly lowered my body fat and elevated my cardiovascular endurance. But, more importantly, CycleBar helped me through my emotional and spiritual recovery which was far more challenging than the physical. Any cancer patient I’ve spoken to understands exactly how that feels. Being able to lose myself to the music in rides, get caught up in the beat, cry when I needed to, and steadily witness my physical comeback – it empowered me. And my CycleBar family… I can’t say enough about them and their support! Thank you! I now know CycleBar came into my life just a few months prior to that last annual
mammogram for a reason. I will always be incredibly grateful for that. And, now I get to share my experience with my riders, helping them as they navigate through their own journeys and challenges, whatever they may be… mind, body and soul.
Finally, it is extremely important that readers understand why I share my story… I share as long as the those on the receiving end learn from my experience. It’s really simple… #AnnualMammosSaveLives
It is a message I was spreading for over 4 years prior to my own diagnosis. After holding the hands of my mom & 2 dear friends through their breast cancer battles and having witnessed the impact their annual mammograms had, I realized just how important annual mammograms truly are. I started to spread my message on social
media, in my dance fitness classes, and pretty much anyone who would listen. My own experience is the epitome of the message I was already spreading.
A believer in everything happens for a reason, I feel
compelled to share my story in the hopes
of saving lives, until we have a cure. For those reading this, know that finding breast cancer early significantly improves your chances of beating it while also having more treatment options. It is ok to be scared… I was. Choose Courage – walk forward in the face of fear, so you can make the call to schedule the appointment, to walk in the door, and to get that annual
mammogram. It saved my life. I know it can save yours too.
With love, Jaclyn.
My breast cancer journey can be followed at #AnnualMammosSaveLives
Jeannine Pelkey
A week of Jeannine’s second Spartan race, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Over the next year, Jeannine would undergo surgeries, chemo and radiation. A few months after treatment ended, in 2017, Jeannine competed in her third race. In 2018, she had 2 reconstructive surgeries and was back to running 3 weeks before the Spartan Fenway event. She is slated to compete in the Spartan Fenway Park event in November 2019.
Spartan is the world’s largest obstacle course race (OCR) and endurance brand and Jeannine is a Spartan 4x over – 2 of which she competed in after her diagnosis!
1. When I discovered about my condition
In November of 2016 I had a mammogram, and as a result, found the breast cancer. I had just completed my second Spartan race at Fenway Park and was finishing a year of more road races then I’ve ever ran in a year. I had a double mastectomy and have had multiple surgeries for implants and reconstruction. (7) I also had 16 weeks of chemo and 28 radiation treatments in 2017. I finished radiation at the end of August and did Spartan Fenway that November.
2. My fitness routine
I have a running club (Emerald Running Club). We go to a local, weekly, free and timed 5k on Wednesday nights, called the D5k. I run a couple times of week for a few miles. I also go to the 5am Title Boxing Club (Danvers) classes. I lift weights at Title, and I have a pull up bar, an ab wheel, and strength bands at home that I work on for Spartan races. Currently I am training for a local race series, and it’s going to be my big challenge for the year. In April it’s a 7 miler and a 10 miler in June. The rest of the races in the series I can do, and have done before, but the 7 and 10 will be a real challenge for me, and I can’t wait to conquer them. Also, for a Spartan challenge, one of my good friends and I are doing the Boston Sprint on May 11th, and then in November we have a larger team for the Spartan Fenway. My short-range goal for Spartan is to do one in Colorado with my brother, and my long range goal is to do the longer Spartan races and achieve a Trifecta. Also, in warmer temps I paddleboard, which is an amazing body and core workout.
3. My diet pattern
I eat eggs with peanut butter and fruit in the morning. Lunch and dinner is protein (tuna, chicken, turkey or beef) with lots and lots of veggies. I drink one iced coffee in the morning, and water the rest of the day. I’m really hitting the food and workouts hard, to work off the 30 lbs. I gained in chemo! I don’t call this a diet, it’s really my lifestyle. I’m an under-eater and always have been, so I work hard to make sure I get all the right nutrients to power me through my workouts and my day. I don’t really do cheats, but I do happily accept a beer after a race. As a rule I don’t eat anything over 5% sodium content, and rarely eat something boxed or packaged. I stick to real food, 3 meals a day, and lots of water. I am the weakest in the water drinking, but I work on it always, and always feel better the more water I drink.
4. How fitness helped me grow out of this disease
In 2016, my challenge for the year was to run more (paid) road races than I ever had before in a calendar year. I ran the weekly free 5k, and also did 36 road races that were 5k’s, 10k’s, Falmouth 7 miler, 5 milers and a 4 miler and was going boxing 4x a week. This put me in amazing shape! So when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was really in the best shape to fight this with everything I had. I never stopped working out. During the 16 weeks of chemo I did 16 5k’s. I walked a lot also. After each surgery I do have to hold off on boxing, but as soon as I have the green light I am right back there at 5am. In the off times I do walk a lot. During the month of radiation, I did keep running and even did a 10k. Halfway through the 10k I thought, what am I doing out here? Then I saw my Dad there cheering me on, and it gave me the boost I needed to push through and finish strong. The strength training really helps with getting my range of motion back, and my overall arm strength. This year, a month after surgery, I was on vacation and running a 5k. No breaks! On April 16th I did the BAA 5k as part of Marathon weekend, and took 5 minutes off my 5k time. I still have 9 minutes to shave off to get to my faster time, and I can’t wait to hit that number.
Having the support of my running club, the local D5k, and Title Boxing have been tremendous. Running, boxing, and training for Spartan kept me moving forward, and feeling good. Our running club logo is a frog, because frogs only move forward, never backwards. Eating healthy is key. Working out is key. It always made me feel better to keep active. Right now, training for the longer races and the upcoming Spartan, is tough as I just had a surgery on Feb 14th. When I feel like I’m struggling I remember all those days in the hospital, when I wanted to be outside and active with everyone else, and I keep going. I do this for me, but I also do this for others. You CAN do it, I did it, and I want them to know, that it gets better, but don’t stop moving. If I can motivate and help one person through their own cancer journey or struggle, then it’s worth it.