Wednesday, March 18, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Making the most of what you’ve got in pursuit of health
By Katy yoder
Columnist
Part of my recovery has
been healing the relationship
I have with my body. I didn’t
realize it was an issue until
I started exercising again.
Walking with friends was
good medicine on so many
levels. I began to feel stron-
ger, which encouraged me to
do more. Gentle paddles in
a kayak, hikes to places I’d
always wanted to see and
easy rides on my horse all
invigorated me.
As the summer came to a
close, I was walking around
three miles per day. I had
plans to do my first 5K with
a cancer survivor’s group I
walked with once a week.
But with all that walking, I
began to feel a lot of pain in
my feet and ankles. Having
just gone through the rigors
of cancer treatment, I didn’t
take the pain very seriously.
I thought it was just part
of getting in shape and —
compared to what I’d been
through — I could tough it
out.
But one day, I realized I
was really having trouble
getting around. I went to my
oncologist and found out that
the post-cancer drug I was
on was harming my connec-
tive tissues, especially my
Achilles tendons. When I
went to a specialist, he said
I’d done some damage to my
tendons and it would take
physical therapy and rest to
get them back in working
order.
It seems I still haven’t
learned that lesson about lis-
tening to your body and mak-
ing quick corrections when
things are out of whack.
Since I couldn’t walk long
distances, I decided to look
into Sisters Athletic Club. I
had been a member 10 years
before, but quit when I felt
too self-conscious about
working out with all those fit
people. I know, a real coun-
ter-productive way to look at
it, but that’s how I felt at the
time.
Tate Metcalf generously
offered a free month to try
again. He also introduced me
to a personal trainer, Chandra
Hess who would help me
exercise without hurting
myself more. I began explor-
ing what my body could do
and where I had to be extra
careful.
The breast surgery I had
caused the tendons under
each armpit to be much
tighter and easily strained.
My chest area has scar tissue
that is still sore from surgery
and the radiation that keeps
on “cooking” long after the
last session. So I was a little
apprehensive about how to
use my upper body, not to
mention the lymphedema
lurking in both arms.
I was completely out of
touch with my body. I didn’t
know how to activate mus-
cles; it was as if they’d gone
to sleep and I didn’t know
how to wake them up. Part
of that happened long before
I got cancer. I was spending
long hours at my desk and
wasn’t balancing that with
time getting out and moving
my body.
But there was another
reason for that discon-
nect I hadn’t addressed.
Reacquainting myself with
my languishing muscles
forced me to take stock and
face the fact that getting
cancer made me stop trust-
ing my body. Cancer was a
betrayal. I had lost faith in
my body and didn’t trust it
anymore.
One reality that I’ve come
to accept is that once you’ve
had cancer the thought of
having it again is never far
away. Feeling a strange
twinge, something hard
under the skin or even being
over-tired can trigger a fear
of reoccurrence. I don’t want
to live in fear, so each time it
comes up, I work on replac-
ing that fear with faith that
I’m OK.
I was completely
out of touch with my
body. I didn’t know how to
activate muscles; it was
as if they’d gone to sleep
and I didn’t know how
to wake them up.
I’m learning to trust my
body again and to open
my spirit up to loving and
accepting my “soul suit”
just the way it is. I’m using
exercise as a way to feel that
strength returning which
gives me more confidence
that my body will fight off
any cancer cells in the future.
My naturopath oncologist
told me something that really
hit home: she said that the
most important thing I can
do to avoid getting cancer
again is exercising at least 30
minutes per day. The move-
ment flushes toxins from
your body and keeps every-
thing running smoothly. It
wasn’t the first time I’d been
told that exercise was a key
component to my recovery. I
just hadn’t taken it seriously
enough. But the growing
fear of going through can-
cer again was very effective
at putting things in sharp
focus and motivating posi-
tive changes. It’s one of the
gifts of this disease, discern-
ment and gratitude result-
ing in the fuel needed to do
better.
I’m starting to do some
yoga again, too, and I’m
really excited to incorpo-
rate that into my exercise
regime. I’m looking forward
to working on controlling
my breath, my muscles and
learning how to reduce ten-
sion. Getting into shape is
opening up so many oppor-
tunities for me to fully enjoy
this amazing place that we
call home. I plan to take full
advantage of beauty around
me. Anyone care to go for a
hike?
Partners in Care
For most people, conversations around end-of-life
issues can be difficult. It is an important topic, how-
ever, and finding an opportune time to talk with your
friends and family can ensure you have a chance to
explore and communicate your wishes.
Over 90 percent of people think it is important to
talk to their loved ones about their wishes for end-of-
life care, though fewer than 30 percent have, according
to a survey by the Conversation Project. Seventy to
90 percent of Americans say they want to die in their
home, though in reality 70 percent of us die in hospi-
tals, nursing facilities, or long-term care facilities.
We all need to make our wishes known, which can
be done in several ways. Advance directives, which
include living wills and medical powers of attorney,
are legal documents in which a person specifies their
wishes for end-of-life care. Advance directives should
be done by all adults over the age of 18, and ideally
should be completed when one is healthy. As people
prepare their advance directives, they should talk
about their decisions with family members and loved
ones, and explain the reasons behind their choices. Of
course your wishes may change over time, and these
forms can all be updated as often as desired. There are
many tools available to help with these discussions.
One is called ‘The Conversation Project,’ which
is a campaign in collaboration with the Institute for
Healthcare Improvement, and aims to be sure people’s
wishes regarding end-of-life care are expressed and
followed. Their website, www.theconversationproject.
org, contains a starter kit to help you organize your
thoughts, and guides you on ways to have the discus-
sion with those close to you. To learn how Parners in
Care can help with these conversations, visit their web-
site at www.partners-bend.org or call 541-382-5882.
15
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