THIS IS A STORY about my beautiful friend and I, and how we battled her cancer. The story is not unique but, for both of us, the way in which exercise – namely yoga – affected her battle and recovery is worth recording.
In the UK, as women hit 50, they are automatically summoned for their first mammogram – a rite of passage for the peri-menopausal or menopausal woman. Unfortunately, hers showed “suspicious calcifications” and ultrasound found a tumour in her left breast, with a subsequent MRI scan showing 4 tumours, which all tested positive for cancer. Hearing her say “I have cancer” turned my core to ice and changed her forever.
I accompanied her on her medical journey: more x-rays, tests, scans, transfusions and blood tests. She had multiple treatments – the double mastectomy was brutal to witness, she became a slave to the routine of hospital visits for radiotherapy, and the relentless rounds of chemotherapy took away her joy of life – she had no control over how she felt or what her body was doing anymore.
Thankfully, after 2 years of enduring ‘life in the trenches’ she was told by her Oncologist that she was “in remission”. The celebrations were muted as she was constantly reminded of her disease due to the effects of the hormone therapy she would remain on for the foreseeable. This dumped her into full-on menopause overnight; with surging hot flushes both day and night, crippling pain in random joints and bones, dramatic changes in mood, and ultimately into a state of anxiety and depression. For a lot of people who suffer from it – including myself – depression sneaks up insidiously, but for my friend it built quickly, and we knew enough to recognise the signs. We subsequently found out that reduction in oestrogen levels, which is what her hormone therapy was designed to do, causes the natural levels of serotonin (our ‘happy’ hormone) to fall too.
All too aware of the way my early menopause affected me, and the sudden onset of hers, we understood why we had both changed. I had already turned to mindfulness, exercise and good diet – as any ‘Super-A’ with a health issue would – and we both knew she needed to address the depression; repair her body, and mind. I slowly helped to guide her back, encouraging her to eat well, rest and relax, and start to exercise again. We inevitably turned to our common bonding activity – our yoga. We had both had spells of teaching yoga and had both practiced for longer than we cared to remember, so it was natural to channel our energies back towards it. During her battle neither of us had felt inclined to practice; her being too weak to face the emotions that would inevitably surface during practice and meditation. I had however continued my practice throughout – it was a natural behavioural expectation for me – and it helped me to offload some of the grief and stress I felt. For her, now was the right time to embrace it again.
Initially she was reluctant to go to classes but, with my hand to hold, she started some gentle classes and admitted to feeling less anxious and more in control of her thoughts. After about 6 months of classes once or twice a week, she felt strong enough to return to some solitary practice and commented on how she felt more relaxed, more able to accept the changes to her body, and let go of the fear of the disease returning. Not only that, but her hot flushes had reduced, and her body pains had all but disappeared.
Like most illnesses or injuries, recovery never happens overnight but, by being mindful and exercising in a way that makes a person appreciate and nurture their body, they become more receptive to the positive changes that come with exercise, relaxation and meditation.
Within a couple of years my beloved friend had become so confident that she returned to teaching; focussing on teaching restorative yoga to people in recovery. I continue to practice religiously and feel immense gratitude to yoga for helping me stay strong for my friend. We have both been able to embrace the challenge of becoming Super-A’s, having found a new inner strength and positivity in life that would not have occurred without the ‘Big C’. For better or worse, both our lives are richer for it.
#MADEINFITNESS
