Friday, February 7, 2025

Cancer and exercise, my story

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Derek Skingle, The Nimbin GoodTimes

Many of us will encounter cancer during our lifetime, either through affected friends, relatives, loved ones or personally.

It’s the diagnosis we all dread, as much for the treatment as the disease itself. And let’s not mince words, the treatments – chemotherapy or radiotherapy – are brutal. But they are often the only tools currently available for today’s specialists.

Back in 2016 I watched an ABC Catalyst episode featuring an exercise program developed by the Cancer Care Centre in Perth that provided benefits for patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Apart from the increase in well-being felt by patients, survival rates following treatment were also improved.

At the time, I was so impressed with this inspiring and instructive program that it stuck at the back of my mind for years, little thinking I would one day put those very practices to use for my own welfare and health.

This is my story of how I dealt with a cancer diagnosis using the exercises I had seen in the Catalyst program.

My background is in science, but I have no medical or allied health qualifications. I simply hope that others may benefit from using a similar approach.

Early in 2024 I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. During my initial consultation I was disappointed that the word ‘exercise’ did not arise.

Naively perhaps, I had assumed that major hospitals treating cancer patients would have taken on board the evidence for the benefit of exercise during chemotherapy. Following that consultation, I realised I would have to prepare a plan of my own.

For over three years I had been attending a Live Longer, Live Stronger (LLLS) strength and balance program for older people at Nimbin Gym.

Gail Pierce runs the LLLS program and gave me generous guidance and support following my diagnosis. Above all, her faith in me was invaluable.

Gail put me in touch with an exercise physiologist, Micaela Griffiths, working from rooms at the old dental clinic in Nimbin, who devised an exercise routine that I could work on at home, as well as at the gym with Gail’s guidance.

I also booked local massage with fitness instructor, Cassandra Jeffreys prior to each chemotherapy treatment.

I had the best skills available to me locally and doubt I could have received better in a capital city. Throughout the chemotherapy, I religiously followed the exercise program.

Exercise was my key component for dealing with this cancer, but it wasn’t the only factor I had to consider. I took a holistic approach and considered my diet, my mental health, social supports available to me, and my poor sleep pattern.

I knew from the outset that chemotherapy can have devastating effects for many patients and approached my treatment sessions with a conviction that rigorous exercise was going to be my salvation.

Immediately following hospital treatments my friend who drove me home from hospital would drop me off a kilometre from my house so that I could walk the remainder. In the first week between each chemo treatment, I experienced a bout of low energy, but by the third week my energy level had picked up at close to 100 per cent.

Apart from that, I had negligible side effects, some partial hair loss, some disturbed sleep, but no nausea, and my appetite remained normal so no weight loss. I also kept a daily health log in which I recorded my estimated energy level, appetite, exercise routine, weight, and any relevant issue I thought worth recording.

This became reassuring, as I knew what to expect each cycle. This also bolstered me because I could see with each chemo treatment that I was not getting a worse reaction.

I had been a vegetarian for about 40 years, occasionally eating fish. During treatment I had cravings for foods I had not eaten in years, including meat.

I took this as my body telling me that I needed more protein. I finally settled on organic chicken and continue to enjoy it post-treatment.

A cancer diagnosis can have a distressing effect on one’s emotional well-being. I decided to try and eliminate as much negative input in my life as I could.

I filtered the daily news, I gave up watching TV dramas, and had to ask friends to stop telling me of other people’s experience – I had enough to deal with handling my own.

At the initial consultation with the specialist, I was given a dossier of the treatment. There was nothing I could do with this information, only worry about it. I had already resolved that I would create an exercise program based on what I had learnt from the Catalyst program.

To improve my sleep I resurrected some meditation recordings I had made a few years earlier. And I started taking collagen before retiring. This not only increased my protein intake but also was recommended for improved sleep. Along with stopping screen time early in the evening, I achieved minimal success.

And finally, there was humour. According to American academic medical centre, the Mayo Clinic, a good laugh can release neuropeptides that can enliven your mood and relieve stress, so I aimed for some comedy most days.

On-line, I found recordings of old radio comedy shows that I loved many years ago and listened to them whenever I could.

After nearly five months, the day after I reached my 86th birthday, I received the best present I could have wished for: I was clear of cancer.

Now I face the challenge to ensure it doesn’t come back. Currently I continue with my gym sessions, I maintain the same diet and activity, and feel just as I did before this nightmare arose.

I remain convinced that the intense exercise I undertook was key to my recovery.

Exercise may not be for everyone who is facing cancer treatment, but it worked for me.

The Catalyst program can be accessed at: https://youtu.be/ffgAVrANmS4

Nimbin GoodTimes January 2025

This article appeared in The Nimbin GoodTimes, January 2025.

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