Breast Cancer
It’s a miracle, really, that a disease once considered a death sentence is now curable. Many live for decades with no further treatment or the occasional round of chemo. Most regain full quality of life, though all agree they are never the same.
I don’t have breast cancer. I am grateful for this daily, sometimes even hourly, since both my grandmothers and my mother-in-law died from it and my Mom is a six year survivor.
I have worked hard to minimize my risks, yet I’ve no control over my biggest one - age. My chances are 1-in-15 starting at age 60. Think of the lottery tickets sold with those odds offered!
Pilates is my antidote to aging. I started at 47 - at 54 my body does things I’d previously only seen performed by Cirque D’Soleil. My physical transformation was slow and steady, but “feeling better” happened in the very first lesson. Teaching it became my mid-life’s work - and my classical Pilates students range in age from 20 - 75.
Yet I wanted to offer more. My breast cancer education included 7 years of medical advocacy for my mother-in-law. I know firsthand how tunnel-visioned the medical community can often be, addressing each issue without seeing the whole picture. Pilates teaches us to first see the whole picture, then address the individual issues.
When I met Dr. Suzanne Martin last year at our national convention, it was to hear her speak about another topic on which she is an expert, Scoliosis. Her concise and passionate delivery of copious amounts of knowledge impressed me, so I was excited (and a little intimidated!) to be accepted to her Breast Cancer Master Specialization program. I was happy to have found a way to positively build on and apply some hard-earned, practical knowledge already learned about this disease.
I am just beginning the journey of offering a new perspective for healing after breast cancer and welcome your sharing this experience.
Wishing you all the best!