At Marysville YMCA, cancer survivors grow stronger

Published 5:30 pm Monday, January 18, 2010

After the hair loss from chemotherapy, after the fatigue of radiation, even after doctors say that cancer has been blasted from their bodies, a whole new round of healing must take place: overcoming the physical and emotional toll of a cancer fight.

Cancer survivors, who have survived the ravages of treatment, are left with muscle deficits.

Even 10 to 20 years later, scientists have found, the muscle mass of cancer survivors often lags far behind people of the same age. Their endurance isn’t as great. They have less cardiovascular strength to power them through activities.

And psychologically, they often feel that the body they thought they knew and trusted has failed them.

“Surviving… dealing with it, it’s very emotional,” said Rick Lawson, 49, of Marysville, who has battled leukemia and a baseball-sized brain tumor.

Cancer patients first must endure the chaotic swirl of seemingly nonstop medical appointments, treatments and assessments only to be dumped at the “finish line” into the emotional void of discharge.

“First it’s, ‘Am I going to survive this?’” Lawson said. “When you’re done with treatment, it’s like, ‘What do I do now?’ ”

Local YMCAs, working with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, are trying to provide answers.

A new free program called Exercise and Thrive is being offered at YMCAs in Marysville and Monroe, designed to meet the special physical and psychological needs of cancer survivors.

The classes include strength training; cardio workouts; flexibility, balance and deep-breathing routines; and diet and nutrition tips.

Word spread fast about the first classes offered this fall in Snohomish County. Many slots were filled by word of mouth and referrals from the Providence Regional Cancer Partnership in Everett. The next classes begin Feb. 23 in Marysville and Monroe.

Scientists aren’t sure why cancer survivors have less muscle mass than their peers up to two decades after their treatment ends, said Karen Syrjala, co- director of the survivorship program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

Studies are now under way to see if it’s the treatment itself that’s damaging muscle cells or caused by patients’ inactivity during treatment, she said.

Regardless of the cause, loss of strength from cancer treatments means survivors have a much greater potential for injuries and flare-ups with lymphedema, which can cause swelling and problems with range of motion, she said.

YMCA exercise instructors who teach cancer survivors get training on their special needs — how to slowly build muscle strength and how to avoid strains and injuries that can come with attempting too much too soon.

“We think it’s important to have people who really understand the limits,” Syrjala said.

“One of the things we’ve learned with cancer survivors is from a long period of inactivity, they do lose cardiovascular ability, endurance and at the same time they lose muscle mass.”

Cancer survivors, some of whom were participating in marathons before their treatments, have to learn a whole new way to approach exercise and fitness, she said.

“It’s very hard not to push and build as fast as you can,” she said. “Sometimes, we have to help people slow down.”

Fourteen people signed up for the initial 10-week course in Marysville. Only one — Lawson — was a man.

While other men said they didn’t want to join a class with a female-dominated roster, Lawson took it in stride.

“I grew up with three older sisters,” he said. “I get along quite well with women.”

The combination of his leukemia treatments and the aftermath of fighting a brain tumor left him blinded in his right eye, with decreased coordination and stamina, and with body aches in his left hip and leg.

He had previously sought out physical therapy to help him rebuild his strength. But to make progress, he needed to go about three times a week. His insurance was charging him $50 out of pocket for each visit. “I couldn’t afford PT anymore,” he said.

The twice weekly, 90- minute YMCA classes are customized for cancer patients, he said, and slowly built up his strength.

There were other benefits, too: a better outlook, more energy, less depression and fatigue.

“My wife has noticed I’m happier,” he said. “My muscles have some sort of definition now.”

Even after the class ended in early December, he has continued his workouts, often going to the Y three times a week for water aerobics, treadmill workouts and strengthening regimens.

“I’ll make the Y my second home – a place for me to go,” he said.

The program has benefits beyond improvements in fitness and tips on stretching and nutrition, class members say. Among them is spending time with people who know firsthand the ups and downs of a cancer battle.

“Everybody has gone through the same thing: the diagnosis and response of family and friends,” said class member Renate Whitcomb of Marysville.

Whitcomb, 44, was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2006.

A cancer diagnosis often leaves patients feeling alienated, she said. “Most people don’t know what to say.

“I’ve never been part of a support group,” Whitcomb said, but class members “have really been my support.

“It helped me deal with my stress,” she added. “It was such a godsend.”

About 200 people have participated in Exercise and Thrive programs, offered at Puget Sound area YMCAs, including Northshore, West Seattle, Auburn, Bellevue, Marysville and Monroe. Harborview Medical Center in Seattle has joined hospitals in Spokane and Alaska in offering the program, too.

Cancer centers have offered similar strength and resistance training programs for patients, Syrjala said. What makes this program different is that they’re offered in the community where the patients live.

For people in Snohomish County, that means saving hours of commuting time on I-5 to get to Seattle. “I hope for most people, it takes 20 minutes or less to get to their local Y,” she said.

Reports on 158 of the 200 people who have participated so far showed improvements in flexibility, strength, waist measurements and blood pressure.

“It’s one of our most positive programs in terms of impact on lives,” Syrjala said.

“People said they felt better physically, had more stamina and less fatigue,” she said. “In a relatively short time… that’s a lot of change.”

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486, salyer@heraldnet.com.

How to join

Participants in the Exercise and Thrive program must be at least 21 years old, have medical approval to participate and must have completed their last cancer treatment at least one month before the class.

The classes are free and last for 10 weeks, but enrollment is limited. The next class will begin next month. For more information, call the Marysville YMCA at 360-653-9622.