Members of the LIVESTRONG program at The Healthy Living Center at North River stretch and warm up before a session. From left are Joselyn Willis, Jacky Stevermer, Beth Gross and Teresa Essary.Several weeks after finishing six tough rounds of chemotherapy, Joselyn Willis was driving to the mall with her daughter. Or, she was trying to, anyway.
Without even realizing it, she drove to the doctor’s office. She’d forgotten where she was going.
Relaying this story to her classmates in the LIVESTRONG program at The Healthy Living Center at North River, she wasn’t pitied. Instead, she was met with chuckles of understanding. Just like her, everyone else in the class has either survived cancer – and “chemo-brain” – or is currently going through treatment, and they understood perfectly.
The program is a 12-week fitness class offered to current or former cancer patients at no charge. The class meets twice a week and introduces participants to a bevy of aerobic fitness opportunities, from Pilates to spin classes.
To be able to continue offering the program free of charge, the Healthy Living Center is hosting a Zumba dance party open to the public Friday, April 7 at 6 p.m. The event features food, refreshments and plenty of space to dance.
The ability to attend classes has made a world of difference to Willis and Teresa Essary. Willis survived breast cancer in 2012, while Essary was treated for breast cancer with radiation in 2016. Not only does the class provide them the opportunity to stay healthy following the remission of their cancer, it serves as a support group giving needed encouragement.
“Someone would say they’re going through a particular treatment, and we all know what that was like,” said Willis. “We can suggest things to try to help, and we can sympathize and laugh at the things the instructors couldn’t.”
One example is what Willis described as “chemo-brain,” which is what she said caused her forgetfulness with her daughter. The toxicity of the chemicals involved in chemotherapy can impair memory, leading Willis and others in the class to forget questions they’d been asked and plans they’d made.
“You’re in an environment where people have gone through what you did or what you are currently going through,” Willis said of LIVESTRONG. “It normalizes it and makes it easier to stay positive.”
Even though Essary’s cancer wasn’t aggressive enough to warrant chemotherapy, the need to stay fit is just as important for her as it is for every other class member. The exercise helps strengthen bone mass, which means she’s less likely to suffer a serious injury as a result of the radiation therapy or medication she still has to take.
“This is a way for us to re-establish control of our lives,” said Essary. “It’s a choice you can make to be healthy. You can’t control the cancer, but you can control how you react to it.”
“You have to get to a new normal in your life. Everyone here makes that possible,” added Willis.
The class is available to anyone in Hamilton County who is going through cancer treatment or who has survived cancer, regardless of how many years have passed since treatment. There are three 12-week sessions throughout the year. Individuals interested in signing up can email Jennifer Cambron at jjcambron@gmail.com.
The Zumba dance party is being held at the Healthy Living Center at North River, and costs $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Every dollar of proceeds will go toward the center being able to host more LIVESTRONG classes in the future.
For more information about the classes or the party, contact Jennifer Cambron or call the center at 877-3517.