MY LIFE Matters: Health and Wellness Issue - 18

Wellness YOGA
Yoga
My Way
BY VALENCIA ROBINSON
I
t's time to start living the life you
imagined. No more delays. My oncologist
told me that I probably wouldn't
live to see my children graduate from
high school. I was diagnosed with
triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in
October 2006.
When I was finishing my treatment,
the last thing I was thinking about was
traveling or enjoying life. I was extremely
depressed and exhausted from all the
treatments that I endured. I had to find a
new normal and I found that yoga helped
me recover from the trauma that I went
through emotionally and physically because
of my breast cancer diagnosis.
My oncologist introduced me to yoga
immediately after my treatments ended.
I had six months of chemotherapy, a
bilateral oophorectomy, and a bilateral
mastectomy. I had a failed reconstruction
and three additional surgeries on my chest
that left me with nurses coming to my
house daily, cleaning and repacking the
wounds in my chest until they realized
a wound vac would be a better option. It
took about four months for the wounds
to close and then another surgery to give
my chest the look that I have today. I am
a proud flattie.
My oncologist witnessed me going
through all of this. Dr. Karin Bigman was
my biggest cheerleader and motivator.
When I was diagnosed, she was brutally
honest and told me that I might not live
to see my children graduate. My children
were three, four, five and eight at the time.
I was a high school English teacher working
through chemo and dealing with my
diagnosis the best way I could.
When I started yoga, it was extremely
difficult for me. I had no strength in my
arms from the surgeries on my chest. I
was toxic from the chemotherapy, and I
felt nauseous for months during the yoga
sessions that I attended. And they were not
even heated classes! My core was extremely
weak. My oncologist did not let up on me.
She encouraged me all the way. She did
yoga with her staff in her office several
days a week, and invited me to do it with
them. We would move the chemo chairs
and practice; this is where I learned the
tips and techniques for safe yoga practice.
My oncologist introduced me to other
yogis in our community and I found the
18
MY LIFE MATTERS
HEALTH AND WELLNESS ISSUE SPRING 2023
MY LIFE Matters: Health and Wellness Issue

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MY LIFE Matters: Health and Wellness Issue
