A Survivor Story: Lynell Hunt
I’ve been putting off writing about cancer because I didn’t want to be reminded of what a difficult period of my life it was. From diagnosis through the early part of chemotherapy, I was a ball of misery. That’s not a time that’s easy to look back on. Anyone who has struggled with a cancer diagnosis, or has been through the dreadful rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, knows what it’s like. Mine is just another story of fear and loathing. What I wanted to know was how to feel better. And when I was through with treatment, I wanted to know how to become strong again. So today, what I want to talk about is how Livestrong at the YMCA helped me to do those things.
Throughout my chemotherapy and radiation, I’d been mostly sedentary. I was exhausted most of the time and walking around the block was about all I was up for. Of course, not moving much weakened my muscles even more. Getting in and out of the car was an effort, and a trip to the grocery store was a major undertaking. One morning, when I was struggling to stand up from sitting on a too- cushy sofa, I thought, “I have no strength in my thighs. This must be what it feels like to be very old.” That was one of my cancer lows — feeling like I had aged about 30 years. So, when my oncologist handed me a pamphlet about the Livestrong at the YMCA program and said, “This might be something you’d be interested in,’ I jumped on it!
Actually it didn’t happen quite that fast. My local Y was offering the program, but I had to be on a waiting list. They had recently begun the program and already had a waiting list. Happily for me, it was a very short list.
Over the next few months I was to learn how to take baby steps to a stronger, better and happier me. Being in a group of cancer survivors was something I had really needed. I needed to hear their stories. I needed to tell mine. I needed to learn how to move again. And I needed to remember how much I loved moving, and how much living a healthy and balanced life depends on movement. For me, everything is connected. If I am exercising, I’m usually sleeping and eating well. If I’m not moving, then the diet suffers. I’m an all or nothing person; it’s just how I’m built.
The first few times back in the gym were really tough. My balance, which I still struggle with, had become really bad, and as I mentioned earlier, I was terribly weak. I had no stamina. Just getting on that exercise bike for the first five minutes had me breathing hard. But it felt good. It felt good to have to breathe hard. It felt good to move my legs. We would do a warm up on the bike, do a little weight work on the machines and then move on to some yoga stretches and balancing poses. Yoga was the thing that really hooked me, from the deep breathing and the slow, deliberate movements to the restful, quiet moments on the mat at the end, I was reminded to be present in each moment, even the hard ones.
Almost four years later, and free of cancer, I’m still a faithful yoga practitioner. It is something that makes me a much happier human being. I find that I practice on my own at home and still go to classes at the Y when my life isn’t too hectic. I still do some strength training and cardio work, too, though admittedly, not as much as I’d like to. Livestrong helped me remember how much I need and love to move. That’s what our bodies were meant to do. It’s something I’ll always remember and something I’ll always be grateful to Livestrong for.
LIVESTRONG at the YMCA has been implemented in over 585 Y’s across the country. To find the closest one to you, please visit: www.livestrongymca.org
Originally published at endpoint89551e0f.chios.panth.io on December 8, 2014.
A Survivor Story: Lynell Hunt was originally published in Livestrong Voices on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.