"An aggressive weekly chemotherapy cocktail for 6 1/2 months for a pregnancy cancer called choriocarcinoma, (placenta cancer) meant I could barely walk without hanging onto the walls & furniture. My thighs were like jello & the brain connection was not there"
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"I couldn't wait to get back to my regular yoga routine but I was scared. I had no idea what my body was capable of at that point. The 5 chemos I was on had stripped me down to the very bottom, not to mention I had given birth to my last child 10 months prior
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I carefully started yoga about 3 months post chemo. What started out as 5 mins max, with persistence & dedication, I added a few more minutes where I could, rebuilding strength daily as I listened to my body closely. Yoga helped calm me from the stress I had been thru & what I would face in the future. For weeks, I could feel the strong detox of chemo tingling out of my feet & toes; they itched crazily. Months later, I was up to my pre-chemo yoga daily schedule. It was not easy
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Trying to find the new normal after cancer is a task alone. I had to find mine & wanted mine quickly. I was ready to test the waters, learning some things cannot be rushed, yet I was determined. I began working on advanced poses, particularly those that might help bone density & hormones, further challenging myself. As my hair begun to grow back, I was doing research, teaching myself. This has been the most rewarding both mentally & physically
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4 years later, I have reversed my low bone density, regained 1/2" in height, rebuilt my white cell count, & boosted my confidence. I enjoy IG yoga challenges & the yoga community. I now teach, sharing my journey, helping others that are low, limited, & declined due to health issues. My passion is to guide & encourage those that are in remission & recovery
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Chemotherapy has left other permanent side effects. I have learned to co-exist with these nasties while learning to give my body grace when needed: My new normal. I give yoga credit for my recovery but main credit goes to the Man above