my story
By Claire Miller
Editor’s Note: “My Story” is a first-person column OR a Q&A feature of a New Albany community member that centers on health. Have a story to share? Email bklein@cityscenemediagroup.com. Submissions should be no more than 1,000 words.
Comfort in Community Dancer finds strength, support in fellow cancer survivors Inalee Tan is the owner of Thomas General Contracting and a former professional dancer. Over a three-year period, Tan battled back-to-back cancer diagnoses and a pelvis fracture, only to come back stronger and more positive than before. She credits her recovery and support in her journey to physical therapy, Healthy New Albany’s I Am Thriving project and the medically integrated fitness facility at The Ohio State University’s Health and Fitness Center in New Albany. Her interview with Healthy New Albany magazine is edited for space and clarity.
Inalee Tan and her husband Lang walk through Antelope Canyon in Arizona. After a lot of hard work in physical therapy, Tan was strong enough to take a trip out West with her family. 8
That all changed three years ago when I got diagnosed with cancer, endometrial cancer. I had the surgery, a full hysterectomy, and went back for the one-month checkup. Everything was great, cancer was gone, I was happy. Went back for three-month checkup, only two months later: new cancer. From that experience I had to go through radiation and brachytherapy (where radioactive material is placed inside the body to fight cancer cells). Then my gynecologist/oncologist asked me to consider a clinical trial with chemo with the radiation, low dose chemo with radiation. Most likely, they said, it probably wouldn’t help me but … other women facing the same thing. I thought about it and my husband told me it’s totally my decision. I decided it was the right thing to do. So, I went through the clinical trial with the chemo and the radiation and also the brachytherapy at the same time. It threw my immune system really low, as most cancer survivors go through that. Mine wasn’t as drastic, I didn’t lose all my hair. My hair thinned out and it changed, my body changed and I was very weak. I still had a company that I owned that I www.healthynewalbanymagazine.com
Photos courtesy of Inalee Tan
The Beginning Originally, I performed professionally. Then I came back to join the family business, which is poured wall, excavation, and concrete and flatwork. But when I came off tour, originally, I had taken some bad falls during some practices, so my back always hurt me. I always knew I had that and just had to stay active and healthy.
