by Nicole Payne, YMCA

By: Nicole Payne, Senior Program and Membership Director, Brooks Family YMCA

Up until this year, October had always been a hard month for me. It had nothing to do with Halloween or the fall season, but instead, about a phone call. I answered it seven years ago in October — Breast Cancer Awareness Month — and I found out I had stage 3 breast cancer.

Immediately, it was cut-burn-poison: the all-too-familiar treatment trio of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. A year later, the cancer had gone into remission. But what seemed like the end of one journey was really the building blocks for an incredibly powerful one.

Several years later, Melissa Yuchasz with the First Coast YMCA learned about my story and encouraged me to lead the first cohort of LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA. I had been a group exercise instructor with the Y so, despite my initial reservations, I accepted the role, not knowing the incredible impact it would have.

LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA is a special program for those who have battled or are battling cancer. I admire that the program participants aren’t just in one age group or have dealt with one type of cancer; it’s open to anyone fighting that fight.

Breast cancer is obviously close to my heart. I’ve seen several groups of women that have been very vulnerable. Their relationships with their spouses are different and they’re dealing with all of the side effects. You see their vulnerability turn to strength through this program. The big, drapey shirts are changed out for normal shirts. You see their lives turn to what they were before cancer. That’s special to watch.

Equally as moving are the relationships built in the class. You get an insight from different kinds of people that speak the same “language.” It’s instant camaraderie and it’s really nice to talk to people who get it. Just because you have cancer doesn’t mean you want to stop being healthy.

The instructors are the really the ones that help you get there. They are specially trained to facilitate this program and many of them have had experience with cancer, either themselves or in their family. Also, it’s not a quick 30-day program-the instructors are making an investment in the participants’ lives throughout the 12-week class. They’re changing your life for the long term. I can truly say if this class had been around when I was battling breast cancer, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat. I know what it’s like to tell people you have cancer and they look at you like you’re in the grave. And honestly, a part of me hates that a program like this has to exist because of all the people fighting these terrible diseases. But at the same time, I love that the YMCA can meet them and join in that fight. Jacksonville has a number of resources in terms of cancer care and I’m glad we’re able to contribute to the community in that way- it says something about the legacy of the Y.

October isn’t as hard of a month for me anymore because I know there is support out there to help people in their cancer journey, resources like the LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA class. If you’re interested in joining the program, or just want to learn more, please reach out to your local branch and let us help you take the next step in your healthy living journey.

Also, The Buddy Bus will be at the Brooks Family YMCA in Jacksonville on November 15th. The bus is a mobile mammography unit to help women detect breast cancer. For more information about it, visit baptistjax. com/buddy.

As a therapist, I help clients from all walks of life feel, function, and communicate better; teaching them the skills they need to access their own resiliency and strength, empowering them to be their own best advocates and to mindfully create the lives they desire. Diana Brummer, MSW, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

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