Mum with 'terminal cancer' in remission after exercise treatment
We all know that exercise is good for you – but for one new mother, it’s been a lifesaver.
Nicole Cooper was given just years to live after being diagnosed with cancer, but a second opinion and a surprising treatment has given her new hope.
Nicole was told she had cancer just month after giving birth.
“Being told you have terminal cancer when you also have an eight-month-old baby is one of the most harrowing experiences that a person can have,” she says.
In between chemotherapy sessions and surgeries for bowel, lung and liver cancer, Nicole hit the gym, with specialists advising that exercise is an essential part of cancer treatment.
Now, she’s never been fitter.
“Historically the advice for cancer patients is to rest and avoid activity, and now we know that’s probably the worst advice you can provide somebody with cancer,” Associate Professor Prue Cormie from the Clinical Oncology Society said.
In a world first, Australia’s leading cancer organisations have declared that exercise should be routinely prescribed.
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They say patients should jog, cycle or walk five times a week.
“It’s going to make a huge impact on your ability not only to recover but also to prevent your cancer from occurring,” said Dr David Speakman from The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
In just 12 months Nicole has beaten her terminal diagnosis and is now in remission.
She had no doubt that exercise has helped save her life.
“I don’t feel like a cancer patient,” she says. “I can squat 100 kilos sometimes.”
