Eye on Health - Cancer Rehab Clinic

Trinity Health has been offering a program called Exercise Cancer Rehab for almost a year now. T...  More »

Trinity Health has been offering a program called Exercise Cancer Rehab for almost a year now. The program has served about 40 people in the past 11 months with no charge even though insurance doesn't cover the 12 week program. That is thanks in large part to fundraising...like the 'Tough Enough To Wear Pink' campaign that just wrapped up in Minot. We hear about it in tonight's Eye on Health from one man who helps guide patients through it, and another enjoying its benefits... Well, the program is for cancer patients and survivors. For patients who are within their treatment program and they be going through radiation or chemo and for survivors as well who may be removed from the treatment but may still have some side effects. I have this lower back pain from colon cancer...and when I am done, it feels so much better...it is the exercise. Lots of strength exercise, some cardio, flexibility...whatever helps with their specific needs. I dread coming in...but after I have been here it is really noticeable. When I hear comments from someone like I did at Yale about the importance of exercise rehab with cancer treatment that in a few years we will see more of this and we have it now...that is great for the region. Upwards of 96 percent of patients complain of treatment related fatigue. Over 25 percent will have depression with treatment and facing cancer. Exercise has shown to be beneficial in helping with those side effects and those outcomes. We've had some patients who were at the end of life...but we can provide a quality of life at the end as well and that has been beneficial to them and the family as well. We have worked with champion athletes...and these are champions as well...coming out of cancer rehab.  « Less