TITCH MADZIMA
< OKAY, SO THIS IS FOLLOW-UP STUDY FROM OUR PREVIOUS STUDY WITH
BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS AND OUR GOAL IS, WE’RE TRYING TO USE
RESISTANCE TRAINING AND PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION TO HELP
COUNTERACT SOME OF THE SIDE EFFECTS OF BREAST CANCER AS WELL AS
THE TREATMENTS OF BREAST CANCER. SO WE’RE DOING RESISTANCE
TRAINING TWICE A WEEK AND PLUS PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION TO
HOPEFULLY INCREASE MUSCLE MASS AND DECREASE FAT MASS AND
IMPROVE MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION IN BREAST
CANCER SURVIVORS OVER THREE MONTHS. >
< THE FIRST STUDY WE DID WAS USING RESISTANCE TRAINING, THE SAME
PROTOCOL WE HAVE HERE, BUT WE HAD DRIED PLUMS OR PRUNES AS
SUPPLEMENT. SO ONE GROUP WAS TAKING PRUNES, ONE GROUP WASN’T,
BUT BOTH GROUPS WERE DOING STRENGTH TRAINING. WHAT WE FOUND IS
BOTH GROUPS INCREASED MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND BOTH GROUPS
MAINTAINED THEIR MUSCLE MASS. THEY DIDN’T INCREASE MUSCLE MASS
BUT AT LEAST THEY MAINTAINED THEIR MUSCLE MASS MEANING IF WE
DIDN’T SEE DECREASES, AT LEAST THE RESISTANCE TRAINING WAS ABLE TO
HELP THE LADIES MAINTAIN WHAT THEY ALREADY HAD, WHICH IS A
POSITIVE. NOW WE WANT TO SEE, MAYBE, IF BY ADDING A PROTEIN
SUPPLEMENT WE CAN ACTUALLY, IN ADDITION TO MAINTAINING, MAYBE SEE
SOME INCREASES IN MUSCLE MASS AND MUSCULAR STRENGTH AS OPPOSED
TO RESISTANCE TRAINING. BUT THE MAIN GOAL AND THE MAIN POSITIVE
THING IS THAT STRENGTH TRAINING TWICE A WEEK, WE’VE SHOWN
INCREASED MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION IN THE BREAST
CANCER SURVIVOR, SO THAT’S A POSITIVE. >
< SO THE ONES WHO HAVE COME BACK FROM THE PREVIOUS STUDY,
THEY ALL LOVE THE PREVIOUS STUDY A LOT, AND WE’RE JUST GETTING
STARTED NOW AND, YOU KNOW, THE WORKOUTS ARE CHALLENGING BUT
EVERYONE IS MANAGING AND EVERYONE IS DOING A GREAT JOB. AND
SOME OF THE NEW PARTICIPANTS ARE REALLY EAGER TO GET STARTED.
THEY’VE BEEN REFERRING SOME OF THEIR FRIENDS AND STUFF SO WE’RE
STARTING TO GET A GOOD GROUP OF NEW PARTICIPANTS WHO DIDN’T
PARTICIPATE IN THE PREVIOUS STUDY SO WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED
NOW AND I HOPE EVERYONE JUST WORKS HARD, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT;
WE’RE HAVING A GOOD START WITH EVERYTHING. >
< WELL, AS WE ALL AGE, CHANGES IN BODY COMPOSITION OCCUR.
PRIMARILY, WE SEE AN INCREASE IN THE LOSS OF MUSCLE MASS,
INCREASE IN FAT MASS, AND A DECREASE IN BONE MINERAL DENSITY.
ALL OF WHICH, IF THOSE CHANGES OCCUR WITH NORMAL AGING, THAT
INCREASES THE RISK OF OLDER ADULTS HAVING FRACTURES, BECOMING
PHYSICALLY DEPENDENT…SO WHAT WE SEE IN A LOT OF CANCERS IS
THAT THESE CHANGES ARE ACCELERATED. SO WE’RE HOPING THAT
THESE INTERVENTIONS THAT AREN’T DRUG RELATED, THAT ARE
SOMEWHAT COST EFFECTIVE AND SAFE CAN HELP COUNTERACT THESE
SIDE EFFECTS. MAYBE EVEN REVERSE THEM OR AT LEAST SLOW DOWN
THE ACCELERATED CHANGES IN BODY COMPOSITION AND MUSCULAR
STRENGTH. >
< IT’S BEEN AWESOME. I’M ORIGINALLY FROM ZIMBABWE SO IT’S BEEN
GREAT COMING HERE AND I WORK WITH DR. PANTON AND SHE’S TAKEN
ME UNDER HER WING. OUR DEPARTMENT IS GREAT BECAUSE WE ARE
TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, HELP USE EXERCISE AND FUNCTIONAL FOODS TO
COUNTERACT LOST OF DISEASES; DIABETES, HEARTH DISEASE, WE’VE
GOT A GOOD CARDIOVASCULAR LAB, WE’VE GOT A GOOD HUMAN
PERFORMANCE LAB, WE HAVE A GREAT MUSCLE LAB AS WELL, TOO, SO
WE’VE GOT A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT FSU PROVIDES AND I THINK WITH
ALL THE WORK THAT WE’RE ENCOURAGED TO DO AS GRAD STUDENTS,
WE’RE HELPING TO ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS, WE’RE DOING LOT
WITH NIGHT-TIME EASTING, AS WELL, WHICH IS PRETTY COOL WITH DR.
ORMSBEE, SO IT’S BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND THEY’RE TRAINING US
PRETTY WELL, HERE, TO BECOME FUTURE RESEARCHERS, AS WELL, SO
IT’S BEEN GREAT. >
< IT’S BEEN ABSOLUTELY AWESOME JUST GETTING TO KNOW THE LADIES.
EVERYONE IS JUST SO MOTIVATED, EVERYONE HAS A POSITIVE
ATTITUDE. IT KIND OF PUTS THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE FOR ME AS I GO ON
IN MY DAYS IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT I LET BOTHER ME AND WHAT I DON’T.
SO I THINK IT’S BEEN VERY MOTIVATING AND IT’S JUST MAKING NEW
FRIENDSHIPS, IT’S JUST FUN BEING IN HERE LIFTING WEIGHTS AND
MOTIVATING AND, YOU KNOW, LEARNING ABOUT LIFE AND JUST
CHATTING ABOUT FAMILY AND EVERYTHING, SO IT’S BEEN GREAT. >
< WE’RE HOPING THAT, AT SOME POINT, THAT IT BECOMES STANDARD
PRACTICE THAT A LOT OF PHYSICIANS AND ONCOLOGISTS WILL TELL,
WHEN THEY’RE COUNSELING SOME OF THEIR PATIENTS ON WHAT
TREATMENT METHODS TO HAVE, WILL SAY ‘OKAY, YOU MIGHT BE
TAKING THIS TREATMENT METHOD. YOU MIGHT BE ON HORMONE
THERAPY, YOU MIGHT LOSE BONE AND MUSCLE MASS, BUT IF YOU BEGIN
STRENGTH AND MAYBE TAKING PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT OR, YOU KNOW,
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS, FUNCTIONAL FOODS, WITH STRENGTH
TRAINING, YOU WON’T SEE THE SAME EXTENTS TO THE SIDE EFFECTS AS
PEOPLE WHO AREN’T. SO HOPEFULLY, WE’RE HOPING IT WILL BECOME
STANDARD PRACTICE WHERE, YOU KNOW, PHYSICIANS AND
ONCOLOGISTS AND SURGEONS ARE RECOMMENDING STRENGTH
TRAINING, EXERCISE, AND FUNCTIONAL FOODS TO COUNTERACT THESE
SIDE EFFECTS SO, I MEAN, WITH ALL THIS RESEARCH THAT’S GOING ON
HERE AND AROUND THE COUNTRY, I THINK AT SOME POINT THAT’S
GONNA BE STANDARD PRACTICE. >
JENNIE SIMONS
< I BECAME A PART OF IT BECAUSE WOMEN WHO HAVE HAD BREAST CANCER
ARE WONDERFUL ABOUT SHARING AND A FRIEND OF MINE BECAME AWARE
OF THE PROGRAM THROUGH A FRIEND OF HERS AND SO ON, AND SO FORTH.
AND SHE AND I STARTED COMING TOGETHER. AND I WAS AT A VERY LOW
POINT IN MY LIFE BECAUSE I’D HAD A LOT OF SURGERIES AND I COULDN’T
REACH OVER MY HEAD, I COULDN’T REACH MY BACK TO BATHE, AND I SPENT
A GOOD PART OF MY TIME ALONE. MY HUSBAND WAS WORKING OUT OF
TOWN SO I THOUGHT ‘WELL, THIS WOULD BE GREAT. MAYBE THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT CAN, MAYBE THEY CAN HELP ME GET BACK WHERE I NEED
TO GET BACK. I HAD TAKEN THERAPY AND IT HAD KIND OF FAILED, SO WHEN
I STARTED THE PROGRAM I COULDN’T LIFT HARDLY ANY WEIGHTS. AND AT
THE END OF SIX MONTHS, I WAS LIFTING, FOR ME, A LOT OF WEIGHTS. AND IT
HELPED ME PHYSICALLY. I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD OSTEOPENIA IN MY
FOREARMS WHICH WAS HEADING INTO OSTEOPOROSIS AND AT THE END OF
THE STUDY IT HAD GONE BACKWARDS. IT HAD GONE BACK TO BEING
NORMAL AND SO I DETERMINED THAT I NEEDED TO KEEP THAT UP; DOING
RESISTANCE TRAINING. I’M ALLERGIC TO A LOT OF MEDICINES SO I FOUND A
WAY I COULD SOLVE THAT PROBLEM WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE
MEDICATION. IT HELPED ME MENTALLY BECAUSE IT’S GREAT TO BE IN A
GROUP OF WOMEN WHO ARE SO ANXIOUS TO HELP HAVE SOME CONTROL
OVER THIS DISEASE AND HELP GO BACK A LITTLE, WHETHER IT’S HELPING
OTHER WOMEN. A LOT OF THE DOCTORS DON’T TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT
THE AFTER-EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL THERAPY BECAUSE, ONE OF THEM TOLD
ME, THEY WON’T TAKE IT. SO I FOUND OUT A LOT ABOUT WHAT WAS
HAPPENING TO ME, WHY IT WAS HAPPENING TO ME ON MY MUSCLES AND MY
BONES, AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO I’M VERY, VERY EXCITED TO BE A PART OF
THIS. >
< IT IS A HORRIBLE FEELING. I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYTHING QUITE LIKE
BEING TOLD THAT YOU HAVE CANCER, ANY KIND OF CANCER. AND I HAD
WATCHED MY FATHER AND MY GRANDPARENTS, THEY WERE OLD SCHOOL
HEAVY SMOKERS, AND I HAD WATCHED THEM BATTLE CANCER. AND I HAD
JUST NURSED MY MOTHER-IN-LAW THROUGH BREAST CANCER SO I WAS
REALLY QUITE HORRIFIED. YOU CAN’T THINK, DURING THAT TIME, YOU HAVE
TO MAKE THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS OF YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU
REALLY CAN’T FOCUS ON ANYTHING, AND IT’S VERY DIFFICULT. THEN THE
CHEMOTHERAPY, WHEN THEY GIVE YOU THE CHEMOTHERAPY THEY DON’T
REALLY EDUCATE YOU TO THE SIDE EFFECTS BECAUSE THEY’RE VERY
AFRAID YOU WON’T TAKE IT. AND IF YOU DON’T TAKE IT, ESPECIALLY MY
TYPE OF CANCER, I HAD TRIPLE NEGATIVE CANCER AND IT’S PRETTY DEADLY,
YOU DON’T HAVE MUCH CHANCE OF SURVIVING IT. SO THE FIRST TIME I HAD
CANCER I NEVER REALLY FELT LIKE I WAS FREE FROM IT. I JUST FELT LIKE I
COULDN’T ESCAPE FROM IT. I HAD A RECURRENCE IN 2008 OF THE SAME
SPOT, SAME TYPE OF CANCER, AND THIS TIME I FEEL LIKE I AM FINALLY FREE
OF IT. I’M FREE, I’M READY TO LIVE MY LIFE AND THE STUDY HELPED ME A
LOT ALONG THE WAY. IT REALLY HELPED ME FIGURE OUT WHERE I NEEDED
TO GO, WHERE I NEEDED TO BE TO TRY TO HELP KEEP IT AWAY AND ALSO
COUNTER EFFECT SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF THE CHEMOTHERAPY LIKE
BONE MASS DENSITY LOSS. IT’S REALLY HARD TO BUILD UP MUSCLE. I’VE
WORKED OUT FOR YEARS AND I REALLY HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME PUTTING MY
MUSCLE BACK ON. >
< THE WOMEN WHO’VE HAD BREAST CANCER I’VE WORKED WITH WE’RE ALL
VERY KIND, WE’RE ALL VERY GENEROUS WITH OUR KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT
WE’VE HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT MIGHT HELP SOMEONE WHO’S JUST
COMING INTO IT. IT WAS LIKE A SISTERHOOD. THERE WAS A LITTLE
COMPETITION IN THE FIRST STUDY TO SEE WHO COULD FINISH FIRST EVERY
DAY OR WHO COULD, NOT NECESSARILY LIFT MORE WEIGHTS BECAUSE
DIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF THEIR RECOVERY, BUT
THERE WAS SOME LITTLE COMPETITION TO GET EMILY’S, AND I’M SURE IT
WILL BE WITH TITCH, THEIR ATTENTION AND WORK WITH THEM, BUT IT WAS
REALLY GOOD TO PASS IT ALONG. THE STUDENTS HERE AT FSU ARE
FABULOUS. WE FELT SO LOVED, AND THAT’S WHAT ALL OF US NEEDED AT
THAT PARTICULAR TIME. WE NEEDED JUST UNCONDITIONAL ‘I’M HAPPY
YOU’RE HERE’ AND THAT’S WHAT WE GOT HERE >
< I’M HOPING THAT MORE WOMEN WILL SIGN UP FOR ANY KIND OF STUDY
THEY CAN THAT DOESN’T ENDANGER THEM IN ANY WAY TO HELP GET MORE
ANSWERS FOR THIS. I’M VERY ANXIOUS, I VOLUNTEERED FOR ANY STUDY I
COULD FIT INTO HERE AT FSU AND I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE OTHER
WOMEN TO DO BECAUSE YOU FIND SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST WHAT THE
STUDY IS TRYING TO FIND. YOU FIND FRIENDSHIPS, YOU FIND LOYALTY, YOU
FIND A SISTERHOOD, YOU MEET VERY COMPASSIONATE, CARING YOUNG
PEOPLE WHO, ALL OF THEM, SEEM TO HAVE SOME STORY OF CANCER IN
THEIR FAMILIES, TOO, AND THEY’RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB HERE WITH
THIS TYPE OF STUDY. IT HELPS ANSWER A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT
WOMEN LIME ME DON’T GET NECESSARILY. I’VE GOT SOME VERY GOOD
DOCTORS BUT THEY JUST DON’T, THEY DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO ANSWER
ALL MY QUESTIONS SOMETIMES, AND IT’S GOOD TO KNOW THAT SOMEBODY
ELSE IS SEEKING OUT THOSE ANSWERS AND PROVING THAT SOME OF THE
OTHER STUDIES ARE DEAD ON WITH WHAT THEY’RE DOING SO IT’S VERY
VALUABLE TO PEOPLE WITH CANCER. >
< I DO, I HAVE A NEW GOAL. THEY HAVE A MORE CLEAR IDEA NOW THAN
THEY DID IN 2000 WHEN I FIRST HAD THE CANCER OF HOW YOU CAN BEST
LIVE YOUR LIFE TO KEEP IT AWAY. THOSE WERE QUESTIONS I ASKED TO A
LOT OF DOCTORS AND A LOT OF ONCOLOGISTS AND DIDN’T GET VERY
SATISFACTORY ANSWERS. THEY JUST SAID, ‘WELL, YOU’RE A MIRACLE THAT
YOU’RE ALIVE NOW, YOU JUST NEED TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING’
BUT THEN THEY STARTED CONNECTING EXERCISING 30 MINUTES A DAY,
EATING LOW SUGAR, WHICH I’VE DONE FOR MANY YEARS ANYWAY, EATING
LOW SUGAR AND GETTING YOUR EXERCISE REALLY HELPS YOU. I THINK IT
INCREASES YOUR CHANCES QUITE A BIT BY DOING THAT. >
< I AM DISABLED NOW. I HAVE BONE PROBLEMS IN MY ARM, IN MY RIGHT
ARM, I’M RIGHT-HANDED AND I WAS A COMPUTER DATABASE
ADMINISTRATOR, COMPUTER PROGRAMMER, AND I SAT FOR MANY LONG
HOURS DURING ALL OF THIS CANCER STUFF AT A DESK THAT WASN’T
NECESSARILY SUITED FOR MY BODY TYPE AND IT HAS REALLY RUINED A LOT
OF MY JOINTS AND MY BONES AND STUFF. I’M ABLE TO FUNCTION; WALKING
IS ONE THING I CAN DO REALLY WELL, BUT SITTING FOR ANY LENGTH OF
TIME OR USING A MOUSE FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME OR HOLDING MY HAND
IN ONE POSITION FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME. >
< I WILL BE SIXTY FOUR YEARS OLD ON FEBRUARY 9TH. >