After Dorothy received her terrifying breast cancer diagnosis, she relied on her love of tai chi to get her through the fight of her life.
Dorothy's Story
"It was like a death sentence."
I had already retired when I found out I had breast cancer 13 years ago. I was 66 years old. I was looking forward to teaching tai chi classes and spending more time with my grandchildren. At the time, my granddaughter was only 10 years old, and I was afraid that I wouldn't see her go to college.
They took a series of mammograms to pinpoint the lump, and at that point they went in and did a partial lumpectomy. Throughout the process, the American Cancer Society was really reassuring and comforting, and so after my recovery, I became involved with Relay for Life, which benefits cancer patients.
"Tai chi has enabled me to have a purpose in life."
Doing tai chi while I was going through treatment for breast cancer helped me by enabling me to get back to normal sooner. It gave me a purpose in getting up in the morning and gave me a purpose in moving my body more. If I didn't do it, I'd just be lying in bed and feeling sorry for myself. It gave me positive movement. Tai chi is meditation in movement.
After surgery, you don't want to move your body too much, but tai chi loosened up my body for me. I was afraid to move a lot, but I would go the farthest I could. I was very careful in the beginning and I'll admit that I didn't do it for very long every day. I just tried to do a little at a time. With time, I gradually increased my workouts. The main reason I teach four times a week now is so I am forced to do it that much, and I am very grateful that I can do that.
"I've had several cancer patients attend my tai chi classes."
I've had several students who were going through chemo, had lost their hair and everything and came to my class with bonnets. I saw the happiness they experienced in class. At the beginning, they were subdued and self-conscious. But nobody noticed! They just came in and did the tai chi, and after they left the class, they were smiling at me. I always made sure they felt welcome. Unfortunately, two of my students passed away from the cancer, but many survived. It's very inspiring to see them all coming in and exercising and enjoying themselves.
"Last year, I saw my granddaughter graduate from UCLA."
When I was sitting in ceremony, I was thanking God, and thinking, "Gee, I never thought that this could happen." But it did, and I'm so proud and grateful. Being a 13-year breast cancer survivor, I feel very blessed. There's so much hope now compared to when I went through the treatment. I feel that I'm still here for a reason - to help other victims of breast cancer.
