(BPT) - Navigating the challenges of cancer treatment and emerging as a survivor is a triumph worth celebrating. Yet, what often catches people off guard is how the journey toward healing and wellness frequently extends long after the cancer is defeated.
For gynecologic cancer survivors, restoring a sense of well-being can take time. Caroline Dabney, who survived an ovarian germ cell tumor as a 14-year-old, knows this firsthand. Even years later, as an adult, she found herself struggling to make her own health and wellness a priority.
Dabney was encouraged by a friend to join a joint program between the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center and the MUSC Wellness Center, specifically designed for gynecologic cancer survivors. The program, known as Fierce Foundations Fit Club, is a holistic health program that empowers women to prioritize their health. There she found connection, camaraderie and intentional time to focus on herself.
Exercise and therapy programs for gynecologic cancer survivors
Many gynecologic cancer survivors struggle with mental and physical wellness after their treatments are complete. They can feel tired, experience brain fog, have digestive issues, struggle with physical limitations and, generally, just not feel like themselves.
Observing a great need for a program tailored to these women, Hollings Cancer Center women's health nurse practitioner Montana Woods worked with Cindi Day, Clinical Exercise Program coordinator at the MUSC Wellness Center. Together, they launched Fierce Foundations Fit Club.
Fierce Foundations Fit Club is a 10-week program that includes up to 12 gynecologic cancer survivors. The structured program focuses on many aspects of wellness, including improving pelvic floor strength, balance, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, bone health, body composition and symptoms of fatigue.
Because it is tailored to women who've gone through gynecologic cancer and demanding treatments that accompany it, the program offers a personalized approach and a built-in community that supports both physical recovery and emotional well-being.
Customized exercise programs for gynecologic cancer survivors
Fierce Foundations exercises focus on strengthening the deep core to help women to regain their confidence and vitality in their daily lives. Just as important as physical exercise are the holistic wellness components like nutritional counseling, therapeutic gardening, breathwork clinics and group discussions.
"Women struggle with self-care," said Day. "They are often their own caretakers and caretakers for those around them. This can make them reluctant to make their own care a priority, even during a cancer recovery. With the Fierce Foundations program, the goal is for them to feel stronger and more confident to advocate for what they need."
This message resonated with Dabney, a busy mom of two. "I was silently weeping in our first yoga class as I realized it's been eight years since I focused on myself in any meaningful way," she said.
The other women in the class echoed the same sentiment. "We all were shelving our overall health for various reasons, whether that was because life was getting in the way, or because there was a looming sense of fragility post-treatment, or because depression had sunk in, or because finding where to restart is often harder than doing nothing at all," Dabney explained. "Personally, I joined because deep down I knew I needed a reset, and the intention of Fierce Foundations legitimized my need to reclaim personal time and my health."
Dabney's journey mirrors what Day hopes every survivor will embrace — a return to themselves, one intentional step at a time.
"You're a survivor, and you need to take care of yourself," she said. "Talk to your provider about how you're feeling. Find a fitness routine that ignites you. Advocate for yourself and make self-care a non-negotiable."
MUSC is an academic medical center and home to a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, a distinction awarded to institutions that demonstrate excellence in transdisciplinary research to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.
The goal of Fierce Foundations is to empower gynecologic cancer survivors to thrive and live their best lives. As a unique national role model, the program is offered at no cost to participants and also provides a framework for other medical organizations seeking to support cancer survivors. This innovative partnership between MUSC's Hollings Cancer Center and Wellness Center is one of the first of its kind in the country, and many programs now look to MUSC for guidance as they develop their own survivorship initiatives.
Dabney said it's a luxury to have a program like Fierce Foundations available at no cost to patients.
"Most people living in or near South Carolina know that MUSC leads the charge in cancer treatment and research here in the South. What people may not realize, as I did not, is that MUSC is a national leader regarding innovation in that space. Where else does this exist, where, for free, you are receiving this intense amount of almost one-on-one care? It's a huge benefit."
To learn more about the Fierce Foundations program and how holistic wellness and exercise can help gynecologic cancer survivors, visit HollingsCancerCenter.musc.edu.
