{"id":25580,"date":"2019-08-14T10:07:58","date_gmt":"2019-08-14T16:07:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=25580"},"modified":"2023-06-23T10:48:58","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T16:48:58","slug":"how-to-overcome-cancer-related-fatigue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/how-to-overcome-cancer-related-fatigue\/","title":{"rendered":"The miracle she was looking for"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"women
Betsey Peterson uses the UCHealth Medical Fitness \u2013 Windsor for all her rehabilitation needs after her cancer treatment. Photos by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Betsey Peterson parks her golf cart and strides into the UCHealth Medical Fitness \u2013 Windsor<\/a>. She has an Apple watch strapped on her left wrist and is ready to sweat. She looks trim and youthful in her black leggings.<\/p>\n

Inside the facility, Amber Rager is happy to oblige. After all, the facility\u2019s lead fitness specialist spends her days guiding clients through exercise routines designed to build muscle and improve cardiovascular fitness that help tackle cancer related fatigue. Peterson is one of her biggest fans, and the two hug and tease like old buddies, laughing at how far Rager\u2019s prodigy has come.<\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t always like this. Five years ago, Betsey Peterson needed a miracle.<\/p>\n

\"women
After battle cancer, Betsey Peterson had to stop driving. She rides her golf cart now to her classes at the UCHealth Medical Fitness \u2013 Windsor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Choosing a path<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In 2010, barely into her fifth decade, Peterson found a breast lump. She was active and otherwise healthy, so she wasn\u2019t scared.<\/p>\n

A lifelong believer in exercise and nutrition to help ward off disease, Peterson went the holistic route for a year, stocking up on supplements and vitamins. In 2013, a year after her initial diagnosis with stage IIB breast cancer by specialists at UCHealth\u2019s Cancer Care and Hematology Clinic – Harmony Cancer<\/a>, she traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, on the suggestion of a naturopath for more alternative treatments.<\/p>\n

Peterson\u2019s therapy south of the border consisted of stem cell treatments (\u201cI\u2019m not sure I even got them,\u201d she says now), low dose chemotherapy and radiation, and \u201cholistic things\u201d like enemas, all of which she believed had healing properties.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in big time denial,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cI thought I was getting better but toward the end I knew I was dying. The doctors were scared for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peterson\u2019s cancer hadn\u2019t yet spread when she was originally diagnosed, according to Dr. Farrah Datko<\/a>, her oncologist with UCHealth.\u00a0But within two years, the breast mass had grown so large that it had escaped Peterson\u2019s deep tissues, creating infected wounds and killing her skin, a dangerous sign of the cancer\u2019s relentless progression. And in November 2014, the pain came.<\/p>\n

\"women
Betsey Peterson uses the UCHealth Medical Fitness \u2013 Windsor for all her rehabilitation needs after her cancer treatment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t move my body,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cI was lying down in the back seat of my car and my husband brought me to my doctor\u2019s office. My doctor walked up to the car and said now is the time to go to the ER. And that started the ball rolling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not uncommon<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For Datko, who steadfastly believes that proven treatments save people, watching her patients suffer can be heartbreaking. Having dealt with many other patients like Peterson, she urges people to look for proven approaches that fit their goals when cancer strikes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not uncommon for some women who are\u00a0understandably\u00a0fearful\u00a0of\u00a0well-established\u00a0treatment recommendations<\/a> to turn to unproven treatments, sometimes\u00a0in Mexico and sometimes in the United States under the disguise of \u2018alternative medicine,\u2019\u201d Datko said. \u201cI wish Betsey\u2019s case was rare, but unfortunately, it is not.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s had patients who, like Betsey, finally agreed to standard treatment and had good outcomes. But, she said, \u201cI have, sadly, seen some women not be so lucky and die.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Therapist
Amber Rager, lead fitness specialist for UCHealth Medical Fitness \u2013 Windsor, checks Betsey Peterson into her Cancer Related Fatigue Program. The program helps patients decrease cancer related fatigue, improve mood and appetite, as well as increase cardiovascular efficiency during or after cancer treatment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beyond the breast<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Peterson\u2019s cancer had metastasized to her bones, liver and lungs. It also caused a life-threatening condition called cardiac tamponade, where excess fluid surrounds the heart inside its cavity preventing the heart muscle from contracting and relaxing properly. This required emergent treatment consisting of draining the fluid with a needle.<\/p>\n

Datko estimates that had Peterson not sought treatment at that point, she was \u201cwithin weeks to months of dying.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peterson, now 57, admitted that the memories over the last seven years remain unclear, partly from the stress and partly because of what cancer survivors like to call \u201cchemo brain.\u201d She began aggressive treatment but said that her holistic mindset still caused her to feel like she was rolling through an assembly line, and not being genuinely cared for. She had lost control of her body and more importantly, her agency. Something needed to change.<\/p>\n

Making choices and changes<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cI knew I was going to stay in charge because I\u2019m a stubborn person,\u201d said the Minnesota-born Peterson. \u201cBut thank God I\u2019m stubborn, because that\u2019s why I\u2019m here. I don\u2019t give up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the setbacks arrived. She fractured both wrists in a fall and had surgery to repair the left one in 2014 and the right in 2018. She\u2019s still seeing an orthopedic surgeon for the latter, which hasn\u2019t healed well. A perforated stomach ulcer in 2015 required surgical repair and months of therapy at home to regain her strength.<\/p>\n

Fluid had built up around her left kidney, so she underwent more surgery to place a stent in her ureter, the tube that connects the kidney to the bladder. The stent was uncomfortable and was eventually removed in late 2017. In the same year, she developed a suspicious mass on her gallbladder, which was subsequently removed. It ended up being benign.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just cancer,\u201d Peterson pointed out. \u201cThings are never the same. It isn\u2019t just one battle. You have to be willing to stick it out and fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"women
Betsey Peterson uses the UCHealth Medical Fitness \u2013 Windsor for all her rehabilitation needs after her cancer treatment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Accepting a new normal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Still, Peterson kept fighting to end up where she is now: a faithful attendee of the Cancer Related Fatigue exercise class at UCHealth\u2019s Medical Fitness Center – Windsor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Because of her peripheral neuropathy, a side effect of the chemotherapy that resulted in numbness in her hands and feet, she can\u2019t drive a car anymore. But she rides over every Tuesday and Thursday morning in her own golf cart, giving her freedom to get out of the house, even if her only outings consist of a beeline to the gym \u2014 and the unwavering support she gets there.<\/p>\n

First it was Nancy, the physical therapist, who helped her build strength and reduce her pelvic pain. She found Shelby, a personal trainer specializing in yoga for cancer patients, helped her loosen up and stay that way. Then she found Rager, who, Peterson said, changed her life.<\/p>\n

\"therapist
Amber Rager, lead fitness specialist for UCHealth Medical Fitness \u2013 Windsor, helps Betsey Peterson during her Cancer Related Fatigue Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Overcoming cancer-related\u00a0fatigue<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the three years since they began working together, Peterson has progressed from basic strengthening and gaining body weight, to endurance and balance activities. And she has completely eliminated opioid medications to manage her pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetsey is the true definition of a survivor and a fighter,\u201d Rager said. \u201cShe used to be frustrated, and I have to remind her that there is progress even if it\u2019s slow. Now she\u2019s a leader in the class, especially with the other people just starting out. The camaraderie that\u2019s built here is one of my favorite parts of class. While the participants may have never met outside of this, they have that common element. They support each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peterson said she\u2019s benefited most from Rager\u2019s positive attitude, keeping her focused on how far she\u2019s come. And she is always held accountable not just to show up, but to work hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll ask, \u2018When is this exercise going to get easy?\u2019\u201d Peterson said. \u201cAnd Amber says, \u2018How many minutes did you start at? Two. Where are you at now? Twelve!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Perspective is crucial for people like Peterson, for whom life used to consist of feeling the breeze blowing through her hair while riding a bike. Then came the day she got to a stop sign and that same breeze tipped her over. Her only injury was to her pride, but she knew she would have to accept a new normal.<\/p>\n

\"two
Amber Rager, lead fitness specialist for UCHealth Medical Fitness \u2013 Windsor, with Betsey Peterson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cNancy and Amber care so much about making a difference, and they\u2019ve taught me to take one step at a time,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cI needed to work on one thing, then build to the next. It was a process. Because of my back, my hip, my feet, my shoulder, my wrists \u2026 you get overwhelmed. But I focus on what I can do. I can\u2019t run, but I can ride the elliptical. I can\u2019t ride a regular bike, but I can ride the stationary bike.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peterson\u2019s days of waking up and crying are a distant memory. \u201cYou can\u2019t go there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Success story to be shared<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The medical community often hesitates to get too excited about individual success stories for fear of encouraging false hope. But Datko allows for the fact that Peterson\u2019s should be celebrated and shared. If for no other reason than to encourage others to carve out their own journey. And sometimes, well, you never know.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetsey is now over\u00a0four and a half years out from the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer and without any evidence of active cancer,\u201d Datko said. \u201cWe are careful not to say she is \u2018cured\u2019 because she may not be, and only time will tell.\u00a0But there is a chance she is cured. She has a frail body but a positive mindset that gets her through any hurdle. I admire her fighting spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"receptionist
Betsey Peterson checks in at UCHealth Medical Fitness \u2013 Windsor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Peterson admitted she worries less about what her next doctor\u2019s appointment is going to bring and more about how she\u2019s going to get there. She\u2019s grateful for the unwavering support she\u2019s had from Scott, her husband of 33 years. She reads more. She started a bible study for women and invites them to her house so she doesn\u2019t have to drive anywhere. She no longer beats herself up about taking supplements or if she\u2019s eating the latest cancer-fighting \u201cmiracle food.\u201d<\/p>\n

And so much of her grace comes from the joy she takes from her time at UCHealth Medical Fitness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m doing the best I can in this new normal,\u201d Peterson said, tearing up. \u201cI take this as my journey and I\u2019m going to do it well. That\u2019s always been my attitude. I\u2019m so grateful to be alive. They\u2019re not just getting people to work out, they are\u00a0truly saving lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Betsey Peterson parks her golf cart and strides into the UCHealth Medical Fitness \u2013 Windsor. She has an Apple watch strapped on her left wrist and is ready to sweat. She looks trim and youthful in her black leggings. Inside the facility, Amber Rager is happy to oblige. After all, the facility\u2019s lead fitness specialist […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":25595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,3658,110,9187,745,388,2207],"class_list":["post-25580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-cancer-care-oncology","tag-cancer-support-and-nurse-navigators","tag-physical-therapy","tag-readysetco","tag-rehabilitation-therapy","tag-stress-management","tag-uchealth-medical-fitness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to overcome cancer-related fatigue - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After battle breast cancer, Betsy Peterson found what she needed to overcome cancer-related fatigue at UCHealth Medical Fitness - Windsor.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/how-to-overcome-cancer-related-fatigue\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The miracle she was looking for\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"After battle breast cancer, Betsy Peterson found what she needed to overcome cancer-related fatigue at UCHealth Medical Fitness - Windsor.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/how-to-overcome-cancer-related-fatigue\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-08-14T16:07:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-06-23T16:48:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/07\/29092557\/tiny-UCHealthBetsey4.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Andrew Kensley, for UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Andrew Kensley, for UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/how-to-overcome-cancer-related-fatigue\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/how-to-overcome-cancer-related-fatigue\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Andrew Kensley, for UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/1a5163800eca0572aa9a483352e2350c\"},\"headline\":\"The miracle she was looking for\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-08-14T16:07:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-23T16:48:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/how-to-overcome-cancer-related-fatigue\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1867,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/how-to-overcome-cancer-related-fatigue\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/29092557\\\/tiny-UCHealthBetsey4.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Cancer care\",\"Cancer support and nurse navigators\",\"Physical therapy\",\"Ready. 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