This summary is an interview I had with my former oncologist, and now dear friend, Leona Belle (Dr. Leona Downey, a retired medical oncologist) about the benefits of yoga after breast cancer and breast reconstruction. Because Leona is a breast cancer survivor and has had breast reconstruction she speaks about her own Journey through diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and recovery.
A Medical Oncologist Turned Yoga Instructor
Leona is a trained medical oncologist. She lived in Tucson, Arizona working in both academic and private practice for ten years. Leona expresses how much she enjoyed being able to help others who were diagnosed going through what is a very challenging time in their lives.
She did a pivot after ten years in practice realizing she wanted a slower pace of life and to do something different. Leona retired at a young age and moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with her husband. Her goal, seek a healthier lifestyle, focus on things that were important to her, with yoga being a priority on the list. As she states, “In the most ironic turn of events, just about a year after I moved down here, I was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer myself.”
Having had a benign lump in her breast previously, she “sort of ignored the lump”. It began growing and thinking it was the fibroadenoma diagnosed previously, she was thinking there is no possible way she could get breast cancer. However, she was diagnosed with an aggressive stage 3A Her2 positive breast cancer.
The Yoga Instructor who can Relate
Leona tells us about her treatment that included chemotherapy, mastectomy and implant reconstruction. She also had radiation because of the size of the tumor and because she had positive nodes at the time of diagnosis.
Prior to her work as an oncologist, she had been a yoga practitioner. She fell in love with yoga and all the benefits it offered her personally. She tells us how it helped her mind and body emphasizing it helped with some chronic back pain she experienced. It was during her diagnosis and treatment she realized how profound the benefits of yoga is for cancer survivors. It was then she committed to becoming a yoga instructor so she could help others going through a cancer experience. Her primary focus is on breast cancer survivors because of her professional and personal experience. But she also has other types of cancer survivors who utilize her classes.
The Benefits of Yoga after Breast Cancer
Leona mentions some of the benefits of yoga after a breast cancer diagnosis. They include:
- Helped her mind and mental health.
- Eased her fears, anxiety, and stress.
- Lessening the affects of fibrosis from radiation.
- Returning strength to her body after surgery and treatment.
Following her own practice and development of being a yoga instructor she now shifts these benefits to her yoga followers. It brings her a great deal of joy to see the improvements they have in their recovery from breast cancer when they begin integrating yoga in their lives.
The Benefits of Yoga after Breast Reconstruction
Leona and I both had breast reconstruction. I had DIEP flap using my own tissue and Leona had implant breast reconstruction. Because we both had radiation, we talk about the benefits yoga has when stretching this tissue affected by radiation treatment. My plastic reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, encouraged me to begin yoga to help with balance after my breast reconstruction. I began gentle yoga after his full consent.
Leona discusses the affects on the body not only the chest but also the shoulders and belly. She points out that yoga is such a whole body exercise. It can help with many of the side affects after surgery. We become hunched over or stand in an asymmetric manner that can cause pain. Leona also empathizes beginning yoga slowly and building up your strength over time. Generally speaking, patients can begin to consider yoga after a six to eight week recovery from breast reconstruction surgery.
More Yoga Benefit Resources
You can even watch some simple stretches performed by Leona in the video. We talk about how “delicious” these simple yoga poses and moves can feel after breast cancer and breast reconstruction and after a long day at work. She has been such a helpful resource on the DiepCJourney Facebook group. She offers her gentle guidance as well as her resources for members.
It does not surprise me Leona went down this path from oncologist to yoga instructor. I recall a time when I sat in her office as a patient with great fear and many questions. Even then I felt a sense of peace being with her. I feel so comforted knowing that other breast cancer patients and those who have gone through breast reconstruction are now benefitting from her gifts and talents. You can follow Leona on Facebook at Yoga with Leona. To find out more about how to sign up for her online classes visit yogawithleona.com.