Pat Cadigan, Gym Hero

Pat Cadigan strengthens herself for the battle with cancer by hitting the gym four times a week – a courageous example that has led to her being named Our September Gym Hero by easyGym.

Pat joined easyGym after finishing chemotherapy earlier this year to reinvigorate herself and to help with severe back pain. Unfortunately Pat’s condition is terminal, so treatment, including her exercise routine is to help ease her symptoms.

“I’m a science fiction writer who’s kind of a jock, too,” she says during a four-minute video on the gym’s website that candidly describes her diagnosis and the benefits of her exercise plan.

Cadigan’s blog post “The Silver Fox At The Gym” delivers a comparable message.

Exercise rewards you immediately with endorphins. Moving around makes you feel good; exerting yourself to move around more than usual feels even better. It may seem like Mission Impossible to get yourself to do it for the first time, or for the first time after a long period of inactivity. Once you do, however, endorphins can help you keep going….

As I said in the video and many times here and elsewhere, most cancers not directly related to a specific and/or environmental cause are pretty much bad luck. Exercise and a proper diet won’t absolutely prevent cancer or anything else. But you can make yourself as strong as possible to deal with it.

Life will give you lemons of one kind of another. Maybe you’ll make lemonade or maybe you’ll learn to juggle them. Maybe you’ll dye them like Easter eggs; maybe you’ll dress them up like Mr  Potato Head. Whatever you do, show ’em you’re the boss. When life gives you lemons, make those lemons your bitches.

[Thanks to Michael J. Walsh for the story.]

6 thoughts on “Pat Cadigan, Gym Hero

  1. Good for Pat. I sincerely hope she beats this long term. One of my best friend’s daughter was recently diagnosed with cancer, so we’re just starting on this journey.

    On the subject of causes of cancer, there was a recent science study that strongly supported the hypothesis that, except for some genetic defects and some environmental issues – like smoking, all cancers are caused by cell division and/or bad luck. When cells divide a certain number of mistakes are made. The more cell divisions there are, the more likely that a mistake will cause cancer. That’s part of why the risk goes up as you age.

    Like Pat says, proper food and exercise can only help a little. The best defense is an immune system that successfully identifies and kills cancer cells early and fast.

  2. I can’t tell you how impressed I am. When I’ve had cancer, I’ve known intellectually that exercise would help. But I’ve always succumbed to the combination of self-pity, pain and fatigue. Cadigan is a boss.

  3. Good for Pat! I admire her attitude and I’m glad she’s doing better than expected. And good on the gym for featuring somebody who doesn’t fit the classic jock model physically; it’s a good reminder that ordinary people get benefits from exercise also.

  4. What Jim said.
    What everyone said.
    I feel like putting on a hat, so I could take it off to her.

  5. Pat is amazing. She’s probably done more after a terminal cancer diagnosis than most people do in their lives.

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