By Rachel Levey
Big disclaimer here, I am not a medical professional. I am however a person whose post-cancer-treatment physical health has improved since joining a Dragon Boat team, and I know I am not alone in this experience.
The connection between dragon boating and breast cancer recovery was pioneered by Dr. Donald McKenzie, a sports medicine physician and exercise physiologist at the University of British Columbia in 1996. Through an initial study, he concluded that paddling was not harmful to those at risk for lymphedema after their breast cancer surgeries, and determined that there were many benefits to the physical activity, besides just being fun!
I knew nothing about Don McKenzie or his study when I decided to try out dragon boating, and I knew even less about how much my body needed this exercise to heal. My oncologists had consistently told me that exercise was really important for recovery and long term health, and there are many studies linking long term survivorship and lower rates of recurrence with regular exercise. But to be honest, the message didn’t really sink in. We are told for our entire lives, from our grade school PE teachers to our PCPs at each physical checkup to the gym membership ads we see, that exercise is good for us so I was just kind of numb to the suggestion by this point.
Well, I can’t speak to the long term effects, but I know that this exercise has already helped me with my recovery and rehabilitation. My cancer treatment started with a lumpectomy and full axillary dissection on my left side, meaning that all of the lymph nodes in my armpit were removed (37 total, with 14 containing cancer cells). This put me at high risk for developing lymphedema, and so I started seeing an OT/Lymphedema Therapist about a month after surgery to help with rehabilitation and keep an eye on any swelling. It was clear from the start that I was going to be dealing with lymphedema on top of everything else, and I have been wearing compression gear since then to help keep the swelling down. In addition, I developed Axillary Web Syndrome which created thick cording under the skin in my underarm causing pain and reduced mobility on my left side. I could feel the cords running all the way from my rib cage down my arm and to my wrist. Most of the therapy for this cording increased the swelling in my arm, so while I spent a lot of time stretching and trying to increase the movement on my left side, I eventually just came to accept that I would have low-level pain and discomfort on that side indefinitely.
When I started paddling in the dragon boat, I thought that paddling on the right side (with my left hand on the top of the paddle) would be too strenuous. But, I kept telling myself if it was too much I could just take a break, so I tried to switch sides at each practice. I was so focused on getting the technique down, and so sore each time after using muscles that were not used to this type of work, that I didn’t really notice what was happening in my axilla. But, by the end of the summer I could finally raise my left arm without any pain, and had an even range of motion on both sides of my body.
This is just one example, and I’m sure that every paddler has their own special way that dragon boating has helped them and their bodies. This is also not the only way it has helped me, but may be the most tangible example.
I did not expect to become someone who not only enjoyed exercise, but who actually looked forward to it. It’s easy to love paddling in a dragon boat, you’re out on the water with the wind in your hair, moving in unison with your teammates, laughing and enjoying each other’s company between pieces and then relishing your collective strength as you power down the river. It is much less easy to love exercising off the water. No matter how colorful your imagination is, rowing on an ergometer is just not the same as paddling down a river; lifting weights will never be as satisfying as feeling your paddle catch the water; doing lunges will never feel as good as pushing off your feet to propel the boat forward. What remains constant however, is the excellent company of teammates, and the support that is born from coming together to achieve something as a collective. We have to work hard while working out, so that we can be even better next season on the water. If I slack off, I am letting my team down as well as myself, so I must keep going.
Now I have motivation, accountability, and enjoyment, all helping me to stay on track with exercising. On top of that, I feel strong. I can honestly say that I am stronger now than I ever have been, which is not something I would have expected as a cancer survivor. Every day when I can do a little bit more, I am proving my strength all over again.
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