Life As a Dancing Cancer Survivor
- Former “Dance Moms” star Abby Lee Miller, 57, refuses to let her lack of mobility stop her from dancing. In a recent video, she led an audience of fans in a short dance with her arms while she sat in a wheelchair.
- Miller’s cancer diagnosis in 2018 and subsequent health issues have resulted in the loss of her mobility. She is working towards using a walker.
- One of our experts says non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients “are often quite well” after they finish therapy. But it’s important for survivors to come up with a survivorship plan that includes a schedule for follow-up exams and tests as well as screenings for any new cancers.
- If you’re struggling with life after cancer treatment, know you’re not alone. Don’t hesitate to talk to doctors, a therapist, family, friends or a support group if you’re struggling with how life has changed since your diagnosis.
Miller is a reality TV personality and dance teacher who has spent most of her days using a wheelchair ever since her cancer diagnosis five years ago. Even since “Dance Moms” ended with its eighth season on Lifetime back in 2019, Miller has “never stopped dancing.”
Moving Forward After Cancer
- Recommendations for a Healthy Lifestyle: One Doctor’s Advice for Cancer Survivors
- Psychologist Marianna Strongin Offers Advice On Managing Anxiety as a Cancer Patient or Survivor
- Dealing With Grief Related to Health Problems
- Exercise and ‘Chemo Brain’: Can Physical Activity Save Breast Cancer Patients from Brain Fog During Chemotherapy?
View this post on Instagram
“I think they're ready for competition this weekend don't you?” she wrote in her caption.
And classes and appearances are not all that Miller has in store for her career. She’s also reportedly working on a new iteration of the drama-filled “Dance Moms” that “has nothing to do with [Lifetime].”
“It’s not like I’m going back. This is all new,” she recently told ET. “It’s classic ‘Abby Lee Miller’ but there are little ones and their moms, and the talent is nuts.”
Abby Lee Miller’s Health Journey
Abby Lee Miller was diagnosed with a rare kind of cancer called Burkitt lymphoma in 2018 after experiencing pain in the back of her neck. Burkitt lymphoma, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is a type of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that often starts in people's organs like their bellies (abdomen) or spleens. It’s a fast-growing cancer that can usually go into long-term remission after treatment.
What Kind of Lymphoma Do You Have? Why Your Type Matters
Miller has had numerous surgeries and chemotherapy for cancer treatment. She also underwent emergency surgery over a year ago after shattering her tibia-fibula in a swimming pool and keeps struggling with broken bones after “10 rounds of very invasive chemotherapy” left her bones “very brittle.”
“Sometimes, I feel fabulous, other times I’m in a lot of pain,” she told The U.S. Sun in a 2023 interview. “My back is chronic it hurts constantly where the surgery was.”
But despite all the hardship, Miller is working toward her health goals. She’s currently in physical and occupational therapy in the hopes of ditching the wheelchair and reverting back to using a walker, which she used prior to her tibia-fibula incident.
“Even though I’m paraplegic and I’m in the wheelchair, I am not letting it hold me back,” she said.
Life after active treatment for any cancer may look different than it did prior to your diagnosis. In a previous interview with medical oncologist Dr. Michael Jain of the Moffitt Cancer Center, we learned “there are a number of different things that people may experience in the late-term period” after successful treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
You May Have Side Effects Years After Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment: Here's What to Watch For
“Depending on the age of the patient when they’re diagnosed with their cancer, or the other health issues that are going on, sometimes the functional status, or what people are able to do, is not quite what it was before the cancer,” Dr. Jain explained.
Some survivorship issues can include things like peripheral neuropathy as well as chemo brain or cognitive issues. But, unfortunately, post-treatment concerns don’t stop there.
“One of the things we focus on is trying to prevent secondary cancers,” Dr. Jain said. “Although the chemotherapy often did a very good job in terms of curing the initial cancer, there is sometimes a risk of secondary cancer happening.
“And so patients should be watched for that and also should be aware that other cancers may occur.”
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment and Beyond
That’s why it’s important for cancer survivors to come up with a survivorship plan that includes a schedule for follow-up exams and tests as well as screenings for any new cancers. But, remember, everyone’s case of non-Hodgkin lymphoma is different. There are so many different types of the disease, and one person’s recovery from treatment can look vastly different from another person’s.
“Patients, once they finish their therapy, are often quite well,” Dr. Jain said. “If they have not had too many complications from their therapy, they are often able to go back to many of the same things that they did before they had their diagnosis of cancer and are able to live full and complete lives.”
If you’re struggling with life after cancer treatment, know you’re not alone. Don’t hesitate to talk to doctors, a therapist, family, friends or a support group if you’re struggling with how life has changed since your diagnosis.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.