Cancer survivor and Dance Moms coach, Abby Lee Miller, may be bound to a wheelchair, but she’s still using her dance knowledge to teach perfect foot form for dancers during a virtual class.
Abby Lee Miller’s Experience with Physical Therapy
Following complications from surgery, Miller, 53, has been bound to a wheelchair and going through regular physical therapy to build her muscles. On Instagram, the dance coach shared a video where she demonstrated ideal foot form as a part of a virtual dance class, and used a yoga band to move her feet.
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Abby Lee Miller’s Cancer Battle
Miller was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma in April 2018, and underwent an emergency surgery on her spine as well as six rounds of chemotherapy treatment. Despite regularly attending physical therapy treatments, Miller is still confined to an electric wheelchair in order to be mobile. Over the years, Miller has been extremely transparent about how she struggled with treatment and the impact being paralyzed has had on her mental health. However, Miller has also shared her recovery with fans by posting photos of her swimming, walking, and openly saying that she will keep fighting to build her muscles again.
Staying Active During Cancer Treatment And Recovery
Physical therapy and staying active can be extremely beneficial for people recovering from cancer, or currently going through treatment. However, it’s important that patients and survivors take it slow in order to not strain themselves. Breast cancer survivor Vera Trifunovich talked to SurvivorNet about why she continued taking Zumba classes four weeks after her surgery, and how it helped her through recovery.
“As I was recovering from my surgeries, it was very, very important for me to stay connected with my body, through fitness, through movement, through dance,” Trifunovich said. “The dancing actually really helped me rehab…Dancing is good, was good for my body, and it was also so good for my soul.”
Breast cancer survivor Vera Trifunovich says Zumba classes helped her recover from surgery
Similar to Trifunovich, fellow breast cancer survivor Tiffany Dyba created “Hip Hop Chemo” as a way to cope with her cancer treatment and eliminate stigma associated with the disease. Dyba posts videos of her dancing to her favorite Hip Hop songs in order to show people that even though she is battling cancer, she is still in high spirits.
Related: Staying Active After a Cancer Diagnosis
“It's important for people to see that I'm OK," Dyba told SurvivorNet. "I sort of want to bust through those stereotypes and that stigma and say, I'm out here dancing because I feel good. I'm not going to act sick if I don't feel sick. And on the days that I feel tired and I don't feel good, I'm going to post about that too.”
Breast cancer survivor Tiffany Dyba on why she dances her way through chemotherapy treatments
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