DALLAS -
"I try to exercise most days of the week," said Kristi Evans, a breast cancer survivor. "Try to eat right and just have a really good attitude."
Following Evans' diagnosis of breast cancer, her treatment included a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy and yoga.
"Just to be with other survivors-- a sense of community make my body stronger, my mind stronger," Evans said.
It's a time to breathe and build new friendships. And it's free-- offered by Baylor All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
"As patients are diagnosed with cancer and undergo treatment, there is a lot of psychological stress," said Dr. Chi Pham of Baylor All Saints. "Yoga has been a way to help with these treatments."
Ninety percent of cancer patients say they can't get a good night's sleep. There is no magic pill, but yoga is able to make them feel more energized. Some exercises could make things worse. Often patients' range of motion is limited. But this particular class is customized to recovering bodies.
When women undergo surgery for breast cancer they often experience scarring that impairs their mobility-- yoga helps improve that mobility.
Baylor hopes more women take advantage of the free class, which they have seen benefit anyone who has gone through a major medical procedure. It offers a way for patients to share their experiences.
"I'm also able to relax and stay calm more because of yoga," Evans said. "Have lots of fun and just live."
There are several yoga classes offered for breast cancer survivors in Vermont.
