Breast Cancer Survivor Teaches Others How to Heal Optimally
FGAs a doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, Dr. Julie Silver knew how to help patients recover from serious injuries and illnesses.
Then she found herself in their shoes.
Silver, of Boston, was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago at age 36, and while she felt healthy going into her treatment, she felt "very debilitated" afterward.As a doctor specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, Dr. Julie Silver knew how to help patients recover from serious injuries and illnesses.
Then she found herself in their shoes.
Silver, of Boston, was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago at age 36, and while she felt healthy going into her treatment, she felt "very debilitated" afterward.
In fact, an exercise evaluation showed she was in the physical condition of a 60-year-old after surgery and chemotherapy.
A regular exerciser before her diagnosis, Silver started moving again to aid in her healing. She also made a commitment to sleeping well and eating well.
"Our bodies will recover on their own, but maybe not optimally," she said.
Optimal healing is what Silver wanted — and it's what she got after putting those three elements into place.
Silver then heard another doctor and breast cancer survivor speak about her healing process, and she was inspired to write a book and create a recovery program to help empower other women.
"I felt at the end of my treatment, there's a lot of validation that you went through a horrible thing," she said. "But there was not a lot of empowerment. I wanted to empower people. I wanted to encourage them to heal optimally."
The book, "After Cancer Treatment: Heal Faster, Better, Stronger," was published this year by Johns Hopkins University Press.
The program she founded is called RESTORE, or Recovering Energy and Strength Through Oncology Rehabilitation Excellence. It is based at the Spaulding-Framingham Outpatient Center in Framingham, Mass., where Silver is medical director.
RESTORE is a multidisciplinary program that focuses on helping cancer survivors recover physically and has become a model for programs nationwide.
Silver emphasizes three main elements for healing:
* Exercise: She says cardiovascular exercise is particularly important and tells patients to get a pedometer and aim for 5,000 steps per day initially, if they are below that level. The ultimate goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day.
* Nutrition: She suggests a high protein diet that's low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables. Three small to medium meals a day with two snacks in between is ideal for most, except for diabetics.
* A good night's sleep: She says it's important for cancer patients who are finished with treatment to stop napping during the day in order to sleep well through the night.
"Sleeping through the night is really key to feeling good," Silver said.
She also recommends keeping good social connections, finding additional strength through faith and considering the use of complementary medicine in conjunction with conventional medicine.
In recognition for her work with cancer survivors, Silver was awarded the 2006 Lane Adams Quality of Life Award, the American Cancer Society's most prestigious award.
Silver, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, shared her story Tuesday during a Breast Cancer Awareness and Women's Wellness Day at the Blessing Conference Center.
The event was sponsored by the Blessing Cancer Center and Blessing Breast Center, and more than 300 people attended two sessions.
In addition to Silver's keynote addresses, the event featured presentations by local physicians and health-care experts and exhibits related to breast health and women's wellness.
