Abby Lee's Resilience
- Abby Lee Miller continues to teach dance classes while recovering in the hospital.
- Miller just recently had a second spinal surgery for unknown reasons.
- The dance coach was diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma in 2018, and suffered complications from an initial spinal surgery which left her bound to an electric wheelchair.
Miller is currently recovering at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after going through a second spinal surgery for unknown reasons. Despite her surroundings, the dance coach is staying busy and still training new dancers to help them achieve their dreams through her virtual dance classes. Miller has continued to inspire survivors with her perseverance, and over the years she’s proven time and time again that she’s dedicated to not only getting stronger, but staying true to her passion teaching dance.
Read MoreSince Miller was diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma in April 2018, she’s been rebuilding her strength through regular physical therapy appointments. The dance coach suffered complications from spinal surgery which left her bound to an electric wheelchair, but over the years she’s shown remarkable progress. Even when COVID-19 forced her to stop attending in-person physical therapy sessions, she still found innovative ways to keep working out. Whether it was boxing with water bottles or stretching with an at-home personal trainer, Miller never gave up.
Her resilience has paid off. Not only has she built back enough of her strength to rely on a walker for movement instead of her electric wheelchair, but she’s also been able to stand and walk on her own. She just recently completed her last outpatient physical therapy treatment, and even though it’s unclear why she’s going through another spinal surgery, let’s hope it’s for good reasons.
Embrace Happy Moments
Studies have proven that patients who are able to remain positive during and after treatment have more successful outcomes. Of course, this is often easier said than done. It can be difficult to focus on anything except your treatment, or getting better after the process. However, if you’re able to stay uplifted by doing activities you enjoy, then that should also be prioritized even the experts say so.
“We know from good studies that emotional health [and] quality of life is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better survival, better outcomes,” Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, tells SurvivorNet. “So working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment, your emotional well-being, making them better are important and can impact your survival. If that’s related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities.”
Dr. Dana Chase explains why finding pockets of joy during and after cancer is important
For Miller, clearly her pocket of joy is continuing dance lessons. However, finding moments for yourself can be as simple as a walk in the park, a picnic with friends, or taking in a scenic view. Whatever it is, it’s important to find your own happiness.
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