Many ALK Positive members know Hanka Mosher through her Zoom yoga classes on ALKtALK. Did you know that Hanka is also an avid skier and passionate about health and wellness in general? We asked her about working her way back up to a good level of fitness following her diagnosis and lobectomy, and we picked her brain on how members who wish to do so can start getting more active by setting small, achievable goals.

1. Can you share a little about your journey with lung cancer?

My journey started in late winter 2017. I wasn’t even feeling very ill but I was heading for a week long glacier ski camping trip and at that point I had a bit of a dry cough that would not go away. I thought it would be irresponsible of me to go on this demanding trip without having it resolved. I went to my doctor, got an x-ray and was told I had “walking pneumonia” and was prescribed antibiotics. I took the pills and went on the trip as I didn’t feel sick. When I came back from the ski trip and a week post-antibiotics, I thought it was odd that my cough was still present, so I visited my doctor again. More x-rays and a CT scan and MRI were done and I was diagnosed with stage 3A lung cancer. I had 6 weeks of daily radiation and concurrent chemo treatments through the summer of 2017 followed by a lobectomy in September. Only after removal of the lung lobe they did biomarker testing and found I was ALK-positive. I was a bit annoyed that they didn’t figure out ALK much earlier - perhaps my chemo cocktail would have been different. But knowing what I know now, perhaps it was a good thing because now I know that stage 3A is tricky and perhaps they would have started me on TKI right then. Who knows?!

2. Any advice you would give a newly-diagnosed patient? What do you know now that you wish you knew back then?

I’m not sure that even if I knew a lot about cancer that the start of this crazy journey would have been any easier. The initial diagnosis was totally devastating and I believe I had to go through the process of grief and mentally torture myself to come to some kind of peace within me. However, I can say that, for my mental state, it helped to get involved with our group, to find as much information as possible, to understand what my treatment options were etc. After my lobectomy, I and my doctors were hoping I was cured. I knew from being part of our ALK group that recurrence was possible and actually very probable. And sure enough, only 8 months post-surgery, I did have a recurrence. Surprisingly, I did not fall apart at that time as I was well prepared for that possibility. (I was of course very disappointed). I suppose my advice to a newly-diagnosed patient would be to educate yourself, find the team of doctors that are knowledgeable, are willing to listen to what you have to say (because there’s a good chance you will end up knowing more about ALK than them - especially if you are in a smaller center), and don’t hesitate to seek a second opinion.

3. You are big on health and wellness and this is a lifestyle for you. Did your diagnosis impact this focus, and if so, how did you work your way back to where you were before being diagnosed?

It’s true that I was very much into health and wellness before I got sick. (Just like many members of our group.) I couldn’t have done anything more or better for my body for prevention. The treatments and the surgery were very hard on my body physically. But I worked through it, I made myself walk, go outside and do some form of exercise every day, even on the worst days. Exercise makes me happy and helps me with keeping a better mental state. It also helps me set goals and routines. It was my '‘drug'‘ before cancer and still is my best '‘drug” now. My physical performance certainly is not the same as before (but only I know that because I used to be ‘‘super fit’’ and now I just keep up with regular folks).

4. What advice would you give someone who would like to incorporate physical activity into their life post-diagnosis if this was not a big part of their previous lifestyle? Where can they start and how can they work towards their goal?

Start gently. Set achievable goals. Maybe start with walking and gentle yoga. Listen to your body, be kind to yourself. Find what suits you – what type of exercise, the best time of the day to do it. If you have a hard time getting motivated, join a class and stick with it. I’m hoping to teach more Zoom yoga classes again. It’s free, so you can always start with that.

Interview by: Christina Weber

Patient Spotlight: Hanka Mosher, British Columbia, Canada