By Michele Romano
I used to be a runner—up at 3:30 a.m. to hit the gym, run five miles, lift weights, and catch the 6:28 am train to New York City, where I worked as a Registered Nurse Clinical Manager. It was a rhythm that gave me structure, strength, and sanity.
That all changed in March 2020.
I was already being monitored for a highly volatile brain aneurysm when doctors discovered something else—Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer. My craniotomy was postponed, and my cancer treatment took priority. And then, the world shut down.
The pandemic hit just as I began this terrifying new chapter. The gyms closed. The parks closed. And I was left with nothing familiar to hold onto. Between the side effects of Alectinib—fatigue, neuropathy, muscle weakness—and the total disruption of life as I knew it, I fell into a very deep depression.
I felt like my body, the one I had worked so hard to take care of, had completely betrayed me.
I didn’t care if I lived anymore.
But even in that darkness, I knew I had to keep going—for my dogs, for my 92-year-old mother, for my fiancé and my family. I prayed. I begged for strength. I needed something—anything—to give me purpose again.
“As a strong woman knows she has the strength enough for the journey, but a woman of strength knows it is in the journey where she will become strong.”
-Unknown, provided by Michele Romano
The First Step Back
About a year later, I won a free month of Pilates classes from a stand at my local farmer’s market. It was the smallest step—but it was a step. That’s when I started rebuilding my physical and mental well-being.
Then in May 2024, PVolve opened a studio near my home. I was excited to try something new. After one class, I was hooked—and immediately became a Founding Member. I had no idea just how life-changing this place would be.
PVolve helped me regain my balance, strengthen my core, and boost my energy. It gave me a way to fight my depression, focus through the brain fog, and rebuild trust with my body.
But more than that—it gave me people. A support system. Friends. A community that truly cares.
More than a Studio
The owners of PVolve Upper Saddle River, Abeer and Suhaib, saw me. They asked how they could help—not out of obligation, but genuine care. Then they did something incredible.
They offered to host a special donation-based class for ALK Positive during Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The class filled up within the hour. Local vendors joined in. Corporate stepped up with a sizable donation. We even had custom ALK Positive x PVolve T-shirts made—and wore them proudly.
I was invited to share my story that day—and standing in front of people who had shown up not just for a workout, but for me, was one of the most emotional and empowering moments I’ve had since my diagnosis.
Showing Up, Even on the Hard Days
To date, I’ve taken nearly 400 PVolve classes—and they’ve only been open a little over a year. I show up because I know how much it helps me. On days when I want to stay in bed, I remind myself how I feel after a workout: stronger, calmer, grateful. Some days I cry in the car after class—not because I’m sad, but because I’m thankful to have found a place that gives me strength in every sense of the word.
This community continues to lift me up on the hardest days. My instructors, classmates, and the people at the front desk all know my name. Some have asked for advice to share with friends who are newly diagnosed with cancer. They’ve told me I inspire them—but the truth is, they’ve inspired me right back.
Sharing my story has given me purpose. It’s helped me build something beautiful out of something painful. And now, I want to keep sharing—to give hope, raise awareness, and keep moving forward, together.
Because even with a terminal illness, I’ve learned you can still thrive. You can still lead. And you can still show others what strength really looks like.
💙 Because we truly are, stronger together.
It started with one class.
Then another.
As I began to believe in myself again, others started to believe in me too. My strength was never mine alone—it was shaped, lifted, and encouraged by the people who surrounded me.
Together, through the support of my PVolve community and the generosity of friends and loved ones I reached out to, we raised $4,919.49 for ALK Positive.
When you show up for yourself, others show up for you too. And when you let people in, that’s when the real healing begins.
We are always stronger together.
