Many people believe that once cancer treatment ends, life goes back to normal. For cancer survivors, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

That’s why a series called Survivorship Today : What It’s Like to Live with Cancer was created to share stories of people across the country who have been affected by cancer and advance our collective understanding of what it’s like to live with the disease today. The series helps bring attention to their personal triumphs and challenges, because with greater understanding, we can inspire more action and better support.

When AJ was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer, he was told he only had a few years to live. Now, seven years later, he has joined Survivorship Today to share the physical and emotional challenges he still experiences even after treatment has ended.

AJ still experiences limited use of his right arm and hand, reduced sensation in his right leg that impacts his gait, fatigue and other issues that can make everyday tasks difficult to perform. As a lung cancer survivor, he faces even greater challenges in the height of COVID-19. Research has shown the virus is associated with a high burden of severity in patients with lung cancer, and AJ finds he is once again feeling isolated and his family needs to take extra precautions.

He also used to be fixated on making it from one milestone to the next, but soon realized those feelings were stealing not only his happiness, but also the happiness of those around him. Today, AJ tries to live each moment in the present, being fully immersed in what he’s doing. He practices daily meditation, listens more and says his relationships have become stronger than ever.

There are nearly 17 million cancer survivors in the U.S. today, and thanks to advances in research, that number is expected to increase to 26 million by 2040. Despite this progress, research is only beginning to understand how cancer impacts us over time.

Joining AJ is Shelley Fuld Nasso, CEO of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivors (NCCS), who can discuss NCCS’ 2020 State of Cancer Survivorship survey and ways to better support survivorship needs, particularly during the time of COVID-19.

AJ and Shelley discuss why they got involved in Survivorship Today, and what they want others to know about life with cancer today.
Interview courtesy: Bristol Myers Squibb
Survivorship Today is a series by Bristol Myers Squibb

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It’s natural to long for spring when it’s cold outside. But did you know, there’s a good reason why you may pine for green? Living landscapes are an important part of the outdoor lifestyle that Americans enjoy, but the benefits go beyond the barbeque and backyard baseball. Green spaces are necessary for your health.

“The advantages of grass and landscaping surpass the usual physical benefits that result from outdoor activity,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI). “Numerous studies have found that people who spend more time outside or are exposed to living landscapes are happier, healthier and smarter. As you get ready to get outside this spring with your lawn mower and other outdoor power equipment, it’s great to know being outside is good for you.”

Researchers have studied the impact of nature on human well-being for years, but recent studies have found a more direct correlation between human health, particularly related to stress, and the importance of people’s access to nature and managed landscapes.

Getting dirty is actually good for you. Soil is the new Prozac, according to Dr. Christopher Lowry, a neuroscientist at the University of Bristol in England. Mycobacterium vaccae in soil mirrors the effect on neurons that Prozac provides. The bacterium stimulates serotonin production, which explains why people who spend time gardening, doing yard work, and have direct contact with soil feel more relaxed and happier.

Children who are raised on farms in a “dirtier” environment than an urban setting not only have a stronger immune system but are also better able to manage social stress, according to the National Academy of Sciences.

Living near living landscapes can improve your mental health. Researchers in England found that people moving to greener areas experienced an immediate improvement in mental health that was sustained for at least three years after they moved. The study also showed that people relocating to a more developed area suffered a drop in mental health.

Greening of vacant urban areas in Philadelphia reduced feelings of depression by 41.5% and reduced poor mental health by 62.8% for those living near the vacant lots, according to a study by a research team.

Green spaces can make you healthier too. People who live within a half mile of green space (such parks, public gardens, and greenways) were found to have a lower incidence of fifteen diseases by Dutch researchers — including depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and migraines.

A 2015 study found that people living on streets with more trees had a boost in heart and metabolic health. Studies show that tasks conducted under the calming influence of nature are performed better and with greater accuracy, yielding a higher quality result. Spending time in gardens, for instance, can improve memory performance and attention span by 20%.

Living landscapes make you smarter. Children gain attention and working memory benefits when they are exposed to greenery, says a study led by Payam Dadvand of the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona, In addition, exposure to natural settings may be widely effective in reducing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in children.

This applies to adults as well. Research has also shown that being around plants helps you concentrate better at home and at work. Charlie Hall, Ellison Chair in International Floriculture believes that spending time in gardens can improve attention span and memory performance by as much as 20 percent.

A National Institute of Health study found that adults demonstrate significant cognitive gains after going on a nature walk. In addition, a Stanford University study found that walking in nature, rather than a concrete-oriented, urban environment, resulted in decreased anxiety, rumination, and negative affect, and produced cognitive benefits, such as increased working memory performance.

Living landscapes help you heal faster. Multiple studies have discovered that plants in hospital recovery rooms or views of aesthetically-pleasing gardens help patients heal up to one day faster than those who are in more sterile or austere environments.

Physicians are now prescribing time outdoors for some patients, according to recent reports. Park Rx America is a non-profit with a mission to encourage physicians to prescribe doses of nature.

All of these benefits reinforce the importance of maintaining our yards, parks and other community green spaces. Trees, shrubs, grass, and flowering plants are integral to human health. Not only do they provide a place for kids and pets to play, they directly contribute to our mental and physical well-being.

More information can be found by visiting www.turfmutt.com

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OASIS Adaptive Sports, Inc. (Outdoor Adventures for Sacrifice in Service) is a non-profit organization offering instruction, equipment and support to disabled military veterans in a variety of sports activities. We assist these veterans in reconnecting and resuming productive lives in society through participation in outdoor recreational activities that promote independence, and social and emotional well-being. Our mission is to do everything possible to make each outdoor experience meaningful and thereby help the veteran regain physical and mental health, with formal evaluations done by professionals in these fields. We differ from other organizations offering primarily event-type outdoor experiences to veterans by adding an evaluation and an advocacy phase to each veteran’s participation in each of our programs.
OASIS Adaptive Sports, Inc. is located in the Finger Lakes Region of western New York State, and our intent is to serve the needs of disabled veterans in the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area (RMSA), which includes Monroe, Livingston, Orleans, Ontario, Wayne and Genesee counties.
OASIS Adaptive Sports, Inc. prohibits discrimination against current or prospective participants, family members, and volunteers on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristics in any of its programs and activities.

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