Ep 18: Fitz Koehler’s Inspiring Cancer Comeback Story

I speak with Fitz Koehler, fitness professional, race announcer, and breast cancer survivor. We discuss her book, My Noise Cancer Comeback. 

Fitz goes into great detail in describing the seriousness of her breast cancer spreading like wildfire. Just six weeks earlier, she had a clean breast cancer scan. She holds nothing back in detailing the brutal effects chemotherapy took on her body. The Power of adrenaline and having a passion for her career. And fifteen months later, defeating cancer. 
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Fitz Koehler BOOKS:
My Noisy Cancer Comeback: https://amzn.to/40flgpm
Your Healthy Cancer Comeback: Sick to Strong: https://amzn.to/3FvVtjc
Healthy Cancer Comeback Journal: https://amzn.to/3QDKZER

Fitz Koehler LINKS:
Fitzness.com: https://www.fitzness.com/blog/
The Morning Mile: http://morningmile.com/apply-for-a-free-starter-kit/

Frank Ring LINKS:
Frank's Complete Walking Program:
https://tinyurl.com/YT-Walking-Program

Walking Logbook Journal Weekly Insights 1,2, and 3:
https://tinyurl.com/YT-wlj-chapters
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While the side effects of the chemotherapy drugs for her breast cancer were worse than the symptoms of the cancer itself, Fitz's doctors knew they had to be aggressive in her treatment. 

The "mean chemo" she endured included days of bedridden sickness, the inability to walk her dog for more than a few yards beyond her house, significant weight loss to her already lean body, chemo brain (forgetfulness), and how every hair on her body fell out! 

Throughout her ordeal, Fitz continued to fulfill her race-announcing duties nationwide. From the Big Sur Marathon to the Buffalo Marathon and many races in between, Fitz used the passion for her work and the accompanying adrenaline rush to will her body into action to give "her athletes" the best possible race day experience. 

Fitz was determined to continue doing the thing she loves, and she how race announcing is the best job in the world and to continue her business, www.fitzness.com.

Fitz Koehler's advice for anyone facing cancer:

• Perspective: don't "why me" it
• Pursue your passions; do not stay home. "Include living in your life because that's what you're fighting for. " 
• Control what you can. You can weaponize fitness and nutrition to help you through your ordeal. This increases your chance of remission and decreases your chance of recurrence.

Fitz also teaches that it's essential to be in the best shape because you never know when illness or accident will impact your life. 

The more fit you are, the better your chance of surviving the illness and quicker you will recover from it. 

If you are just diagnosed with cancer, here are Fitz's recommendations:

• Having perspective: Before her diagnosis, she used the words "at least it's not cancer" to put life's irritations into perspective. After her diagnosis, she still uses perspective to cope by saying, "At least my children don't have cancer." 

• Why it's essential to stay fit during cancer treatment. The "mean" chemo took a toll on Fitz, yet when she was able to, she did fitness activities such as walking to keep her body moving.

Her exceptional fitness level before her diagnosis was why she only had one overnight hospital stay. As her doctor said, "I know you are suffering, but you are living your life and having adventures the most perfectly healthy people don't have. If you were not in shape before his ordeal, you would have been hospitalized for at least a month.

• Harnessing the power of adrenaline and doing what you love. Fitz's advice to her audiences is to love what you do. Your passion may be what leads to the cure for cancer.

• Have a goal: we joked about how Killer Hill played a role in her recovery.

More from Frank Ring:
Amazon Best-Seller Walking for Health and Fitness: https://amzn.to/334f3gK

Walking for Health and Fitness Website

Products of the Week:

• Try Blinkist Risk-Free

 Books by Frank S. Ring

• Walking for Health and Fitness
• Fitness Walking and Bodyweight Exercises
• Walking Inspiration
• Walking Logbook Journal 

Facebook:

• Your First Walking Club (Group)
• Walking for Health and Fitness Program