NewsReal LifeCathal Morrow, 54, talks about the positive effects running and gym sessions had on him both physically and mentally

Friday, 6th December 2019, 5:33 pm

As part of a new series calledLiving with cancer,iis sharing people's stories about how the disease affects their life and relationships, both practically and emotionally.

Cathal Morrow knew that he could have easily have slumped into a depression after hearing the dreaded C word.

When he began his three month chemotherapy treatment, it knocked him for six. "The first 10 days I lay in bed watching Netflix. I felt rotten, exhausted and sick. I felt like I'd been hit by a bus. I thought oh gosh, I've got three months of this."

Then his youngest son had what he calls a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) episode, and Cathal had to physically restrain him. It made him realise he was stronger than he had realised. And so, from then, he forced himself to turn off the telly and go outside a trip to the shops or a stroll around the park.

"I was knackered afterwards, but it felt good," he said. Having quit smoking when he was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, he decided to go to the gym. It felt good, so the next day he went for a run, and managed 6 km (3.7 miles), and the next day pounded the pavements again.

Cathal had run a marathon a decade ago, but had stopped running regularly. The 54-year-old soon built up his fitness and took on a half marathon (21 km/13.1 miles) while still having chemo.

Exercise can help general health, and there's been a recent paradigm shift with regards to the role it plays in cancer patients. Last year, leading experts on cancer called for exercise to be prescribed to all cancer patients, alongside traditional treatment, and say not to do so would be harmful.

If the effects of exercise could be encapsulated in a pill, it would be prescribed to every cancer patient worldwide and viewed as a major breakthrough in cancer treatment, Professor Prue Cormie from the Australian Catholic University wrote on The Conversation.

'It stops me from becoming a miserable sod'

Cathal began exercising five times a week, and he says it helped empower him to move out of a more passive patient role, and improved not just his well-being but his attitude, too.

"It would be easy to think, I'm sick, I'm having treatment, so I must wrap myself up in cotton wool. Doing the half-marathon, I was shouting 'Fuck cancer' as I hauled myself up a gruesome hill. It was my way of sticking my finger up to the disease. It worked wonders.

"Running helped me manage my fear of dying. There's no two ways about it, it's terrifying to be told you have cancer. I had a good cry, then I thought right, I'm beating this. Exercise was a way to channel my frustration, at times rage.

"It gave me something to look forward to almost every day, something very immediate to focus on that I could achieve. It made me feel at least partly in control of my health.

"It's also had a positive effect on my two sons. They saw I was fighting cancer, that I refuse to give in. It stops me from becoming a miserable sod, because I dont need to fake positivity."

Rest is 'counterproductive'

Macmillan Cancer Support also say that traditional advice for combating fatigue centering on energy conservation is "counterproductive", since "excessive rest worsens treatment-related loss of physical function".

'Studies have found exercise during treatment can actually change the tumor microenvironment and trigger stronger anti-tumor activity'

Mayo Clinic experts

The charity states: "This can lead to a vicious cycle of accumulating fatigue and deteriorating function. A promising body of evidence indicates that an appropriate balance of physical activity alongside rest during treatment periods helps to control fatigue and maintain physical function."

Experts at the Mayo Clinic say as well as reducing depression and anxiety, exercise can reduce pain. They point out "studies have found that exercise during treatment can actually change the tumor microenvironment and trigger stronger anti-tumor activity in your immune system". And animal studies have found that exercise can lead to tumor reduction in rodents.

Physical activity also helps you manage your weight, which is an important cancer risk factor and has been linked to higher risk of cancer recurrence.

'Balance is key'

Cathal, from Wimbledon, London, says exercise made him feel better prepared physically to be able to handle the treatment. His doctor approved of him getting active, but warned him not to overdo it.

Cathal, who works in PR and as a writer, underwent stem cell treatment last November, and has since gone into remission, although he still struggles with fatigue.

"My doctor is fully supportive of me exercising my way through chemo although she cautioned me not to 'go mental'. I probably did a bit. I just love pushing my body past what I think is possible. It's felt fantastic feeling the fittest I've been in a decade.

"But I think it's also important to listen to you body, balance is key. I aimed to exercise five times a week but if I felt rubbish I'd rest. Same goes for the emotional side. Sometimes you have to succumb to not feeling very positive. Some days I feel too crap to do anything and spend a few days in bed."

Cancer Research says how much and how intense a cancer patient should exercise will depend on the individual, and advises people check with their doctor beforehand. You can read their guidelines about exercising when you have cancer here.

Do you have a personal story? Email claudia.tanner@inews.co.uk

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Living with cancer: 'Exercising during my chemotherapy treatment worked wonders' - inews