Local resident celebrates accomplishments following breast cancer diagnosis

FARMINGTON — In February 2019, at the age of 38, Farmington resident Heather Landis was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She discovered the lump herself, and a medical examination confirmed that there was a lump in one of her breasts. However, due to the aggressiveness and size of the lump, it was recommended that she have a double mastectomy, removing both breasts.

She said that she had the double mastectomy and four reconstructive surgeries to “complete that entire process to get the full reconstruction done.”

She also underwent chemotherapy.

“Between the removal, the mastectomy and the reconstruction, (there) was a total of four surgeries,” said Landis, who is married with three children.

After her diagnosis, Landis was informed about the “Livestrong at the YMCA” program, which is offered at the Farmington Family YMCA in Farmington Hills.

Rebecca Baizas is the fitness experience director at the Farmington Family YMCA.

She shared some details about the Livestrong program.

“Livestrong at the Y is a 12-week evidence-based program that helps adult cancer survivors, and that means 18 and up, reclaim their health and well-being from a cancer diagnosis,” Baizas said. “The program is facilitated by certified instructors. We go through a number of different training modalities.”

The program aims to help rebuild cardio endurance, while also helping participants work on flexibility and mobility.

Baizas shared another aspect of Livestrong that can be just as beneficial as the physical component.

“We foster that supportive type of program, even though we’re not a support group,” she said. “We create that supportive vibe throughout the whole thing. It’s just a really cool program.”

There is no cost to join the program, and participants don’t have to be YMCA members. An annual campaign helps fund the program.

“All you have to do is enroll, essentially,” Baizas said.

After learning of the program, Landis wanted to be part of it and joined in September  2019.

“Oh, I wanted to do it,” she said. “I wanted my life back.”

Landis provided details about what she was going through during that period of her life.

“My husband’s preparing for me to not survive at all,” she said. “It was definitely looking that way. They wanted me to stop the treatment, call it a day, and if I lived through it, great; and if I didn’t, no one was going to be too shocked.”

Around the time she started the program, Landis was walking a “little” on her own and using a wheeled walker to assist her when needed.

After being “so excited” to start the program and take her life back, she had a setback.

After attending two of the Livestrong classes, a lump was found in Landis’ newly constructed breast tissue.

She had to stop attending the Livestrong program and have a lumpectomy.

Landis stated that she was “devastated all over again.”

Between having to undergo more surgery and the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be more than two years before she was cleared to restart the Livestrong program.

However, despite the obstacles, she opted to not give up and completed it in June.

“I felt and still feel so accomplished and so excited about a program like this,” Landis said. “I have shared this program with other members of the Y and even spoke at a YMCA fundraising opportunity — to share that this opportunity is life changing for anyone who is either currently undergoing this treatment or may have already gone through this treatment. It gives you your life back; it gives you hope; it gives you strength and camaraderie. … People in this group totally get your struggle.”

Baizas said that when Landis was originally part of the program in 2019, she couldn’t complete a walk test and went home because she was fatigued.

Things were dramatically different the second time around.

“She returned back to us in the capacity of a Livestrong at the Y participant in April of this year and completed the 12-week program (with) flying colors,” Baizas said. “She finished her post-assessment by running, like the last three or four laps. So that’ll give you an idea of how much she improved. … Just from her tenacity and fight, she’s such an inspiration.”

Baizas said that there has never been a participant who has not had physical benefits as a result of being part of the Livestrong at the YMCA program.

From her perspective, participants also come away with the energy to want to “keep doing things.”

“So for me, it is an absolute gift to do this program — to see how I can help,” Baizas said.

Baizas said that her mom had cancer, and the Livestrong at the YMCA program is a “passion project” for her.

“I can tell you, for me, this has been the pinnacle of my career, being able to not only teach it, but I’m also an instructor-trainer, where I train instructors to do this program,” she said. “When this opportunity popped up, I went, ‘This is the whole reason why I am in this industry. It all boils down to right now.’ I jumped head-first into it.”

From Baizas’ perspective, “You can’t put a value” on the Livestrong program.

“People have said it’s changed their life,” she said. “Most of the time, it’s so much fun; we’re joking while we’re doing workouts. It gives them the opportunity (to) just be a person — a person going to the gym to work out.”

Landis is now cancer free and “so close to the same level of strength that I had in the very beginning, before any of this ever happened.”

She is strong enough to have a part-time job in retail and stands during her shifts.

Landis has come a long way since going through a treatment process that she said nearly killed her.

Aside from completing the Livestrong at the YMCA program, she also recently took part in a 5-K mud run.

Prior to her diagnosis, Landis said, that is not something she would have done.

“After cancer, it is like, ‘What can I achieve? How can I put myself to the test? How can I continue to advance and grow and do other cool, great things?’ … It was very empowering,” she said.

Landis said that she now has a “whole new perspective” on life.

“You don’t know how much time you have, and you have to spend the moments with your children and (take) time out for things that maybe didn’t seem important — oh, maybe you’ll do those someday. Well, someday isn’t promised,” she said. “It gave me the perspective that I needed to focus in on those (things) and create memories with my children and family — accomplish things for myself, just start checking things off my bucket list or just generally be more appreciative.”

Landis said that her mindset during this process has helped her survive.

“(The) mindset that I was not giving up; that I was not going to let this defeat me; I was going to come out on top; I was going to live, and not only was I just going to be alive, I was going to find me again,” she said. “I was coming back, and I did.”

As for others who have had a cancer diagnosis, Landis suggests eating right, sleeping right, making healthy choices, seeking treatment immediately, doing research on the latest treatments and medications, and searching for resources for financial assistance, transportation and food.

“There are resources, abundantly, out there, but you have to go find them,” she said. “I would say get out there and find that stuff.”

Landis also said to “join that Livestrong program and get yourself out there.”

“It’s very easy when you’re at home or you’re going through this treatment to feel very isolated,” she said. “You can be in a room with a thousand people and feel extremely isolated when you’re going through something like this. When you’re in a program that is designed for people who have similar issues that you’re going through, you truly have someone that you can connect with that gets it. So that’s where you belong when you’re trying to go through stuff like that.”

The YMCA has been a source of help in more ways than one for Landis.

With medical bills “stacked high” and “little income to survive,” the nonprofit has also provided food assistance for her and her family.

“We had used our entire life savings keeping me alive in 2019,” Landis stated.

Baizas shared another way that the YMCA has helped Landis and her family.

“We have given her a Y for All membership. It’s basically a scholarship type of membership here, so that she and her family can continue to be active and be family, outside of cancer,” Baizas said. “She pays a portion of the membership, and then we scholarship the rest.”

Baizas shared a message for those who have been diagnosed with cancer.

“There’s so much more than the diagnosis; there’s so much left to do, even with the diagnosis,” she said. “Everybody confronting this is welcome, and we will make sure that you are well taken care of and leave here happier and stronger than when you came. It’s about making every day better.”

To learn more about the Livestrong at the YMCA program, call Baizas at (248) 553-4020.

For more information about the Farmington Family YMCA and its programs or to make a donation, visit ymcadetroit.org/farmington.