#BraveLikeKeriann
Name: Keriann Engle
Age: 37
Diagnosis: Stage IIIA Breast Cancer
Years of Survivorship: 1.5 years
Location: Los Angeles
Follow Keriann on Instagram.
How has running or staying physically active affected your cancer journey?
I received my cancer diagnosis on February 13, 2019. One month earlier, I completed the Avalon Benefit 50K, and I had just finished the New Orleans Rock 'n' Roll Marathon three days prior. I was at the height of my training for the 2019 LA Marathon, and was devastated to think that I would lose the fitness I had trained diligently to achieve. As it turned out, I didn’t lose the fitness; it helped me survive. On April 9, 2019, I had a modified radical mastectomy with immediate reconstruction via DIEP flap. I had surgical complications, which resulted in two further surgeries, on April 9 and 10. Cumulatively, I lost more than half of my blood volume. If I hadn’t been strong going into these surgeries, I don’t know if I would have withstood the trauma.
I wasn’t allowed to run for eight weeks after my surgeries, and I was so weak that I wasn’t physically able to for eight weeks anyway. I did my first run 65 days after my surgeries, which happened to be five days after my first chemotherapy infusion. I decided to train for the 2020 LA Marathon throughout sixteen rounds of chemotherapy and 25 sessions of radiation. At first, it was daunting, but I got stronger as I kept going. Running was something I did for myself at a time when doctors told me what to do with every other aspect of my life. And it helped me tolerate the treatments. My medical oncologist told me he had never seen someone tolerate dose-dense AC, which oncologists often refer to as “the red devil” due to its nasty side effects. I ran the 2020 LA Marathon on March 8, 2020, less than two months after completing cancer treatment.
What advice do you have for people on staying fit throughout their cancer treatment or recovery?
Do not compare the athlete you are during and after cancer treatment to the athlete you were before cancer treatment. It’s an unfair comparison. Before cancer treatment, your body hadn’t withstood everything modern medicine can dish out. Appreciate your athleticism during and after cancer treatment for what it is; a show of incredible physical and mental strength in the face of great adversity.
What are some of your proudest accomplishments since being diagnosed with cancer?
In the 18 months since my diagnosis, I have completed five marathons and three ultramarathons. Cancer shifted the timeline on some of my goals, but I refuse to let cancer steal my goals from me.
How has Gabe's story impacted you or changed the way you view life as a cancer patient/survivor?
Before she died, Gabe said life with cancer can sometimes be a life lived in technicolor. Now that I'm a cancer survivor, I know what she meant. Before my diagnosis, I knew intellectually that life is short and precious, but I didn't feel it. The feeling that life is short and precious makes the bad times really hard, but it also makes the good times shine.
What does being #BraveLikeKeriann mean to you?
Being #BraveLikeKeriann means being honest about the reality that living with cancer is stressful and anxiety-producing; it means fighting for mental health care in addition to other treatments. It took me 110 days, countless phone calls (including two to the mental health crisis hotline) and emails, opening a formal grievance against my insurance provider, and calling on the personal connections of multiple friends to get a recurring appointment with a therapist through my insurance. In half that time, I completed all required pre-surgical tests and underwent a surgery so complex that the hospital schedules only two such operations per month. The mental health of patients with cancer should not be an afterthought.
What are you most looking forward to in the near future?
On August 15, 2020, I underwent my (hopefully) last reconstructive surgery. I'm not able to run for 10 more weeks, but after that, I'm looking forward to jumping into training for the 2021 LA Marathon, in whatever form it takes.