In the spring of 2013, Susannah Harris thought she had reached a plateau in her training. Susannah had regularly worked out with a personal trainer, had always enjoyed running and had recently considered herself in the best shape of her life. Then, all of a sudden, she noticed that she was unable to run as far or as fast as before.
Susannah continued to run and cross-train, thinking her lack of stamina was just a physical hurdle she would overcome with her tenacity. Finally, in May, as a growing fatigue overtook her, she scheduled an appointment with her primary care physician in Washington, D.C. Her blood work revealed a surprising culprit for her lethargy: chronic myeloid leukemia.
After her diagnosis, Susannah turned to her family in Charlotte, NC for support. Her parents, Paula and Michael Harris, lived in the Queen City, as did her sister and brother-in-law, Amanda and Matt St. Amand. Amanda and Matt were parents to Maddy and Harris, so Susannah also had her niece and nephew as part of her support system.
As luck would have it, the Queen City was also home to Levine Cancer Institute, which was renowned for breakthrough research, state-of-the art treatment and topnotch physicians. While she visited Levine Cancer Institute when she travelled to Charlotte, she initially remained in the nation’s capital to – stubbornly – continue working.
However, that schedule soon became untenable; in the fall of 2014 she made Charlotte her permanent home due to the built-in support system she had there, as well as the treatment she was receiving from her oncologist, Dr. Edward Copelan, who also serves as the head of Levine Cancer Institute’s Department of Hematological Oncology and Blood Disorders. Finding the ideal treatment didn’t happen overnight.
“It took over a year to find a medication treatment that worked, but that didn’t give me the side effects,” Susannah said. “At that point I was ready to get back to living a normal a life, so I started with the Cancer Wellness Program.”
The Cancer Wellness Program is a three-pronged collaboration between Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas Healthcare System Sports Medicine and local YMCAs. Funded by the 24 Hours of Booty organization – a local cycling event that raises money for the fight against cancer – the program lasts for 12 weeks and is designed to help participants who are managing the physical side effects of cancer treatment, as well as aid in recovery after treatments are completed.
After undergoing the program’s required assessment, Susannah embarked on her regimen at the Dowd YMCA, attending three classes a week.
“At the time I was tired and frustrated at the loss of stamina and energy, and it felt like totally starting over as a beginner,” Susannah said. “But I gradually began walking on the treadmill, and within a month or so I was running, and then I ran the ACC Fan 5K in early December.”
This was the first race Susannah had run since her diagnosis. As a show of familial support, her sister and niece also ran with her.
However, after this amazing accomplishment Susannah still wasn’t satisfied. She and her wellness team set their sights even higher for 2015. Susannah grew stronger, and then ran in two more races. This time, they were much longer than 5Ks.
On March 7, Susannah ran the Corporate Cup Half-Marathon. Then, a month later on April 11, she ran in the Charlotte RaceFest Half-Marathon, too. Her niece Maddy once again joined her, this time for the last three miles of each half-marathon.
Along with a desire to remain active, Susannah’s niece and nephew had also provided her with motivation. After her diagnosis they were obviously alarmed, so she knew running in the races would prove she was on the rebound. They also served as an overall rallying point; race days became events.
Susannah’s entire family would plan out where they were going to cheer for her along the course, and met her at the finish line to celebrate. Seeing the faces of her parents, her sister, her brother-in-law and her nephew only added to her sense of accomplishment. Her niece joining her for the last leg of each race was just icing on the cake.
“For me, that was a real benchmark,” Susannah said. “I had gotten my mojo back. I was out there with healthy people running, and the kids saw me being healthy, and I felt like a healthy person again doing that. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my family’s support.”
Today, Susannah is proud to say she has experienced a complete remission. She attributes this to the topflight treatment she received, as well as her experience in the Cancer Wellness Program. While she points to the strength training and restorative yoga classes as her favorite aspects of the program, she found a hidden benefit as well.
“It was so nice to have some additional support beyond doctors and family members,” Susannah said. “I can’t tell you how encouraging it was to meet new friends and create relationships with people who were going through the same thing I was, who also had firsthand experiences cancer.”
