Alliance woman shares how exercise helps her amid cancer battle

ALLIANCE – First, it was her left knee. Then, her right hip. Another hip replacement  followed by another knee replacement, three hernia surgeries and two breast surgeries. 

In the last 2.5 years, Beckie Dean has undergone more operations than many people experience in a lifetime amid her battle with cancer. 

"It's been a lot," she said. 

But Dean hasn't given up. Recovering from her surgeries, she developed a consistent workout routine, which she feels has enabled her to keep up her mental and physical energy.

'Tired and determined' 

In May 2019, Dean retired after a 22-year career as a flight attendant because she had been diagnosed with sarcoma, a type of cancer that starts in the tissues surrounding many important structures of the body, including muscles, nerves and tendons. 

"Upon further review, we found out that it was actually PEComa, which is a rare form of the sarcoma," the 65-year-old said. "And then a year later I was diagnosed with breast cancer as well." 

The diagnoses changed Dean's life. Before retirement, she spent most of her days on her feet. She estimated she walked an average of three to five miles per day, moving through different airports and completing other tasks. 

Going from being constantly on the move to in and out of surgeries was difficult, but Dean said she was "tired and determined." Following her surgeries, she went through physical therapy at the hospital and continued her recovery by joining Planet Fitness in Alliance.

Working with a trainer, she learned how to use different pieces of equipment and gradually developed an enjoyment for exercise. She tries to go to Planet Fitness three times per week and does a variety of exercises, such as walking on a treadmill or stair-step machine or doing leg presses. 

Exercising, she said, has played a key role in her ability to not only recover from her previous surgeries, but also build strength for the next ones. 

"I really believe that if it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now, which is crawling and kneeling and (going) up and down on ladders and doing everything that a person who doesn't have new hips and knees does," she said. 

Additionally, Dean said working out has helped her maintain a positive attitude throughout her cancer battle. People frequently call her "a ball of energy," she said, or ask how she manages to have such a high level of motivation. 

Dean's neighbor, Tammy Smith Davis, sees her as upbeat and motivated. The two sometimes go to the gym together, and Smith Davis said it's clear that exercise has contributed to her health. 

How is Dean now?

Dean had another breast cancer surgery in December, but she said she hasn't let it bother her.

She plans to continue working out and hopes others will see the impact that exercise has had on her health. Without her regular exercise routine, she said she doesn't think she would be able to do many things she does now. 

"The stronger you are going into (recovery), the better off you're going to be coming out," she said. 

Reach Paige at 330-580-8577 or pmbennett@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @paigembenn.