OHIO — It’s fly fishing season and something you may not know is the sport has health benefits for breast cancer survivors.
The motion of casting can be healing for those who have undergone surgery or radiation and that led to the creation of a national support group called ‘Casting for Recovery’ more than two decades ago.
Cheryl Phillips loves all things outdoors.
“A wonderful place to be,” she said.
Her Lorain County backyard is the perfect oasis, fit with her own private pond.
“It’s very, very much my happy place,” she said.
She enjoys fly fishing.
“I can spend all day, every day, doing this,” Phillips said.
As she gets ready to cast a line, Phillips realizes her hands don’t work quite like they used to.
“My arm is numb and so are my hands. So, I don’t always get it picture-perfect,” she said.
Neuropathy is one of the many lingering side effects of her breast cancer.
“There’s a lot of things that are left over after treatment that a lot of people just are not aware of. They think that once you’re done with treatment you’re good and it’s over and it really is not over,” Phillips said.
Her triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis was shocking.
“Supposedly, it’s the worst one to have,” she said. “One in eight women have breast cancer. I was the one in eight. No family history at all.”
Hundreds of doctors appointments, months of chemotherapy, a mastectomy, and 35 rounds of radiation later: “You realize you’re still here and right now, I’m six and a half years. They told me at one point in time I would be done in two. Like totally done,” she said.
She made ‘Treatment Tuesdays’ ‘Tiara Tuesdays,’ where she’d wear a tiara with what she calls her chemo shoes. It kicked off a trend.
“Every single nurse in the unit had on a tiara,” Phillips said. “And it was the one kind of good thing. People laughed.”
Now, she is full of gratitude. Every day and everything is sweeter.
“Kind of like now we count birthdays as a really good thing and gray hair. Wrinkles matter. We’ll take ’em all. Bring ’em on,” Phillips said with laughter.
Phillips learned how to fly fish at a “Casting for Recovery” retreat in 2015.
“That came at a time when things were bad. And it really is a life-changing weekend,” she said.
“Casting for Recovery” is a support group for breast cancer survivors. Once a year, 14 women come together to fly fish and reboot in nature.
And it’s not just a catchy name — casting aids in the recovery process. The gentle arm motion is considered a type of physical therapy for survivors who have undergone surgery or radiation.
“It is a wonderful program to be able to spend that one weekend totally about you and them and learning how to be new,” Phillips said.
She met some lifelong friends.
“The bond is forever,” she said.
After wading through hard times, she now wades through the water with her sights set on healing, happiness and hope.
“You cannot quit. You cannot stop. You cannot give up,” Phillips said. “I’m working on my bucket list.”
“Casting for Recovery” came to Ohio in 2004 and is open to survivors of any age and any stage.
There is an application process that selects 14 women through a random drawing.
