Hello and welcome to living in the Lehigh Valley, where our focus is your health and wellness.

I'm your host, Brittany Sweeney.

Many people will resolve to get in shape in the New year, but few will stick to it.

A local woman is not only completing a year of living a healthier lifestyle, she did so despite a life threatening diagnosis.

Working in the health industry for years, Faith Lauer of Allentown never made her own health a priority.

But a New Year's resolution would change that.

Was determined to lose some weight, eat healthier and get into a fitness program.

So it has helped me quite, quite a bit mentally and physically.

The operating room nurse decided to change her life in 2023 by improving her fitness level.

I started with metabolic conditioning classes three times a week, which involves like intervals of cardio and weight training.

On the opposite days, I would do some weightlifting for upper body and then lower body and I would eat a little bit better.

Cut down on the junk food.

She was on the right path to overall well-being.

But in March, at a screening, she had pushed off for six months A routine mammogram that I was six months late for.

She received a diagnosis that tried to stop her in her tracks.

Stage One Invasive Carcinoma Breast Cancer Before that, I had been exercising, and this was kind of like, you know, how can this be?

You know, I just started trying to get in better shape and, you know, really work at my fitness, improving my fitness level.

And then this happened.

According to her radiation oncologist, Dr. Allison McIntosh of Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Lauer's story is not uncommon.

When we become aware of the importance of our health and we start doing a little more exercise screenings like mammograms, colonoscopies, often it's that incentive to get healthy that helps us find things that aren't going properly in our bodies.

Lauer says it was a devastating time, but she wasn't going to let it derail her from the healthy course she was already on.

I stuck with it.

I had the surgery the following month in May and continued to work out.

I was back in the gym three or four days later with lightweights and continued on that path and even through the radiation treatments.

So I think it helped me quite a bit to be able to, you know, have enough energy to get through the treatments with with my working out on a regular basis.

Not only did she have enough energy for recovery, the OR nurse went on to complete a Spartan race that summer and a Tough Mudder competition in the fall.

McIntosh said her patient’s dedication to physical activity definitely played a role.

Faith has really helped herself along this journey in being so healthy and proactive in terms of having exercise as an important part of her life.

There are many studies showing that your ability to tolerate medical treatments, but also your ability to tolerate cancer treatments is much better when there's an exercise component in your regimen.

The radiation oncologist says people don't have to run a marathon, but daily walks can be beneficial when fighting cancer.

Doing a ten minute walk a few times a day or even a few times a week, every every little bit helps each person's exercise regimen is going to vary depending on their cardiovascular state, any medical conditions that they have.

So whereas for one person, it would be 20 minutes of gentle walking a day.

For someone like Faith, it would be hours in the gym and lifting and all the things that she's very capable of.

Though cancer tried to stop Lauer from reaching her goals.

She says she is now more physically fit than ever and more importantly, in remission.

I feel great.

I definitely want to stay on this path.

It's been nothing but positive for me as far as, you know, the fitness.

Definitely in the new year, I'm going to continue it.

Lauer says her advice for anyone hoping to get healthier is to take baby steps, join a gym and become familiar with the members there.

That'll do it for this edition of Living in the Lehigh Valley.

I'm Brittany Sweeney, hoping you stay happy and healthy.