Core Life Wellness Cancer Program was developed to meet the needs of people seeking a whole-body approach to maximizing quality of life after a cancer diagnosis. This program was born from Robin combining her 25 years as a physical therapist while adding massage therapy and wellness coaching to form a unique client-driven program.
Robin was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2008. Robin took a traditional approach of being treated with chemotherapy, a targeted drug, and surgery. At the same time, Robin incorporated complementary wellness treatments of acupuncture, supplements, yoga, nutritional changes and mediation to support her body. Robin has been off any breast cancer medicine since 2011 and continues to thrive with no evidence of disease for over a decade. Robin realized there was a gap between the medical world and living well after a cancer diagnosis and wants to close the gap.
Robin received her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Boston University’s, Sargent College of Allied Health in 1992. She has worked as a physical therapist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Children’s Memorial Hospital (Lurie), Arlington Pediatric Therapy and Affinity Integrated Health Care. Throughout her career her continuing education has focused on building strength, improving alignment and restoring functional mobility. Robin became a certified wellness coach through Wellcoaches in 2016.
Robin is passionate about helping people develop an individualized plan to gain energy, strength, improve alignment, balance, and mind-set ultimately leading to a thriving quality of life.
Services offered:
Initial Assessment:
- First visit: One hour physical and wellness assessment
- Determine baseline status
- Design interventions that improve functional limitations before treatment for cancer begins.
- Assess need for ongoing services
Wellness Program: The design of the program will be based on individual needs.
An 8-week customized cancer wellness program includes:
- Twice weekly individualized PT sessions,
- Once weekly wellness coaching
- Once weekly therapeutic massage
What are the benefits?
- Maximize independence
- Increase Energy level
- Support Immune system
- Improve Lung capacity
- Increase Mobility
- Build Muscle Strength
- Promote healing
- Reduce symptom burden
- Improve mind-set
What is the Core Life Cancer Wellness Program?
Core Life Cancer Wellness lets you take an active role in managing your health before, during and after cancer treatment. The program addresses and treats the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary and functional mobility impairments expected with cancer treatment, survivorship or advanced disease. We will provide an integrated approach by our collaborative team.
Pre-cancer treatment services: Occurs between the time of cancer diagnosis and the beginning of acute treatment. During pre-treatment services, a physical therapy evaluation is performed to determine baseline functional levels, identify issues and provides targeted interventions that improve a client’s health prior to your cancer treatment.
During or after treatment services:
- Functional training: Improve gait/balance, range of motion, strength and endurance.
- Relaxation techniques: May include soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilization, deep pressure and breathing techniques
- Develop Individualized exercise plan: Each person will have an exercise plan geared towards sustaining and increasing their strength, balance and functional level while being treated for cancer.
- Cording treatment: (after breast cancer surgery) Soft tissue mobility to improve range of motion, function and decrease issues related cording.
- Lymphedema treatment: decrease swelling, improve ROM, decrease pain and increase function
The ultimate goal for the patient is to achieve the highest functional status possible within their lifestyle.
Core Life Cancer Wellness Program FAQs
- Is insurance accepted?
Yes, insurance is accepted and we also offer payment packages.
- Who can benefit from the program?
Anyone who has been diagnosed with any type of cancer.
- Can I only do certain services instead of package?
This is a programmatic approach that we have found successful. You can sign up for multiple 8-week programs.
- How will I know if I’ve made any changes?
An initial evaluation will be completed at the first visit and you will receive a multi-disciplinary report on your 7th week to evaluate progress and determine next steps.
- How do I sign up for the program?
You set up your first complementary consultation by requesting an appointment via e-mail at corelife.aih@gmail.com. After the initial evaluation all 8 weeks will be scheduled with the same treatment team.
- Having Strong Reasons for Living
- Empowering Yourself
- Following Your Intuition
- Taking Herbs & Supplements
- Increasing Positive Emotions
- Using Exercise & Movement
- Radically Changing Your Diet
- Releasing Suppressed Emotions
- Deepening Your Spiritual Connection
- Increasing Social Support
Mission and Vision
Mission: Affinity’s mission is to provide an integrated, collaborative approach by our interdisciplinary team to support our clients to achieve optimal levels of health and wellness by integrating hands-on therapy and exercise instruction with wellness coaching and education.
Vision: Affinity Cancer Wellness’s vision is that rehabilitation through the continuum of care, beginning at diagnosis through completion of treatment and after, will become a standard component of care for anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer.
Hi, I’m Karla Mans Giroux – I’m a holistic cancer coach, inspirational speaker, Radical Remission workshop facilitator & cancer thriver. As a holistic coach I help you approach your health goals with the whole of you in mind. To truly heal and find radical health we must work with the body, mind, and spirit.
Not only do I help you consider how you take care of your body – food, exercise, self-care – but also how you take care of your mind and spirit – news consumption, social media, stress management, spiritual connection, etc.!
Emotions can cause blockages in our body – in Traditional Chinese Medicine they believe that if there is a blockage in our chi – lifeforce – there is illness that must be addressed.
I was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. I was 37 years old and had a 5-year-old and 2-year-old at that time. As you can imagine, it was a frightening time, and while I did my research and took control of my health, I did not know anything about alternative healing or complementary medicine. I took a conventional approach and had a mastectomy, chemo and radiation and then 5 years of tamoxifen. I believe that my positive mindset helped me make it through treatment relatively easily. For me it was pretty much over and done in 9 months and I went back to my “normal” life. Since I thought I lived a healthy lifestyle I figured that was the last I would see of cancer…and I certainly hoped and prayed for that. When I hit my 10-year “cancer-versary” I felt safe!
But unfortunately, at 11 years out from the original diagnosis I found the cancer had metastasized to bone. So, in 2014 with stage 4/metastatic breast cancer I knew better, and I did better. I left no stone unturned. I started with my conventional oncologist but really wanted someone with knowledge about nutrition and supplements, so I found an integrative doctor who could help me use all the tools that were right for me. I am proud and pleased to say that there has been no evidence of disease (N.E.D.) since 2016 (4 years and counting)!
A big part of my healing came from the holistic approach I took and the 10 Healing Factors from the book Radical Remission, & more recently Radical Hope, by Dr. Kelly Turner. I had already implemented many of the factors and it resonated with me in a big way.
The 10 Healing factors:
I believe that we all inherently know what our bodies, mind & spirits need so I became a Holistic Cancer Coach so that I could guide others to find their healing and radical health. I have had great success and I am passionate about helping others find success on their healing journey. I love to share the healing factors, from Dr. Turner’s research, and help people learn that there is so much more they can do to help themselves find their radical health.