Elaine's Story
For years after her cancer diagnosis—surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and all that followed, Elaine lived with nerve pain and a walking pain in her calf that kept tightening its limits. Participation at the Burke Rehabilitation Cancer Program and sessions at the Scarsdale Outpatient Therapy site changed that. She was a gym regular prior to her diagnosis, twice a week with a trainer, and she knew what it felt like to move through the world with confidence. Through the program, she is getting that back. Her path to the cancer rehab program began with a question she kept asking her doctors: “How can I be involved in the healing process?” When a pinched nerve in her back led to a recommendation for steroid injections, she pushed back—steroids weren’t going to heal the underlying problem—and that search for something more comprehensive led her to Dr. Sammy Wu. She was already familiar with Burke through its Pulmonary Rehab program.
Dr. Wu sat with her and covered everything: diet, hydration, the full picture of what her body had been through and what it needed. He didn’t rush. “Usually, a doctor wants you in and out of that office in 15 minutes,” Elaine says. “Dr. Wu absolutely does not do that. And that is so reassuring for the patient.” It was the holistic, patient-centered approach she’d been looking for, rooted in a conviction she shares; that the body can heal itself, to a meaningful degree, with the right guidance.
A Program. A Partner. A Plan.
Dr. Wu connected her with the Burke Outpatient Therapy in Scarsdale and Melissa Milinazzo, a physical therapist certified in pelvic floor rehabilitation, who built a program targeting Elaine’s hip and pelvic region and the nerve-related tightening in her left leg. The work—stretching, manual therapies, and gait training —was familiar to Elaine, but the one-on-one attention made all the difference. Melissa watched her form, knew when to push for another set, and calibrated everything to what Elaine’s body could do and what it needed next.
“From the start Elaine advocated for herself, determined to achieve her goal of walking longer and without calf tightness and weakness,” says Melissa. “We focused on reducing calf tension and pain and globally strengthening her core on down for a stable base to walk on.” Improving strength and flexibility and decreasing pain meant Elaine could return to her daily walks without fear of piercing calf pain.
“We were both happy with how far she had come and the progress I hope she continues to strive for,” says Melissa.
This was the kind of sustained, survivorship-focused guidance Elaine had been searching for. “Cancer patients continue to need help to stay functional—physically, mentally,” she says. “The first time I went to therapy and started to be able to do things again, I felt I was taking back my power. And that’s so important to be able to do, as a survivor, to take back your power and to be able to do things on your own.”
Elaine’s progress is concrete and ongoing. Her walking has improved. She just returned from a cruise. She wants to build her endurance further, stay on the treadmill longer, get closer to who she was before. “I want to see how far I can go,” she says. “And I know I can only do it with somebody guiding me.”
She’s also doing what she has always done: advocating for others. Even before cancer rehabilitation, Elaine was the person texting a friend on chemotherapy day—someone’s here, someone cares—urging people toward support groups, reminding them they weren’t alone. Now she carries a new message, too: cancer rehabilitation is not optional, not a luxury. It is the all important next step—the step where hope begins and continues throughout your journey.
