Grace Ramsden - Passion Project #1
Why EP?
Exercise Physiology offered a versatile opportunity to help people of which each has their challenges, and that is what drew my attention.
A placement involving cancer is what sparked my passion in oncology and drove me to sacrifice financial gain so that I could better myself as a practitioner and develop a greater understanding in how we can help this population.
Cancer has a longstanding and morbid stigma of which I was also guilty in believing. In reality, the ability to support those whilst they are undergoing an invasive, foreign and confronting time in their lives is in my opinion unmatchable anywhere else. Cancer is an emotionally challenging diagnosis and has played a role in the majority of peoples lives either directly or indirectly. The attitude these people display despite the cumulative assault of treatment is remarkable and a privilege to be a part of.
For the most part, I have found it to be rewarding, however, it is the darkest times and individual complexities of cases that I want to be there for. Counseling is an underestimated and undervalued portion of our role. The power of exercise as a medicine and opportunity to have something these individuals can control that also facilitates their treatment is, fortunately, becoming more recognized.
The potential of exercise to reduce the impacts of ALL forms of treatment whilst improving quality of life and giving time for these people to absorb the enormity of their situation is why I want to remain involved.
Each individual has their justifications for their diagnosis, instead of the “why did this happen to me?” question, they express “this is the chance to….”. Learning and understanding their philosophies to their situation is fascinating. Many stories stick with me and enable me to help other patients across all populations. Cancer is an intricate field with even more intricate individuals becoming impacted by it.
I want to help change the morbid stigma and be involved during a difficult time because it’s more than prescribing exercise, it’s the ability to make an impact during, for some people, the most confronting time in their lives.
Grace.
