By Nancy Alexander, PT
Do you think your mindset can make you healthier? Do you think what happens in the mind manifests itself in the body? I think it does and I want you to meet someone who proves it.
I first really paid attention to the mind/body connection when training to be a physical therapist. Truth is, for all we do know about this connection, there is so much more we don’t know. Science is working on it but the prevailing theory is that the body and the mind are not separate entities. They are intertwined in amazing ways. I believe it. Do you? Although I can’t define it specifically for you, I can show you by introducing you to Betsy Hathaway.
A recent search online revealed this:
“Positive thinking is a mental and emotional attitude that focuses on the bright side of life and expects positive results. Having a positive mindset means making positive thinking a habit, continually searching for the silver lining and making the best out of any situation you find yourself in.”
Mindset is important. And all of the events of the past year — including the COVID-19 pandemic, political unrest, protests, and a contentious election — challenged our coping skills like no other time in recent history. Just one of these events alone could test your emotional well-being. Without a positive mindset, your physical well-being will likely suffer. With it, the sky’s the limit. Betsy is proof of that.
Betsy is a snowbird. She and her husband, Alan, reside in Apollo Beach, Florida, during the winter and they return north every summer to a small town north of Burlington, Vermont, called Alburgh. She calls her home there a “camp” which is just two miles from the Canadian border. Betsy has gone around the sun 74 times though she clearly does not look the part. “That sounds so old,” said Betsy. “I don’t feel that way.” She doesn’t act that way either. That might be the key.
Most days Betsy is moving in some way or another. She likes to walk and bike. She is an accomplished pickleball player and often hosts clinics for those new to the sport in her Florida community. She, among others, were so welcoming to my husband and I when we started playing pickleball here about a year ago. We had just moved here and Betsy played a large role in helping us learn the game.
Playing stopped, however, when COVID-19 arrived. But recently, outdoor activities have resumed and our Clubhouse reopened. Some of our neighbors returned to playing and Ron and I were starting to think about it. Enter Betsy again who asked us to join her in a small group to start playing and refresh our knowledge of the basics of pickleball. That is her way.
She is caring and values being with others and helping others. She took action and brought us along with her. This is what this lady is about. And it doesn’t stop there.
As I mentioned, Betsy enjoys biking and she likes to ride both inside and outside of our community. She and her husband have always been known to bike with friends. But recently, the group casually began to expand. She thought of other neighbors and friends to invite and those new friends brought others with them, too. Her welcoming way spread and more and more people joined this biking group. Betsy often would pick places to go and now encourages others to contribute in that way. What started with six people two months ago has grown to 15 people now. They bike about once a week and may schedule a picnic lunch on their ride, too. They all know how important fellowship can be.
One day when the group got together, she was surprised by a gift. The group presented her with a t-shirt that proudly says, “Betsy’s Bikers,” on the front of it with an illustration of the group. Betsy wears this proudly in the picture below.
Betsy is a natural born leader and I have watched her bring out the best in everyone around her. “I wasn’t always this way,” said Betsy. “I was very shy growing up. I’m different now.”
The following might have contributed to this change. “I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma at the base of my tongue in 2002,” said Betsy. “I did not have a tumor. It appeared as just a swollen lymph node in my neck. It took a long time before they figured out what it was. Once it was diagnosed, treatment began with seven weeks of daily radiation plus chemotherapy once a week during that time. At about the third week, I couldn’t swallow and had to feed myself through a G-tube. It was a rough time for us.” A G-tube, or gastrostomy tube, is a tube inserted through the belly that brings nutrition directly to the stomach. It’s one of the ways doctors can be sure patients who have trouble eating get the fluid and calories they need.
It was especially rough because she was diagnosed two weeks after her husband had to have a mitral valve repair done on his heart. “At the time, this was major open-heart surgery,” said Betsy. “Our daughter had left for college, but our son was at home with us—he was a junior in high school that year. And he had two ill parents with him. It was a rough time for him as well.”
“I think having this diagnosis did change my outlook tremendously,” said Betsy. “I was really frightened at first, but then vowed to get through it and I think I am a better person because of it. In fact, we have made great friends over the years because of it. I try to take one day at a time and keep a positive attitude for the most part.”
“It’s a lot about mindset,” Betsy added. “Now that I’m older, I’m more open to new things. I wasn’t able to handle new things when I was younger. I’m more active now than I was when I was younger and I’m more open-minded. I think the less active you are, the more narrow-minded you are.”
She is active alright. Besides walking and biking with her group, she continues to play pickleball and is the secretary for the club. She exercises and attends fitness classes in person and online. She gardens.
When asked what future goals she has, she responded by saying, “I’m happy with the way I am.” With recent COVID-19 vaccinations she admits she wants to travel more. But she is quick to add, “I am very satisfied with my life right now. I’m lucky to have gotten what I have.”
It’s been almost 20 years since her diagnosis and she said those years have passed by in a flash. “Alan and I are so thankful that we have been given this time to live our lives as completely as we have,” said Betsy.
There are many of us who are thankful to share in the inspiration that is Betsy Hathaway.