02/23/2026
Maureen Brook was typically on the go, so when she received her Stage 2 breast cancer (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma), her favorite activities like volunteering and trail walking had to be put on pause for chemotherapy and surgeries.
From May through August, Maureen received six chemotherapy transfusions and then had a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery in September. In order for her scar tissue to heal and to improve her core and body strength, her doctor recommended physical therapy. Maureen found Sruti Manvi, a ReVital Cancer Rehabilitation physical therapist.
"I would describe myself as 'fragile' when I first came to visit Sruti for treatment," Maureen said.
When she started, Maureen was experiencing limited mobility, was unable to bend, stretch or lift without extra effort, even the gait of her walk was different, it really took a shot at her confidence.
There were small changes that Maureen started to take notice of like being able to tie her shoes or get up from a seated position easily, but when they did the midway assessment and she saw the numbers, it was astounding.
Her biggest goal was to be able to return to her 3-mile trail walks. When she started physical therapy, Maureen was taking a break after one loop around her neighborhood. With Sruti's help to find her strength and cheer her on, she has now returned to her trail walks. Maureen is hopeful she will be able to volunteer again soon.
"I feel so much better than where I started with physical therapy," Maureen shared. "I still have a few weeks to go, but I'm excited by the steady progress I'm seeing."