Everyday athlete
Athletics have been a big part of her life. It also may have saved her quality of life.
When Roz Makaula, a former all-state softball player at Kamehameha, was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago, one of the surgeries required the procedure starting under her right armpit. Her doctor warned Makaula of probable nerve damage and "I didn’t know what to think," she said. "That’s my strongest side, that was my throwing arm."
But all the muscle Makaula had developed from her years with Kailua American Little League, two-time national champion Koolau Bobby Sox and state champion Kamehameha protected the nerves from being damaged.
"He pushed the muscle aside and did his work," Makaula said. "He said the only other person he had seen that in was a male bodybuilder. My goodness, all those years of throwing was helping me now."
After 18 months of chemotherapy, six surgeries and removal of tumors, the 37-year-old is cancer-free. She will share her gratitude and her hope when competing in Sunday’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at Kapiolani Park.
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» Roz Makaula, 37 |
It is a fundraiser for breast cancer, but it is so much more to Makaula, who is participating in her fifth race.
"When I was going through my cancer treatments, this created a positive activity for my family and friends that allowed us to see that cancer doesn’t mean a death sentence," said the communication administrator for the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program at The Queen’s Medical Center. "It shows there is hope. It’s positive for me to see that and for my family and friends to see that. I had participated in supporting the Komen Foundation before I was diagnosed and now it’s much more personal."
Makaula missed last year’s race to help care for her father, who later lost his battle with leukemia. This year, she is back and committed to regaining her healthy, active lifestyle.
"It was hard, not being able to exercise like I used to," she said. "I was brought up participating in sports and both parents were very active.
"I have changed my eating habits, do watch my sugars. Because of the treatments and drugs, I gained 27 pounds. I’m still carrying about 17 of those, but I’m working on losing those."
Makaula said that keeping a positive attitude is important to the healing and recovery process.
"It’s all about making time to do it," she said. "When you’re an athlete, you learn to work through pain. It sounds cliche, but I did put on my game face and surrounded myself with people cheering me on."
