Abby Lee Miller has been busy filming Dance Moms: Resurrection (the show airs on Lifetime in June), but she’s still working hard to get healthy after her cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Abby shared a photo on Instagram Friday of herself in rehabilitation, and she revealed that she’s on a pretty regular physical therapy schedule to try to regain her strength. “Still giving it my all 3 days a week at Physical Therapy,” she wrote, while also acknowledging her rehab team.
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Still giving it my all 3 days a week at Physical Therapy – thanks to everyone at Healthsouth Harmarville Rehabilitation Center! #dancemoms #abbyleemiller #thebestisyettocome #ALDCLA @aldcstudiola @aldcstudiopgh
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Apparently all that PT is paying off. Just a few days ago, Abby shared video of herself actually dancing again at physical therapy (she was doing Port de bras). Pretty damn amazing, given that she’s been largely wheelchair-bound after being diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, an aggressive type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Wait a minute, tell me more about Abby’s cancer diagnosis.
Abby was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, in April following emergency spinal surgery. From there, it’s been a long, winding road of treatment for Abby, who also had to learn how to walk again after two emergency surgeries on her spine, in addition to her chemotherapy, according to ET Online.
Most recently, in October, Abby completed her ninth round of chemotherapy (and celebrated by posing a video of herself on Instagram doing flutter kicks). “Hallelujah! 9 down 1 to go!” she wrote.
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Just some silliness while I’m back in for my next to last round of Chemo! Hallelujah! 9 down 1 to go! #dancemoms #abbyleemiller #aldcalways @aldcstudiola #aldcla @aldcstudiopgh #ALDC
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Abby’s stayed pretty positive on social media amidst her dramatic health struggles. “After the second surgery, my back is finally on the mend. I just wish the top section and bottom would hurry along too!” she wrote on Instagram on June 30, showing off her surgical scars. “I had 52 staples perfectly aligned and now a bunch of crazy stitches are holding my neck and lumbar region together!”
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After the 2nd surgery, My back is finally on the mend. I just wish the top section & bottom would hurry along too! I had 52 staples perfectly aligned and now a bunch of crazy stitches are holding my neck & lumbar region together! #abbyleemiller #abbylee #dancemoms @hoomanmelamedmd #aldc #aldcla #spjne #disc
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Previously, she shared a selfie from her hospital bed after being labeled a “fall risk.” “If I could fall, I would crawl to the mall!” she joked.
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If I Could FALL, I Would CRAWL To The MALL! #spinesurgery #abbyleemiller #dancemoms #dance #thebestisyettocome #aldcla #aldc
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But it hasn’t been all lighthearted: In August, Abby suffered a setback in her treatment when she came down with a high fever accompanied by a low white blood cell count. “Pray 🙏🏻 my white blood cell count goes up and my 103 fever goes down!” she wrote in the caption,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
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It’s Friday 👍🏼Yay & Pray 🙏🏻 my white blood cell count goes up and my 103 fever goes down! Yikes! #abbylee #abbyleemiller #dancemoms #aldc #aldcla #spinesurgery
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What exactly is Burkitt lymphoma?
In case you’re not familiar with it, Burkitt lymphoma is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects white blood cells, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
With Burkitt lymphoma, the cancer usually starts in a person’s abdomen, where it forms a large tumor. It can spread rapidly to the brain and spinal fluid. It is very rare, according to the ACS—making up just 1 to 2 percent of all lymphomas.
“Burkitt lymphoma is very aggressive,” says Jack Jacoub, M.D., a medical oncologist and medical director of MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif. “It can be lethal in a matter of weeks with no therapy.” Luckily, the ACS says that more than half of patients can be cured by “intensive chemotherapy.”
There’s no word on how much longer Abby’s treatment is expected to take, but for her specific type of cancer, treatment generally involves undergoing chemotherapy cycles for four to five months, Jacoub says. That can include chemotherapy injections into the spine as well as intravenous chemo.
Has Abby had any side effects from her cancer or chemotherapy?
Around the same time as her second surgery, Abby also started her third round of chemotherapy—and took a moment to say goodbye to her hair in an Instagram post, writing “HAIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW…” along with the hashtag #chemo.
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HAIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW… #abbyleemiller #dancemoms #aldc #aldcla #chemo
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Hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy, according to the ACS, and occurs when chemotherapy drugs damage the hair follicles. Sometimes hair only falls out on a person’s head, though hair loss can also happen in the pubic area, as well as on the arms, legs; eyebrows and eyelashes may be affected too.
Abby also had to be cautious in the sunlight due to her chemotherapy. “Going outside to feel the sun on my face was wonderful!!!” she wrote on Instagram in early June. “Kids, never take anything in this world for granted! It can all change so suddenly! The Brilliant Dr. B cleared me for sunning this afternoon! Woo Hoo! Thank you sir!”
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Going outside to feel the sun on my face was wonderful!!!Kids, never take anything in this world for granted! It can all change so suddenly! The Brilliant Dr. B cleared me for sunning this afternoon! Woo Hoo! Thank you sir! #abbylee #dancemoms #aldcla #ALDC
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Jacoub says people who undergo chemo can burn a lot easier and quicker than others. He adds that doctors usually advise patients not receive direct, prolonged sun exposure for several weeks after their last chemotherapy session. However, it’s probably okay to briefly grab a few rays here and there.
Here’s hoping Abby continues to feel like showing off her dance skills on Instagram!
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