BC

Thank you for your interest in the Bladder Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (BC-PEP). This program is free for anyone who has had a Bladder Cancer diagnosis thanks to a sponsorship from Pfizer. To enroll in this free program, please email Rob.Rutledge@nshealth.ca   

Learn more about the program by clicking on the home page above, reading the rest of this webpage, and watching this 9-minute overview video:

Here are the steps to signing up: 

1. 1. Email Rob.Rutledge@nshealth.ca with your name and let him know you have been given an bladder cancer diagnosis (any stage, at any time). 
   2. You will receive an email with a link to a Quality of Life survey – you must complete it first before starting the program.
   3. Next you will be sent an introductory email with six educational videos. Watch the videos early on.
   4. You will have the option of calling two “Buddies” once a week and joining our monthly zoom meetings (also optional)
   5. You will receive an email every day for six months starting on a Sunday of your choice. You will also be asked to fill in an optional weekly compliance survey.
   6. Optional: Buy some elastic exercise bands ($15-20) or use soup cans to do the strength training with us. You can also follow our yoga videos.
   7. At the end of the six-month program you will be asked to fill in a final survey.

How will your personal and health information be used?

The Bladder Cancer Patient Empowerment Program, organized by Spirit PEP Inc, is designed to empower people who were diagnosed with bladder cancer of any stage at any time. We collect personal information for two main purposes:

1. 1. PEP Partner Matching: If you choose to have two PEP Partners (co-participants for weekly calls), we aim to pair you with individuals of similar age, cancer stage and treatment to enhance the support network.
   2. Program Evaluation: To assess the program’s effectiveness, we will compare your responses in the pre-program Quality of Life survey with those you provide after completing the six-month program. Your and 49 other participants’ feedback is crucial for improving BC-PEP.

Your data will be securely stored and your personal details will not be disclosed to external parties, including your Doctors. We will compile and analyze information from all participants in a manner that ensures individual confidentiality. The aggregated results may be shared with physicians and/or presented at conferences to inform and improve future endometrial cancer support initiatives.

By participating and completing the Quality of Life survey, you consent to our use of your personal and health information as outlined above.

Before signing up, please review the following:

• • The Medical Waiver: Read and provide your consent to our medical waiver, acknowledging the risks and your understanding of the program’s physical demands.

• • Confirm Exercise Approval: Verify that you have permission to engage in both aerobic exercise and strength training, or yoga. This can be through a medical professional’s advice – or you can attest to your fitness to exercise safely.

• • Consent to Privacy and Terms: Accept our confidentiality Privacy Policy and Terms of Service Agreement, ensuring you are informed about how we handle your personal information and the legal agreements governing your participation.

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Get approval to exercise or Attest yourself

Before you start the program, you must be deemed safe to do aerobic and strength training exercise or attest yourself. Aerobic Exercise includes walking at a moderate rate and many other activities which raise your heart rate and gets you to breathe harder. You can start the program even if you can only do a few minutes of aerobic exercise every day. However you must be deemed safe to undergo the exercise component of the program – or you can attest to your own safety to exercise.

Safety to do Strength Training or Yoga

In the strength training videos we include a modified version of most of the exercises to make them easier and safer (see picture below). Gabriela appears in the top left corner of the video doing the easier version. For example for the ‘Bird Dog’ exercise below she uses a chair so she doesn’t need to get down on the floor. Or you can do the Yoga exercises just sitting in a chair.