What Wayne Carried Forward from PC-PEP

Ask Wayne Zimmermann what he remembers from six months with PC-PEP, and he brings up the daily videos. “I enjoyed the daily videos from the hosts,” he told me. He found them uplifting and encouraging, and he could see how much the hosts cared about the work.

Wayne, 67, facilitates the Us TOO Sheboygan Prostate Cancer Support group in Wisconsin. He has been on active surveillance since February 2024 for Grade Group 1 prostate cancer (Gleason 3+3). He was already involved in the LIVESTRONG program and felt he was making progress with his health. PC-PEP caught his interest because he wanted to learn exercises aimed specifically at prostate cancer.

PC-PEP, the Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program, is a six-month program people can follow from home. Each day brought Wayne an email with a video and guidance on exercise, diet, pelvic floor work, or mindfulness. Getting started was simple for him. He needed only a mat and stretch bands for the exercises.

He liked being able to choose what was useful. Because incontinence was not a concern for him, he set aside the pelvic floor exercises. The heart monitor used for mindfulness took more time than he had available, so he put his attention on other parts of the program. The prostate-focused exercise guidance was what he had come for, and he found it informative.

Wayne came away with a goal he is still working on. He could not fit in the suggested 30 minutes of daily cardio as often as he wanted. Now he is looking for a routine that brings cardio and strength work together. He knows which habit he wants to build next.

Wayne said he had already been working out through LIVESTRONG and felt he was improving his health and stamina. As time passed on active surveillance, he also became more accepting of his diagnosis. PC-PEP gave him the prostate-specific exercise information he wanted, along with those daily messages he enjoyed.

Wayne says the program takes a strong commitment and may be especially helpful for people in active treatment or living with more advanced prostate cancer. For someone feeling alone, the daily encouragement and chance to connect with others could be helpful.

Wayne wanted to pass along an important message to caregivers and partners: prostate cancer can affect how a man feels about himself. Sometimes what looks like a mood or an attitude does not show what is actually happening underneath.

As partners, we may not know what someone is going through unless we ask. “How has this been for you?” is a simple place to start. Then we can listen, even if his first answer is short.

I also want to thank the PC-PEP team for offering this program free to people with prostate cancer around the world. Along with the exercises Wayne came for, the program includes guidance on food, stress, relationships, and connecting with others. Wayne especially appreciated the hosts’ daily videos and the encouragement they brought.

Learn more about PC-PEP: https://pcpep.org/home/