Lunk Alarm rings in the end of chemotherapy for Onset resident

When the “Lunk Alarm” sounds in a Planet Fitness, it is often meant to indicate someone is interfering with the maintenance of the well-known “judgment-free zone” the gym promotes.

However, when the alarm rang out at the Wareham gym on Cranberry Highway Tuesday, Feb. 27, no one was dropping weights, grunting, showcasing or judging — they were celebrating: Onset’s Mimi Secor, 69, had finally completed chemotherapy.

Staff and gym members gathered to congratulate Secor with hugs, high-fives and kind words.

A nurse practitioner and proponent of healthy living, Secor did her best to keep up with her workout routine while receiving treatment and the staff and other members noticed.

“Members and staff were extremely supportive,” she said. “Despite losing my hair and feeling self-conscious, everyone treated me with respect and encouraged me to be strong and hang in there.”

Planet Fitness employee Rylee Leonard said for months, Secor came to the gym with a smile on her face as she gave everyone updates on her remaining chemotherapy sessions, excitedly anticipating the end.

“I couldn't imagine going through what she went through and then still coming to the gym,” Leonard said. “I rarely come to the gym myself let alone going through what she's gone through.”

She added, “It's very, very inspiring to watch.”

Secor received her diagnosis in August 2023 after experiencing abnormal symptoms of urinary frequency over the course of four months. At the time, she spoke with her primary care doctor about having an ultrasound done. 

That’s when the tumor was discovered. 

Secor was diagnosed with fallopian cancer, which is rare, making up less than 1% of female cancers, she said.  

“I had never seen it in my 45 year career,” she added — nor did any of her colleagues. 

Despite the news, Secor said she considers herself lucky as most women do not have the same advantages she did that allowed her to get a diagnosis and treat her condition early.

Now, she has taken that luck to social media, where she has shared her cancer journey in hopes of providing the right information that can help save someone else.

“The biggest message for women if they're having problems, especially postmenopausal, is not to wait too long to get help — ask their primary care, see a specialist and just get it checked out,” Secor said.

“More than likely it's not severe, like cancer, but you don't know until you go through tests,” she added, emphasizing the importance of self advocacy.