Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth,
Speak peace to my anxious soul,
And help me to feel that all my ways
Are under Thy wise control;
That He who cares for the lily,
And heeds the sparrows' fall,
Shall tenderly lead His loving child:
For He made and loveth all.
ANON.
Would I have radiation again? Not if I can help it. I take quite a bit of comfort in the fact that I most likely won't have it again. They usually don't give you radiation twice in a row due to the severity of the treatment on your body. Amen.
No matter if one has chemotherapy or radiation, coping with our illness can take an effect on our daily life. Here are some tips for coping.
1. Communicate with your partner, your doctor or family members on how you are feeling. It's okay to have a good cry or feel down emotionally. Remember, this is a lot to take in for anyone, especially when we are bombarded with so many things at once. We are not familiar with medical terms or even what to do in such a situation. This is all new to both yourself and your loved ones. So talk to one another openly and without any fear of repercussions.
2. Be patient with yourself. Your body is going through something very traumatic and it will not be acting in it's usual way. You have to know your limitations and learn to accept them. Your body needs to heal and that takes time. It might be a while before your able to respond in your usual manner. The same goes for your mental health. You will be experiencing an emotional roller coaster ride. Remember what I said earlier, it's okay to have a good cry. We all need to wash our eyes out once in a while.
3. Seek support. I can remember a woman I met while at radiation. She was so distraught and overcome by all that has happened to her, she just burst out crying when I just said hello to her. She once decided to go to a support group, but ended up not going in. Why? No one in there looked like her. Instead, she kept it all inside of her until finally one day we met. If you don't seek some sort of outlet, you will explode. If you don't feel comfortable going to a group, seek another outlet like a hobby or volunteering.
4. Nurture hope. Never give up your cancer battle. Never. We do have to come to terms with dying, but that does not mean we give up living. We can have bad days where we feel down, moody and weepy, but that doesn't mean we gave up. We all should be ready for Heaven, whether we have cancer or not. Faith is very important and Jesus is always ready.
5. Exercise. Now, by exercise I'm not talking about doing aerobics or 100 knee bends. I'm talking about moving around by taking a walk around the block or light yoga. Anything that involves a relaxed movement. If you had surgery, you should ask your doctor first if it's okay or when you can. If you were in a hospital, the nurses encourage you to walk or get out of bed. I started out slowly by going up/down a small flight of stairs. I took my time and would always rest afterwards. Then when I felt up to it, I'd walk outside to the mailbox or to the corner store. This is more for your mental health than the physical. You will need to get out of the house. If you have somewhere to go, you will make an effort to get dressed, put on makeup etc., anything to prevent a little depression. Fell the sun on your face or take in some fresh air.
Well, I hope this helps someone you know or perhaps your the one going through treatment. Remember, I'm only an e-mail away. You can always reach me at wladyslawakrol@yahoo.com, here or on Facebook.
Have a Blessed day everyone.
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