Coping Tips/Things I Wish I Had Known
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Cancer Haiku
Things I wish I had known.....
That I am now free to do all those things I said I’d some day do.
That I now have a reason to re-create my self and my life in ways that I always dreamed
That I can now see every day of life as the gift that it truly is
That it is extremely helpful to talk to a positive
person who has been through what you are going through.
That reading too much or getting too much information can be
depressing. Someone who knows you well can screen what you read--articles,
books, and internet--
Nausea, constipation and diarrhea are REAL problems and need to
be dealt with quickly--These are much more debilitating than I'd realized.
That belonging to a good support group (ours) is a real joy--I
look forward to it every week.
That sending a group e-mail to friends and family is a good
was to elicit support--With a group message you conserve your energy and when
you send a group message you always get a few back and these can really cheer
you.
That it's OK to tell people you don't want to talk about your
cancer.
That it's OK not to tell everyone you encounter that you have
cancer.
... Before surgery
In the hospital after surgery I found it very helpful to listen to healing and relaxation tapes and cd's. It was a very tense time for me and the nurses and doctors were coming in all the time for tests, results etc. I hated the tv and all the disruptions, so the tapes were my solace. We can work on developing a list.
... Before chemotherapy
Get the over the counter (available at Bernie's on Lake
Otis - Elma or Emla cream - I'll check spelling) or a prescription cream to numb
the port area. Use it an hour before chemo and put a piece of saran wrap over it
to hold in the cream right up until they hook you up to the line (this hint came
from a nurse but not until after my second chemo...)
Items I always brought and found useful
- a microwavable "hot rocks" shoulder pad - it really helped me relax during the
chemo, especially as they were hooking me up. My husband or the nurses would
heat it up in the microwave. I had to get one that did not have any aromatherapy
in it because those odors bothered me. I bought a plain one at Alaska
Homecrafters in the mall on old seward near our Kaladi where we used to meet.
- my own clean soft small blanket for near my face and shoulders.
- light snacks such as crackers, dry cereal (I received this tip from a chemo
survivor - I never would have thought that I would have wanted to eat anything
during chemo but discovered that it did help me a bit and sounded better than I
would have realized).
- light reading
Healing Box
Friends and loved ones of those receiving chemotherapy may wish to create a "Healing Box" filled with small items of comfort, humor or relaxation. It is especially fun if each item is individually wrapped in bright vivid wrapping paper. You might also include an inspirational saying with each gift. We have found that a treat from the box can be opened whenever the person wants one! Here are some ideas for the box and a sample letter. Please let us know of other items or ideas.
Nipple Pain During Radiation
As I was going through radiation my nipple was very sensitive to anything touching it or rubbing against it. I tried to use some other items but nothing seemed to help. For some reason I thought of using a nursing pad to protect my nipple and this really helped with the sensitivity. After awhile I was able to quit using the nursing pad.
Skin
"Diprolene cream cured my fingertip cracking problem within a few days - it feels so much better to be typing today with fingers that do not hurt. Dr. Demain said it was a type of eczema (he said it can be induced by certain drugs). A friend who has psoriasis and some other type of eczema said that she uses this cream and it works really well."
Healing/Visualizations
"The tape I listen to is Sound Healing by Kelly Howell. I bought it years ago at one of the bookstores in town ... I felt this tape along with yoga helped rid me of that chronic pain. I also used it to help heal after a surgery. I found it available now on Amazon.com."
Guided Imagery for Self-Healing, by Martin L. Rossman, M.D.
Boundless Healing, Meditation Exercises to Enlighten the Mind and Heal the Body, Tulku Thondup.
Books Recommended by Group Members
My Healing Companion, by Beverly Kirkhart. "It is a wonderful book and journal to help process emotions and it has some fun nurturing activities in it for women (or anyone) who is facing cancer. She has a remarkable story, going through a divorce after 17 years, going through bankruptcy, losing her home, living in her can, and then being diagnosed with breast cancer. It is amazing what a person can go through and end up turning things around for good."
There's No Place Like Hope: A Guide to Beating Cancer in Mind-Sized Bites: A Book of Hope, Help, and Inspiration for Cancer Patients and Their Families, by Vickie Girard
How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine, by Dr. Michael Murray, Dr. Tim Birdsall, Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, and Dr. Paul Reilly
Nausea
Westmarine (Westmarine.com or store on Dimond) has a watch/wristband type electrical acupoint stimulator, the Explorer Reliefband (Model 3734019), that has helped some people quite a bit with nausea.
Acupuncture helps some people with nausea.