Archive for the ‘Tips’ Category

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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Cancer Treatment Side Effects: How To Apply Make-Up During Chemo

April Capil created this Makeup Tutorial for Women going through Chemotherapy because, during her journey through April Capilbreast cancer, she “found it discouraging that so many of the women we see on television and in the media (like Celia in WEEDS, Lynette in DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, and Samantha in SEX AND THE CITY) are depicted as just having buzzed hair or bald heads. If you’ve had cancer and chemo, you know that’s NOT what you look like! Your hair thins, often not fallling completely out. You lose your eyebrows and eyelashes – often you don’t even recognize yourself when you look in the mirror!! It can be very discouraging and you don’t want to go out in public.

“It doesn’t have to be that way. With just a little effort, you can put your face together and feel more comfortable going out in public and not feeling like a freakshow. You just have to rediscover makeup again! Let this video be your inspiration, and check out other YouTube Channels like MichellePhan and MakeupGeek (women who are way, way more talented than me!).”

We LOVE the job she does here – how easy she makes it look to be beautiful!!! Thank you, April!

CLICK HERE FOR HER TUTORIAL.

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Posted in Cancer, Support, survivors, Tips, Women | No Comments »

Thursday, April 14, 2011

How To Ask for Help

If you’re like most of us, just the idea of asking for help can bring up anxiety. But sometimes in life, we’re overwhelmed How To Ask for Helpand simply cannot move forward without the kind assistance of others. This can be especially true if we find ourselves in a healing process, working our way through cancer treatment, chemo and radiation side effects, chronic severe eczema, and so on.

If asking for help is new for you, here are a couple of tips to help you out:

1. Get Clear. What is it that you really need… A ride to the doctor’s office? Someone to cook for you or just sit with you a couple of hours?

2. Be Direct. Forthrightly ask for what you need so that the other person can get a realistic picture of what’s involved.

3. Let Go of Rejection. If someone says, “no,” it has nothing to do with whether you are worthy of being helped. It simply means that they are not available and someone else is better suited to help you. Keep asking until you find the right support.

4. Relax and Enjoy. If someone is helping you, let go and enjoy the assistance. Really use it as a time to receive and focus on your healing.

5. Say, “Thank You.” Sometimes saying a simple, “thank you” is enough. Other times, you might feel drawn to send a note or gift of appreciation. It’ll depend on the situation and friends can help you decide if you’re not sure.

Just think how good you feel when you’re able to do something kind for another person. The people in your life will generally feel the same way, so don’t assume your request is a burden for them. You may actually be the brightest part of their day.

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Radiation Side Effects: How To Cope with Fatigue

Radiation Side Effects: FatigueFatigue is a common side effect of radiation therapy. While undergoing treatment, you may find that you are far more tired than usual and that you simply don’t have the energy to attend to the tasks of your day as you used to. This does not mean that the cancer is getting worse or that the treatments are not working. It could just be the fatigue that is a common side effect of getting radiation therapy.

Here are some tips to help you cope with fatigue if you’re experiencing it:

1. Let’s face it. You’re going to need more rest as your body undergoes treatment and tries to heal. So make it a priority to get at least eight hours of sleep a night. Whatever you usually do in those late hours before bed may not be as vital as your rest, so consider letting them go. Reading a book before bed can help tire your mind out so that you fall asleep more soundly. And if you are able, take short naps (about a half hour is generally good) during the day.

2. Believe it or not, most people coping with fatigue as a radiation therapy side effect find it helpful to exercise each day. A simple 15-30 minute walk or bike ride can make a big difference.

3. Ask for help when you need it. See if you can lessen your work schedule and go into the office part-time for a few weeks. Ask your loved ones for assistance.

4. Slow down, rather than give up. You might simply allow tasks to take you longer to complete, or you might find this approach works the best: Do a task, take a break, do another task, take a break.

5. Make yourself a priority. Honor your limits and do the things that are most important to you first so that you’re sure you have enough energy for them.

Fatigue caused by radiation therapy often clears up after treatment ends but some people find that it lingers for quite a while. So be gentle with yourself. If your fatigue isn’t helped by these tips, or if it is strong enough to cause you concern, talk to your nurse or doctor about it.

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Posted in Cancer, Tips | 3 Comments »

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Let Yourself Grieve

Grieving is a natural process and many of us don’t allow ourselves to do it enough. Because life is constantly changing, we are sunsetoften leaving behind people or circumstances that were once very important to us. If we have been diagnosed with an illness, we may need to grieve the life that came before. We may feel sad about losing a sense of invulnerability or easy peace of mind. We may have to change the way we relate with others. Our bodies might never be the same, or perhaps recovery will help us feel better than ever, but we may have to say goodbye to our old lifestyle and way of relating with our physical form.

The trouble with denying our grief or stuffing it down, is that it never has a chance to wash through us and leave us clear and open to new, positive experiences. You may need to cry, sleep more, mope around for a day or two, or just talk to friends about your loss. But consider your grief real and legitimate – no matter what the perceived loss is. Allowing yourself to be real about how it feels to let go will bring you greater support and an internal sense of comfort about whatever changes you have been going through.

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Monday, November 29, 2010

Getting a Second Opinion

If a diagnosis or treatment plan has you feeling afraid or stressed out, you may consider getting a second opinion. But how do you know you’re not just wasting your time? Generally, a diagnosis based on conclusive test results, such as a blood test for diabetes, will not warrant a second opinion. But any diagnosis based on tests that do not have clear or conclusive results could be open to interpretation by another expert.

Treatment recommendations can vary greatly from physician to physician, and so if you do not feel comfortable with the Second Opinionprotocol laid out by one doctor, consider visiting your options with a second one.

If you have decided to get a second opinion and know the physician you would like to see, here are a few tips:

1. In order to get a fully informed second opinion, you’ll want to be sure the new doctor gets all the same information your first doctor had. So, don’t leave it up to your first doctor’s office to handle the transfer of medical records, test results and doctor’s notes. See if you can hand deliver them yourself. If there is something that your first doctor’s office absolutely must transfer directly, stay on top of them to make sure it gets done. Ideally, you’ll want all of your paperwork to arrive at the second doctor’s office at least a few days in advance of your appointment so it can be reviewed beforehand.

2. Remember to check with your insurance company to be sure the second opinion doctor will be covered under your plan. And if he or she is a specialist, it may require a referral from your current physician.

If the second doctor is not covered, you’ll need to decide if you want to pay for the visit out of pocket. If you choose to pay out of pocket, be aware that the second doctor may want to arrange additional tests and these may also not be covered.

3. After you’ve heard both doctors’ diagnoses and treatment recommendations, try not to give more weight to the doctor who gives you better news or is more personable. You’ll want to take some time to review all the information from both physicians, speak with your family (if appropriate) and consider what feels right for you.

Don’t hesitate to let both doctors know what the other one had to say. If their assessments differed, you may want to ask them to explain their position. This could give you critical information you might not have had otherwise.

4. If the doctors’ assessments were radically different, you may want to go for a third opinion and see which diagnosis and protocol has the most support.

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Thursday, November 11, 2010

Let Other People Carry Their Own Burdens

Most of us don’t realize how much we are carrying for other people. We want our friends and family to feel good, and so we do Baggageeverything in our power to make their lives easier. We try to help them feel positive about themselves and encourage them to get their needs met. But if we’re trying to get healthy again, the last thing we can worry about is taking care of other people. It’s up to our loved ones to carry their own burdens and make their own lives better. And sometimes, letting others do that for themselves is the most loving thing we can do – for everyone.

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Letting the Light In

If we’ve just gotten a diagnosis about our health that scares us, we may feel like our world has gone dark. We may be unable to see past our present situation and remember that life truly does go on. And while there’s no guarantee about what the future holds, allowing the spark of hope to enter our hearts will make us much more available for the love and grace that await.

If you find it difficult or scary to entertain hope, here are a few ideas to help:

1. Consider the Possibilities. Just because you are afraid does not mean that you’re headed on a track towards the worst Hope after cancer diagnosispossible outcome. Rather than miring yourself in negative projections, try opening up to the many possibilities that lay before you.

2. Focus on relationships. While everyone needs some alone time, isolating is a sure path down a slippery slope. Spend time with people who accept and love you the way you are. Share meals with friends and family. The more you can feel connected with others, the more naturally hopeful and positive you will become.

3. Choose to Feel. If you try to repress or ignore your emotions, they get stuck and eventually shut you down or cause you to lash out unfairly at others. If you can instead feel whatever comes up (e.g., fear, sadness, confusion, anger, jealousy) when it arises, you’ll remain much clearer to see the goodness in your life.

4. Trust Yourself. Believe in your own resourcefulness and creativity to handle whatever comes your way. This will help lift anxieties about the future and give you confidence in your ability to turn things around.

5. Make a plan. Find out all the information you need and start setting up a plan. It’s much easier to relax and feel hopeful when the most pressing or nerve-wracking decisions have already been dealt with.

6. Accept What Is. And sometimes what is, is difficult. Hope isn’t about avoiding what’s real. It’s about knowing that good is still possible, no matter what things look like at the moment.

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Thursday, October 7, 2010

Go with Your Gut

If you’re trying to make a decision, trust yourself. Take a moment. Close your eyes. How do the options feel in your body? You might notice that Intuitionyour stomach gets tight or anxious. Perhaps you feel warm and relaxed. If you’re having trouble getting a clear read, you may just need more information on the matter. Find out more details, then try again. As a practice, start asking your body to inform you of what’s best for you before you look outward and ask a friend for advice. You might be surprised at how much you actually do know, and at how reliable of an internal navigation system you already have.

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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Look for the Opportunities

We can’t go back and change all that has happened to bring us to where we are today. But we can take an honest look at where we sunrisefind ourselves now, and begin taking every possible gift and blessing that is available to us. No matter what our health challenges may be, there are opportunities here and now for us to create a better life for ourselves in terms of deepening our relationships with ourselves, with our spiritual support (if we have it), and with others. There are possibilities for changing the way we look at and interact with our bodies. We may find new paths appearing for our career, our lifestyle or our creative endeavors.

While you are facing the day-to-day realities of living and healing your body, keep an eye out for new opportunities. You may find more goodness than you ever would have imagined.

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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Navigating Depression

If we’re facing a life-changing illness, or our physical challenges have lasted a long time, we might find ourselves in a depressed womandepressed state where just getting out of bed in the morning takes heroic effort. Battling depression like this can make it extra difficult to do for ourselves what is necessary to keep us healing and moving forward. So, while we may want to consider getting professional support, we are going to have to dig deep and find some inner resources as well. Here are a few quick tips that can help:

1. Start small. You already know what’s good for you: exercise, reducing stress, eating well, drinking lots of water, etc. But right now, just the mere idea of tackling all of these might be overwhelming. So just start with something you can manage. Begin with a walk around the block. Or skip soda for today. Add more as you are able. If you feel that healthy living is all or nothing, then chances are you’ll never get around to any of it; and in order to feel better, you do have to take good care of your self.

2. Stay social. It’s easy to want to isolate ourselves when we feel miserable, but doing so only makes us more vulnerable to getting pulled down deeper. Ask a friend or family member to keep you company one night a week for a few weeks, or at least make a standing phone date with them. Invite your sister over to help you cook dinner. Ask the neighbor to join you for a movie. It may be the last thing you feel like doing, but maintaining these social connections is vital to recovery.

3. Don’t take it personally. You already have enough on your plate without adding self-recrimination to the mix. Remember that this is an experience in your life, it is not the sum total of who you are. At some point, believe it or not, you will feel better, and this can happen more quickly if you’re able to be patient and kind with yourself.

4. Look into your heart. When you can see clearly the people and things that matter most to you, they will become a source of energy to help you get through this.

5. Share your feelings. Even if it means talking about the fact that right now you are not feeling anything and that’s the whole problem. Make sure to share your feelings with someone you trust, either a professional or someone who you know can hold space for your emotions without running scared. This will help energy to move out of your system, while building your feeling of connection with others.

6. Ask for help. If you suspect your experience may be more than you can handle, reach out for assistance from professionals and support groups in your area. Although it might feel like you’re the only one in the world going through this, you aren’t. There are so many people who have been exactly where you are, and there is a world of resources available if you reach out your hand.

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