Being Delt a Streamer

Good Morning Cancer Survivors

As a cancer survivor I can't help wonder if there are more cases of cancer being diagnosed because cancer is everywhere or has it always been with us and with the medical advances being made, earlier recognition and diagnoses are being achieved. The good news is there are more cancer patients surving cancer than ever before resulting from earlier diagnoses as well as the advances being made in cancer treatment.

However, as a former military pilot friend of mine once said, " Your personal battle with cancer is like jumping out of an airplane with a parachute that doesn't open, it's a streamer.... you now have the rest of your life to figure it out." Every cancer patient's battle with cancer is a personal battle with an enemy that is working 24 hours every day to defeat you. Your cancer treatment team is playing offense doing everything it knows to do to defeat your cancer. You now have to help by playing defense to help the offense win. But how you may ask? Focus on staying healthy during treatment and providing the nutritional, physical and mental requirements your body needs to endure treatment. This is the worst battle of your life and for your life. Your immune system is being attacked by the treatment that kills not only cancer cells in your body but good cells as well. You have to help your body rebuild and recover from the treatment by putting more protein in your diet and adding much more anti-oxidant rich foods to your diet to help it fight the cancer. Your calorie intake needs to be calories that will nurish your body by helping your immune system stay strong and help rebuild the damaged good body cells. Every cancer treatment center has diaticians that can help you develop a strong nurishment meal plan, and don't be affraid to add the vitamins you need ( multi-vitamin, vitamin A, B complex, C, D, E, and CoQ10. Everyday should include some level of exercise whether it be walking, use of a treadmill, weight lifting, swimming or other exercise. Don't over do it. There is data to indicate cancer patients that exercise while in treatment do better in treatment. I believe it helped me and it took my mind off of the physical pain treatment caused me. Mentally, you need to stay engaged with your life, your work and the things that are important to you. Your not sick you just have cancer. The treatment will make you sick, so by staying engaged mentally, it helps you not dwell on the the cancer. Get an attitude about your cancer and about winning your fight with cancer. It will help you stay motivated on the journey.