Mind Visualization

My friend and I just took part in the Susan B. Komen - Race for The Cure. (October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.) Those positive words “race for the cure” was evident in the positive mood of the event. It seemed everyone was cheering us on.

Every small milestone we made was met with motivation from race staff members, cheers from the crowd and a lot of finishers! Yes, we were one of the last ones to get to the start line when most of the cheers came from finishers on their way back to their cars.

Truth be told, what really got us motivated was the police officers pointing at us and saying that we were the LAST TWO ladies. My friend, is a cancer survivor and had been doing the race for the last few years; and I, did not want to be the LAST TWO to finish.

That did it. We were not going to be last. We ran, whined, did what we had to do to get past the strollers and those people, oh twenty, thirty years our senior. (Okay, it was me who whined.)

The Choice

Being diagnosed with cancer can be an extremely tough time in a person’s life. Most people will be given the choice of undergoing chemotherapy in order to fight it as aggressively as possible. It is important for each patient to understand what all is involved in chemotherapy and have as much facts as possible to determine what course of action to take to fight the cancer.

My friend had taken the difficult road…

Sometimes you feel like you’re coming in last…

It is important to realize that not everyone is going to respond well to chemotherapy and there are some uncomfortable side-effects that are commonly associated with the treatment. Your mental health may suffer while you are undergoing chemotherapy as well. Here are some ways you can help ease the effects:

• Get some form of exercise each day.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Now is the time to let other’s help out with routine chores.
• Try to avoid stress.
• Share your feelings with family members and friends and don’t hold it in.
• Work with your doctor and apprise your doctor of any concerns you may have.
• Join a support group.
• Sometimes, speaking with a counselor that you don’t know can be beneficial as well.

Pamper as much of your five senses as possible. Some suggestions:

1. Hear: Listen to soothing music cds, meditation cds, prayer tapes, etc.
2. Sight: Take a walking in a park or visualize yourself there.
3. Touch: Laugh and stay positive with sit-coms, motivational books, etc.
4. Smell: Aromatherapy scents are convenient.
5. Taste: Eat a well-balanced diet and hydrate yourself.

Looks like we made it!

Millions of people each year are diagnosed with cancer, and chemotherapy has lead to many of them being able to fight it and live a normal life again. The medical field continues to seek out ways to make the side effects from chemotherapy less severe. Groups like the Susan B. Komen Foundation help to make that happen for persons afflicted with cancer.

It can be a long road with chemotherapy but the prospect of a normal, happy life can make it worth the difficulties you may need to endure. Remember that the odds seem to favor those individuals with positive mental attitudes.

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