6 Ways To Prepare For Your Fight Against Cancer

Facing cancer isn't something that can be described with words or understood by others who have not personally dealt with it; however, much wisdom has been garnered over time, and that information should help you prepare for what you are now dealing with. Though most don't know exactly how you're feeling, they want to understand and to help.

Here are six ways to get ready for your cancer treatment and still keep some resemblance of normalcy in your life.

1. Ask A Lot Of Questions

Knowing what's going to happen to you will make undergoing treatment much more bearable, so fire away with all the questions running through your mind. How will your energy and appetite be affected by treatment, for example, and can you expect major life complications from any medicines you'll be given. How long do treatment sessions last, and can you bring a friend and cup of coffee along?

Write down questions as you think of them and contact the office of your oncologist to ask your questions before your appointment so that you'll know what to expect and how to be ready for it.

2. Prepare Your Body

Eating well will help you to keep up your energy, but it may also be important for you to avoid ordinary toxins most people don't even think about in their daily lives. Lotions, shampoos, cosmetics, and even toothpaste may contain ingredients your body shouldn't be exposed to at this time, and staying away from them may also improve how you feel and respond to treatment. Look for organics as much as possible, from the foods you eat to all products applied to your body.

3. Make Changes Around Your Home

While going through treatment, you probably won't want to face the laundry every couple of days or fight with the vacuum cleaner, and while you may not want to ask people for help, it's important that you get it at this time. Prepare your home in such a way as to minimize the work you have to do, at least temporarily. Whether that means hiring help, seeking it from friends and family, or simply leaving the chores to pile up, do what's best for your mind and body during treatment.

4. Evaluate Your Finances

Cancer treatment may leave you unable to work for a while or incapable of keeping up your usual pace. Although this issue is hard to face, doing so enables you to make the accommodations that can help you get through. Consider how will your insurance be affected and how great an impact will lost wages have on your household. Look into this now and try to put something together that works with your whole treatment plan. You don't want to be too stressed out later, and you certainly don't want to compromise on your long-term wellness plan.

Consider the different ways you might save or make money, such as selling items you rarely use or closing off parts of your home that will be of no use to you while you go through treatments. You'll have less to clean and lower utility bills, without making major sacrifices. Whatever your plan is going to be, make it up now, so you don't have to worry about it later.

5. Limit Your Online Investigations

While it's perfectly normal that you want to conduct as much research about your condition and treatment as you can, be careful with your online investigations. Know that sadly, there are people with nefarious intentions who promote "cures" and "remedies" purely for profit. Also, even when you discover legitimate information, it may not apply to your individual circumstances; thus, your hopes may rise and fall precariously without the careful guidance of a qualified oncologist.

6. Seek Out Support From Other Cancer Patients

You could read one hundred books on cancer and watch every documentary about it, but you're still not going to learn as much as you would by talking to one person who has gone through it. That voice of understanding explains things and helps you prepare for them like no educational material is capable of. Look online for cancer forums, where you can anonymously pour your heart out and pose endless inquiries or ask your doctors about in-person support groups, if that's more your style. Either way, the friends you'll make and the lessons learned will be invaluable to you, moving forward.

Don't forget that your attitude and the fight inside of you can have a major influence on your success against cancer. Prepare your environment, the people you know and most of all, yourself, for what lies ahead. While each patient responds to the challenges differently, the more control and support you have in your life, the better off you'll be. For more information, contact an oncology center, such as Southwest Oncology Centers.


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