Cancer is a diagnosis that no one wants to hear, be they young or old. At first, when you hear the words, you melt into a state of depression. That does not have to be so. Here is a primer on how to survive that diagnosis.
You have to have faith in a higher power. You need to believe that someone higher than you is in control. No matter your faith denomination, you have to rely on that power. Prayer for Christians is a big help in surviving the diagnosis.
You have to have a support group. This can be family or even an outside group. Find a cancer support group. You will be surprised that the members are not morose, but a happy group of individuals that are dealing with cancer.
Eat healthy. You might have a dreaded disease, but eating healthy and taking care of yourself, can help you survive longer.
Find a doctor that you feel comfortable with. You need to understand that the Doctor is there to help you, maybe not cure the cancer, but to prolong your life.
After you find the trusted Doctor, be sure and do as directed. So many people quit taking medicine, etc., to their own desires rather than Doctor’s orders.
Keep your spirits up. Smile in the mirror when you get up in the morning and give thanks that you have another day. Make the most of it.
Do something good for someone. It could be a phone call to check on a shut in, or a good word to a relative. It will make you feel spectacular to be giving.
If someone wants to do some shopping or cleaning for you, accept their help, even though you might not need it at the moment. People want to help, so let them and accept it graciously.
I have had to learn these facts, since my diagnosis. I now have a granddaughter that cleans for me. She might not do the job that I like, but I accept it. I have a man who works in my garden, when gardening was my favorite past time. I had to learn to accept help.
I was healthy and now go to treatment every week, and I had to learn to accept that.
I have become more spiritual in my dealings with my God. I joined a cancer support group and I let my family in on any treatments, etc., that I am dealing with. I have had to get support, when I was the one always giving it.
I trust my Doctor and am obedient to her instructions, even though sometimes I feel that I would do it differently. She has the knowledge, and once again, I trust in the Lord.
I smile in the mirror every morning. I see my bald head, and bare eyebrows and eyelashes, and that gives me reason to cry, but I laugh at myself instead. Without hair, you can really tell who you favor in your family tree.
I belong to a prayer line, where I get to pray for others. I knit caps for my fellow cancer patients. I crochet to keep my fingers from getting the neuropathy that my feet now have. I call other shut ins to put a smile on their face. Helping others in a small way can add pleasure to your days.
Surviving that cancer diagnosis takes some work, but it is worth it, when you can find the good things around you and not dwell on the bad.
