Cancer

I Just Need to Lose Weight! – Updated Cancer Exercise Guidelines, and more.

I Just Need to Lose Weight! – Updated Cancer Exercise Guidelines, and more.

Dear Fellow Traveler,

As we are heading into the holiday season, many of my patients are dreading the temptation of being surrounded by lots of food (cookies!) and the resulting weight gain.  When concerned about health outcomes, weight is an easy culprit – blame it on the weight!  Recently while discussing new health issues, one of my patients told me — surprisingly calmly considering this has been a priority for this patient for years already —  “I just need to lose weight”. I sensed the defeat and helplessness.

Weight is a topic that is central in many people’s lives. It can be viewed statically (as the number on our scale, our perception of our weight) or dynamically (losing weight or gaining weight too fast and/or unintentionally). Weight is associated with many negative feelings, such as defeat, helplessness, shame, guilt, frustration, embarrassment, judgment, sadness, and stress. These feelings can contribute to unhealthy eating patterns and the vicious cycle of emotional/stress eating, or even yo-yo dieting. Almost every patient asks me about their weight. What can they do to get it and keep it down? What should their weight goal and speed of weight loss be? Which weight loss methods are the best?

The misconception often goes that if one is more disciplined, one will have better weight control. But weight control cannot be simply reduced to only two factors, food intake and energy expenditure. There are many unknowns about which factors control and stabilize one’s weight. This makes it hard to determine the best interventions for losing weight. Many different homeostasis models have been proposed by the scientific community, such as the set-point theory. Beyond that, in regard to  improving cancer outcomes, we do not yet fully understand which factors matter most – e.g. weight in normal range, weight loss, physical fitness, redistribution of fat deposits.

There is not a magic solution. There are many resources out there to guide weight loss, most of which manipulate what/when you eat and how active you are, but most have not been studied or compared with robust scientific methods. Everyone has to find the approach that fits with their belief system, personality, and lifestyle. Here are a few general pointers that you may find helpful:

  • Any change is hard. Start low and go slow. This will allow you to solidly integrate a new habit it in your life.
  • Multiple small interventions may be more sustainable and wholesome than a one-prong approach. E.g. Swap out your current breakfast for oatmeal or call your friend while walking around the block.
  • Rather than pursuing diets that omit certain food groups or ask you to fast for a prolonged period of time, it may help to pursue a diet as nature intended: a wholesome, plant-enriched diet of moderation and variety, while minimizing processed foods.
  • Please allow yourself a treat every now and then since eating also allows you to socialize and enjoy life.

If ever the cancer should recur, then I hope you will not blame yourself, since there are more factors associated with cancer outcomes than lifestyle. You can only do your best with the resources and the physical/emotional abilities available to you, and you likely will fall off the wagon once or even several times along the journey. The point is that you keep trying in ways that fit where you are in life!

Thank you for visiting me. Below I’ve included a few things to educate and entertain you. Remember, I share ‘extra treats’ if you follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest! Plus, you can get notified of a new posting by subscribing to our newsletter!

Learn and Think:

  • A near decade-old guideline update has been released, issued jointly by the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Cancer Society and 15 other international organizations, with new advice about physical activity for cancer survivors. More precise and practical details are still needed from future studies, however. As always – any exercise is better than nothing!

Live and Feel:

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Finding the New You After a Cancer Diagnosis – Cleveland Clinic Healthy Now Survey, Reading Suggestions, Tom Hanks, Virtual Travel ideas, Cancer Whisperer!

Finding the New You After a Cancer Diagnosis – Cleveland Clinic Healthy Now Survey, Reading Suggestions, Tom Hanks, Virtual Travel ideas, Cancer Whisperer!

Dear Fellow Traveler!

There is growing evidence for the notion that cancer therapies may age our bodies prematurely, as nicely outlined in this article by a geriatric oncology pioneer who sadly died at a too-young age due to a car accident. This week, while doing some self-reflection and talking with other cancer survivors, I wondered if cancer can also stress/strain/accelerate one’s emotional development. When I researched, I found out that might indeed explain a lot about the identity crisis cancer survivors often find themselves in at some point along their journey. Let me try to explain.

Per the psychosocial developmental stages of life, as described by Erikson, deeply reflecting upon one’s life usually does not take place until one hits age 60+. But many cancer survivors find themselves torpedoed forwards into this reflective life stage as they wonder what they have accomplished and what their legacies will be if they should die prematurely. (This is a very normal reaction as long as it does not overtake you, in which case, please talk with your loved ones and health care providers). Per Erikson, humans continue to mature from birth through the end of their lives, striving for their own unique balance in overcoming particular life-stage specific conflicts:

  • Stage 1:
    • Period: Infancy
    • Conflict: Trust vs. Mistrust
    • Goal: Sense of security, safety, reliability
  • Stage 2:
    • Period: Early childhood
    • Conflict: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
    • Goal: Independence, autonomy
  • Stage 3:
    • Period: Preschool
    • Conflict: Initiative vs. Guilt
    • Goal: Purpose
  • Stage 4:
    • Period: School Age
    • Conflict: Industry vs. Inferiority
    • Goal: Competence
  • Stage 5:
    • Period: Adolescence
    • Conflict: Identity vs. Role Confusion
    • Goal: Personal identity
  • Stage 6:
    • Period: Young Adulthood
    • Conflict: Intimacy vs. Isolation
    • Goal: Development of strong and lasting relationships
  • Stage 7:
    • Period: Middle Adulthood
    • Conflict: Generativity vs. Stagnation
    • Goal: Accomplishments like raising a family, succeeding at work, and volunteering in the community
  • Stage 8:
    • Period: Maturity
    • Conflict: Ego Integrity vs. Despair
    • Goal: Wisdom and satisfaction

These stages are arbitrary (in terms of the age they start/end) and fluid. When challenged by an external stressor like cancer, previously-acquired coping skills may not suffice anymore. The experiences you have had in your life will determine how overwhelming (or even traumatizing) a cancer diagnosis may become — and if it will be an opportunity for emotional growth or a trigger for emotional stress or despair. You may need to go back and forth between stages to refine or rework your coping skills. 

After this long introduction the big question is, how can you find the “new you” or relief for your “identity crisis”? A lot has been written about this. But in the end, everyone has to make their own peace with their own unique life story, which may take time. A key aspect of working towards finding the new you is the refinement of priorities and coping styles. This sometimes may include processing past hurt with help from a talk therapist. But here are a few general pointers that you may find helpful:

  • Are you doing something because you think you need it (e.g. to fit in with societal expectations) or because you want it? Be true to yourself – dare to be authentic!
  • To prevent loneliness, surround yourself with people who accept you for who you are and are not afraid to join you on your cancer journey. If friends like this are hard to find nearby, you may find comfort in online friendships. 
  • Set a meaningful, fulfilling creative or altruistic goal and stick to it. Quality matters more than quantity – in particular when you have functional impairments – “if you cannot run, walk”!
  • It’s never too late to start a new venture! See this man who after retirement felt “he was waiting for his obituary” – and started his own business at an older age to “get his blood flowing”!
  • Allow yourself to be spontaneous, laugh, and make memories.
  • Recognize that your actions impact others through the ripple effect (legacy!). Work to make that impact authentic, respectful, and memorable.
  • Become comfortable with change. It’s the only constant in life.
  • It’s easy to be self-critical. When reflecting on your life, recognize that you did the best you could with the knowledge, wisdom, and resources you had. 

Remember, we are all works in progress!!!

Thank you for visiting me. Below I’ve included a few things to educate and entertain you. Remember, I share ‘extra treats’ if you follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest! Plus, you can get notified of a new posting by subscribing to our newsletter!

Learn and Think:

Live and Feel:

Please help by nudging us if you encounter technical problems.

You Cannot Always Win – Cancer Survivorship Apps, The Biggest Little Farm

You Cannot Always Win – Cancer Survivorship Apps, The Biggest Little Farm

Dear Fellow Traveler,

Sometimes my life feels a bit complicated, like a chess game in which I’m always trying to anticipate and strategize. I guess everyone’s life is like this, but dealing with a chronic health issue adds another layer of complexity. If your health causes you to have less energy at the beginning of your day, if that energy is drained faster because your body is less fit and if you have extra tasks to take care of your health (e.g. doctor’s appointments, medical tests, paperwork for e.g. leave/disability/accommodations), life can become overwhelming. At times it may even feel like you’ve been checkmated!

Most of us try everything we can to control our quantity of life to the degree that quality of life may suffer. For instance, many things we do because we think they’re healthy may turn out to have downsides (e.g. vitamin intake may be associated with lesser survival,  calcium pill intake may be associated with heart disease and Zantac may contain a carcinogen). Please note that all of these observations do not imply cause/effect, but reflect associations requiring further investigation. 

It can sometimes feel like you can’t win. You take two steps forward and one back, or one step forward and two back. It may help to remember that life is a marathon, not a sprint. When you find yourself spinning your wheels without clear purpose, stop and breath. Be kind to yourself. Rest, sleep, watch a movie, anything to allow your brain and body to rest and gain a new perspective. We’re not the only ones who have a hard time making sense of life. Even though we live in the 21st century, the medical community still has a lot to learn about our bodies, this ‘black box’ in which many systems are closely balanced and interrelated.

The internal tension you may feel forcing you to ‘fight for your survival’ after you have faced a traumatizing diagnosis like cancer is (in most cases) a normal and healthy response. You may need to find ways to distract from your own thoughts and feelings and navigate your internal energy outwards into more productive channels. I have listed a few examples to get you inspired! Please note that I intentionally did not list exercise, sleep, and diet, since they can become more a source of stress than relief in cancer survivors. Also, I did not list much about relaxation techniques (e.g. yoga, meditation), because when you have so much inner energy boiled up, it may be quite difficult to relax. First try blowing off some steam by actively doing any of the following:

  • Invest time each week in creating a calendar that visually outlines your schedule. This may allow you to recognize conflicts and/or reorganize days that may prove to be rather hectic. Break tasks down into smaller steps and rank them by priority — in terms of what you need as well as what you want! Perhaps ask a loved one to help you plan your calendar so you can identify opportunities for them to support you or join you in social activities that you can both look forward to and enjoy. (Feel free – or better yet – I challenge you to make plans to spend a few hours together doing nothing!) 
  • Absorb nature (even if you only sit) and allow all your senses to be stimulated. It can be a calming and humbling experience! 
  • Distract yourself by getting a new hobby. (What were your favorite activities to lose yourself in when you were younger?) 
  • Express your thoughts and feelings to yourself (e.g. by writing them down or typing them into your phone) or to others. Sometimes it may feel safer to express your worries to people you don’t love (such as a healthcare provider) since you may not want to hurt your loved ones with your worst thoughts/feelings. 

Control is an illusion. Please allow yourself to accept the things that you cannot change, since fighting them only makes your life harder. Life is not only about the destination, but also about the journey. Please be kind to you along the way by acknowledging that no matter how hard you try, you cannot always win! 

Thank you for visiting me. Below I’ve included a few things to educate and entertain you. Remember, I share ‘extra treats’ if you follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest! Plus, you can get notified of a new posting by subscribing to our newsletter!

Learn and Think:

  • A review of publicly available apps for cancer survivors.

Live and Feel:

  • A fascinating movie (The Biggest Little Farm) tells the true story of a young couple who left Los Angeles to successfully start a farm for a barking rescue dog whom they had promised would never change families again. Enjoy going back to nature while you watch this!

Please help by nudging us if you encounter technical problems.

Crooked Body – Menopausal Symptoms, Olivia Newton-John, and the Atlantic Festival

Crooked Body – Menopausal Symptoms, Olivia Newton-John, and the Atlantic Festival

Dear Fellow Traveler,

How has your week been? My highlight of the week is that I did something that I had promised myself I would never do. I gave in to a minimal and natural amount of highlighting to camouflage my more than average amount of gray hairs…and to my surprise, it boosted my feeling about myself more than I had anticipated! I even purchased a few hair accessories which helped me to feel human and feminine. 

Sometimes our health struggles can make us feel less attractive or desirable.  In fact, sometimes I feel crooked! Crooked, because I feel that my body must be broken since it developed cancer to begin with and then was further damaged by therapies. It may seem that cancer is the gift that keeps on giving in terms of nature and frequency — even though it may be hard to tell whether your medical issues developed due to your genes, environmental exposure, cancer treatments, etc. You may feel like your list of medical issues is never ending and continues to grow with late- and long-term effects. You’re probably tired of constantly going for testing and seeing doctors. (If you’re like me, your health care team has grown drastically.) Do you find yourself wondering when this will slow down, stop, or just normalize?

Some of you may be more like Tigger, trying to be proactive and on top of your health, while others may prefer to be more like Eeyore, forced to react when things hit him in the face. (Ignorance is bliss.) Both perspectives and anything in between are what make all of us different, unique, and human. As with everything in life though, it’s best to pursue moderation and avoid being on the extreme end of the spectrum which may lead to paralysis from anxiety or procrastination.

You’re only human. We all find our own illusionary balance in managing our medical issues. What works today, this week, or this month, may not work forever.  The trick is to keep an eye on the big picture by remembering that you don’t live to go to the doctor, you go to the doctor to live! Your health may control many aspects of your life and at times may try (and succeed) in making your mind become your own worst enemy. Illness can bring you to a dark place of anger, sadness, and frustration. In that case I hope you will be open to getting professional help (yes, adding another provider) to help you grow through the rough spot to arrive at a better space where there is room for little joys, new memories, and the pursuit of meaningful activities, regardless of how small your world has become due to your health and the amount and severity of medical issues you are juggling. It’s the little things that matter and can bring a gorgeous smile on your loved one’s faces that will brighten your mind and warm your heart!

This balance will allow you to be more resilient when life throws yet another inevitable curveball! And remember that the opposite holds true. The darkness and rain allow you to be more appreciative and grateful of the sunny periods in your life. The good and bad go hand-in-hand, keeping us in line and life in perspective.

You may feel guilty that you are complaining while you should be grateful for being alive, but the cancer journey can be complicated and overwhelming. It may help if you make it simpler by breaking it down into smaller steps, asking your health care team members to prioritize your appointments and testing, and asking loved ones to help you schedule your appointments, as well as drive and accompany you so you can have some distraction while there. Perhaps you can combine a doctor’s visit with doing something that touches your soul or makes you smile, no matter how small! 

Thank you for visiting me. Below I’ve included a few things to educate and entertain you. Remember, I share ‘extra treats’ if you follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest! 

Learn and Think:

This week, since we are about to head into Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I would like to recommend a few resources that might help the women amongst us. (Sorry, men. However, parts of these books may be helpful to you who have women in your lives.) 

Live and Feel:

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Guilt – Reflective Lectures

Guilt – Reflective Lectures

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Dear Neighbor!

I have had a conversation with different people about the same topic, guilt, a few times this week. I always wonder why that happens Did I steer the conversation in that direction because it’s on my mind? Was it a coincidence? Anyhow, I thought I might try to write about guilt. I hope it may help you.

Feeling guilty is often associated with a feeling of shame or regret. It’s not easy to try to make sense of the whirlwind of feelings and thoughts that you may have when you have survived or are living with cancer:

  • Could I have noticed symptoms earlier or gone to the doctor sooner?
  • Did my lifestyle choices or habits increase my risk of developing cancer?
  • Why didn’t my treatment work the way I had hoped?
  • Why did I survive when others have not? 
  • Am I a burden to my family or caregivers? (Sorry we needed to cancel our family trip, boys!)
  • How will I handle the financial costs of treatment?
  • What will my boss and coworkers think about all of the time I have to spend time away from work for treatment?

Source

Caregivers may also feel guilty. They are healthier and may wish to to take the place of the cancer survivor. Often they regret that they can’t do more to help or even take away the pain or illness. Also, they may hide their feelings/thoughts, since they do not want to put more stress on the survivor. They may skip out on fun outings to avoid stinging the survivor who cannot join. 

Feelings of guilt are normal and can come and go. Working through them will allow you to release them  so they don’t interfere with your well-being and healing. Several tips to allow you to help yourself with this are outlined here. Finding ways to soothe, comfort, and distract yourself by engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation may help. Sharing your thoughts/feelings in a journal or with people who care about you can be beneficial, too. However, if guilt paralyzes you, causing social isolation or preventing you from functioning, you should talk with your healthcare provider who can connect you with a talk therapist and/or a local support group. 

Remember that cancer is not your fault—or anyone else’s. Experts do not fully understand why most types of cancer develop. Sometimes people with cancer feel guilty about having given their “bad genes” to their children or having made bad lifestyle choices in the past, such as cigarette smoking. In these situations, please tell yourself that:

  • Even though we live in the 21st century, there are so many things in our body’s black box that we still don’t understand.
  • We cannot always control nature, no matter how much we try. 
  • Our previous decisions made sense at the time, driven by knowledge and circumstances. 
  • We are not perfect. We must forgive ourselves. 

This brings us to the next topic that can get me really fired up: stigma! Sadly, certain cancers are more associated with stigma than others, in particular those to which we attribute a certain sense of responsibility (e.g. nicotine and lung cancer). However, not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer, and not everyone who gets lung cancer has smoked, which attests to the notion that there are so many different factors involved in the development of cancer that are beyond our control. Plus, over time we may discover that many of today’s widely-accepted practices might need to be changed since they may be found to be associated with the development of diseases. I don’t feel there is any room for judgment, because it usually does not result in anything meaningful or positive. 

Furthermore, you may feel an urge or even obligation to find a purpose in the ‘extra’ time you were given. Or is it the other way around—were we spared for a purpose that we may not know about yet? We will never know. We all tell our own story in a way that gives our lives meaning and purpose.

You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Source.

Enjoy creating and telling your life story! Please be kind to yourself and others! 

Thank you for visiting me! Please, below find a few things to educate and entertain you!

 

Learn and Think:

It’s cucumber time, or a slow-medical news-season. Give your brain a rest!

 

Live and Feel:

Two men who died at a young age from pancreatic cancer gave inspiring lectures that I would like to share with you:

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Missing in Action

Missing in Action

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Dear Neighbor!

A few loyal readers had checked in on me this week, because they noticed that my weekly posting did not take place last weekend! This experience was heart warming and led me to write this brief entry. I am sorry for my radio silence. As many of you are very much aware, our bodies do not always cooperate. I am on the mend, prioritizing my employment and healing. As a result, there was no time/energy for ‘extra’ things such as social activities and writing a blog entry….but I hope to release a new post in a few days – stay tuned!

In the mean time,  you may enjoy watching this conversation between two male tv personalities who shed tears when they speak about grief (this message is not politically motivated). Please let me know if you cannot view the link.

Be kind to yourself!

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Simple Life – Always Remember Us This Way

Simple Life – Always Remember Us This Way

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Dear neighbor! 

As I write this, the crickets are chirping energetically, clouds are slowly moving in the sky, the light effects are beautiful at this golden hour before the sun goes down, creating a peaceful atmosphere. Earlier this week, I had a conversation with another cancer survivor in which we both expressed our admiration of the complexity of our universe and the beauty of life…everyone and everything has their place, meaning, and purpose….all seems to be perfectly orchestrated, in an almost unimaginable manner….allowing you to trust its automation and to focus on the busy-ness of life….in cruise control mode…..

But when your body goes out of sync…..and develops cancer…..then we get reminded again of the fragility of life, the world, and the universe….a humbling experience.

At that point, when you find yourself facing a disease that has the potential to alter the course of your life, nothing else may seem to matter anymore….values that you used to pursue with great strategy and devotion (e.g. career, wealth, societal expectations) lose their priority practically in an instant…..and values such as love and time become more important…

Love. An encounter with cancer makes us feel more vulnerable. And may encourage us to seek from and give comfort to persons all around us….anyone….loved ones, but also strangers….it may allow us to see the beauty in people and things around us that we did not really pay attention to before….

They May Forget What You Said, But They Will Never Forget How You Made Them Feel. Source.

Time. In the end, we are always running out of time….a 24 hour day is never long enough…..we may have lost so much time to being sick that we would like to catch up on life…..we may not know how much time for living we may have left, or how much precious energy you may have to make it through the day…..these uncertainties may urge you to prioritize the essentials…..and to keep life as simple as you can and/or want…..the things you would both want and need should be pursued, while those that you don’t want nor need should be avoided….and matter that you either would want or need should be reevaluated.

There is something very refreshing and liberating about a healthy and personalized dose of minimalism in every aspect of our life.

Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom. That doesn’t mean there’s anything inherently wrong with owning material possessions. Today’s problem seems to be the meaning we assign to our stuff: we tend to give too much meaning to our things, often forsaking our health, our relationships, our passions, our personal growth, and our desire to contribute beyond ourselves. Want to own a car or a house? Great, have at it! Want to raise a family and have a career? If these things are important to you, then that’s wonderful. Minimalism simply allows you to make these decisions more consciously, more deliberately. Source.

We are all unique…..we all have our own set of values, principles, obligations, and desires…..I encourage you to feel free and allow yourself to follow your passions….and make new memories that will carry you and your loved ones!

Thank you for visiting me! Please…find below a few things for education and entertainment!

Learn and Think:

Its cucumber time, or also a slow-medical news-season. Give your brain a rest!

 

Live and Feel:

The lyrics of Lady Gaga’s song “Always remember us this way” fit well with this blog’s content.

 

Please help by nudging us if you encounter technical problems.

Pity vs. Compassion – Wild Horses, Journaling

Pity vs. Compassion – Wild Horses, Journaling

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Dear neighbor!

How are you today? This week I shared a meal with another cancer survivor. We ended up talking about how we try to carefully gauge when, how, and what we share to avoid becoming a conversation stopper or the object of pity. But not sharing our pain can lead to feelings of ‘self pity’ and isolation. On the other hand, the sharing of our stories can also make us feel worse or even compelled to comfort the other person, in particular when sharing our pain triggers negative judgment (such as ridicule, inferiority, failure, or pity).

The bad press received by pity concerns both what pity lacks, namely, actual assistance, and what it implies, namely, a feeling of superiority and satisfaction with our own position. Source.

And this brings us to compassion. Pity and compassion are two reactions (to seeing someone suffer) that overlap and are on opposite ends of a spectrum that also includes sympathy and empathy. I like the following graphic, which visualizes the relationship between these 4 terms:

inforgraphic
Designed by Robert Shelton.  Source

 

These different terms correlate with different perspectives on life that one may have been born with and/or acquired over time.

Someone who has compassion senses a cancer survivor’s suffering and has an active desire (and ability !) to:

  • Allow one “to just be” (which may take a survivor already quite a bit of energy/effort!),
  • (Often silently) provide company (while respecting boundaries),
  • Universalize the situation (because life is not fair for many),
  • Create temporary distractions from problems (with e.g. silly activities),
  • Allow one to feel less of a nuisance,
  • Take on the challenging task of knowing when and how to help, since a cancer survivor may not always need instant help or a solution. And may even (stubbornly!) prefer to first try to sort things out on their own (perhaps needing you as a listener or a sounding board),
  • Jump in if you see HELP signals, e.g. trouble taking care of oneself, dysfunction in their family or society, posing a danger to self/other,
  • Be comfortable with the unsatisfied desire to help. In particular, if the survivor is not (just yet) open to accepting help (you can bring water, but cannot force one to drink), or if there is no clear solution at this point in time.

Compassion is one of the main drivers of altruism, which in its turn can facilitate well-being. Altruism can be a noble (or even self-motivated) initiative to alleviate suffering, but helping others can also be a defense mechanism in which one distracts themselves from their own thoughts/feelings. The helper needs to also care for him/herself to minimize risk for caregiver burnout.

Compassion for me translates into a few key words and noble goals that we all should aim for: honesty, unconditional love, genuine care, and passionate generosity. But please remember that you are only human – it’s the reaction to and recovery from our unavoidable mistakes and failures that count and allow us to grow!

Won’t you be my neighbor…?

Please…find below a few things for education and entertainment!

Learn and Think:

Its cucumber time, or also a slow-medical news-season. Give your brain a rest!

 

Live and Feel:

  • Enjoy this video of one of the few remaining herds of wild horses – the Chincoteague ponies and Assateague’s wold horses!
  • Visible Ink offers Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer patients to express themselves in writing with the individual support of an experienced writing mentor. Their initiative has been described in the NYT. Journaling may be one way in which one can write their thoughts and feelings away to facilitate healing!

 

Please help by nudging us if you encounter technical problems.

National Cancer Survivors Day 2019!

National Cancer Survivors Day 2019!

Dear reader,

You may have missed it….but today was the annual National Cancer Survivors Day….

This day may have different meanings for different people….which is understandable, because all of our stories are different.

But, eventually, what may unite us all is our universal goal of trying to prioritize the creation of new memories and meaningful connections, every minute of every hour of every day, despite our responsibilities (related to e.g. work, home, health).

Love!

The Freedom to Move….!

The Freedom to Move….!

Not all of us are meant to be ballet dancers, but being fit as well as having stamina, strength, and range of joint motion contribute to one’s ability to dance through life. Cancer treatments may have affected you physically and emotionally. Pain, malaise, fatigue, low blood counts, difficulty breathing, etc., resulting in the loss of muscle mass and stiffness and painful body movements keep this vicious cycle of deconditioning going. You may not ever be able to regain your pre-cancer diagnosis level of fitness, strength, and flexibility, but it can often be improved upon.

Be sure to first discuss with your doctor if more diagnostic testing may need to be performed and which one of these following options might be a best choice for you given your health, availability of resources, and/or insurance coverage. Upon reconditioning, the eventual goal is to try to participate in a safe and consistent exercise program.

You can work with professionals to rehabilitate your strength, ability, and balance. This can be through e.g. physical therapist, occupational therapist, cancer-certified exercise trainer, or an exercise physiologist. 

It can feel frustrating when you have pain, stiffness, and a limited range of motion, especially when no clear biological explanation or helpful remedy can be found. It’s persistence can lead to dysfunction, disability, and emotional distress. One option to consider is a technique called Myofascial Release. The evidence has shown this techniques to be safe, gentle and effective.  The essence of the technique involves the professional application of gentle pressure or a pulling motion  (“telescoping”) that will allow the careful release of tight myofascia. 

Most likely you are familiar with the plastic wrap that is commonly used in the kitchen and that can get wrinkled up before you are able to cover the intended target resulting in needing to get a new piece of plastic wrap and starting the process all over again! Your body has a similar “wrap”, called myofascia, that covers your organs, bones, tendons, and muscles. It can become tight due to stress,  physical and emotional trauma, medical procedures, or injuries. These may result in stiffness, a limited range of motion, and pain in areas that may not make anatomical sense. Since this fascia is connected through your whole body like a web, you may not feel the symptoms in an expected location (for example, if you pull on the bottom of your shirt, you might feel that in your shoulders). Your nerves and blood vessels run through this web, which can produce unique symptoms, when the ‘web’ tightens.

To find relief, you can 1) try various self-help myofascial release methods that can stand on their own and/or 2) consider working with a professional. Having someone to partner with in developing a plan, such as a dedicated professional can alleviate not only your pain but also the stress. Locating a professional can be challenging depending on your location. There are a variety of providers that can offer myofascial release such as physical therapist and chiropractors. As with any field, please be sure to seek out someone who has undergone and continues in their specialized training and certifications, such as those providers trained in the John Barnes Method of Myofascial Release.

Enjoy moving through life, with grace, one dance at a time!