|
ADVICE FROM WOMEN WHO KNOW
The following are well-earned tips and suggestions from our readers' personal experiences with cancer. Sharing Our Stories "I think it is important to share our stories. Women are sensitive to the pain of others and lend important emotional support. My best friend has been a rock for me—has brought me up when I'm really down—and staying up is my philosophy for beating cancer." —Linda, New York
The Little Things "Most of the time people are too busy for each other and don't think of the little things that they can do to help others. However, people I don't even know that heard I have cancer offered to help. For some it's just sending a card, or making a phone call. For others it's bringing over dinner, grabbing the vacuum, or carrying out the trash. I have learned more about people, strangers, and kindness as a result, and found the world to be a different kind of place than I ever expected." —Mary, Michigan
Priorities "My three priorities are work, exercise, and grocery shopping. I worked out a chore list with my spouse. This has worked successfully to help me keep to my goals and keep my stress level down." —Laura, Massachusetts
Do What is Best "Go ahead and do what you think is best. I continued to work full-time and to exercise five days a week (except on a few particularly rough days) and felt that this helped me heal much faster. It also helped my self esteem to realize that I could still do everything that I had done before and that I was someone worth living and fighting for." —JoAnn, South Carolina
Maximizing Energy "It's OK to drop the non-essentials from your life. In fact, it's a great opportunity. There are boundaries to my energy now and I have to respect them. Nowadays, this is what I do: (It didn't come instantly—it's constantly evolving, but I like it!)" 1. Read scripture every morning. 2. Listen to a meditation tape about once a week. 3. Swim twice a week. 4. Walk three times a week (not long, 15-30 minutes as time allows) 5. Eat organic foods. (It takes more effort to plan and prepare, but I have adjusted to making the time for it) 6. Take maintenance doses of herbs to keep the body healed. 7. Plan each day so I'm not running around doing a million errands. 8. Rest when necessary in the evenings and on weekends. 9. Think about what I can do today to reach out to someone else. —Lyn, Connecticut
|
