Coping with breast cancer can be stressful and draining. Along with stress comes some physical ailments like fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and dry-mouth.
Managing stress can play an important role breast cancer treatment. Here are some suggestions to manage stress during breast cancer treatment.
• Adjust your expectations. For example, if you have a list of 10 things you want to accomplish today, pare it down to two and leave the rest for other days. A sense of accomplishment goes a long way to reducing stress.
• Help others understand and support you. Family and friends can be helpful if they can put themselves in your shoes and understand what fatigue means to you. Cancer groups can be a source of support as well. Other people with cancer understand what you are going through.
• Relaxation techniques such as audiotapes that teach deep breathing or visualization can help reduce stress.
• Divert your attention away from stress with activities such as knitting, reading or listening to music. These activities require little physical energy but require attention.
• If your stress seems out of control, talk to a healthcare professional.
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is common with cancer and cancer treatment. Fatigue is often confused with tiredness. Tiredness happens to everyone. Tiredness is a feeling you expect after certain activities or at the end of the day. Usually, you know why you are tired and a good night's sleep solves the problem.
Fatigue is a daily lack of energy; an unusual or excessive whole-body tiredness not relieved by sleep. It can be acute (lasting a month or less) or chronic (lasting from one month to six months or longer). Fatigue can prevent you from functioning normally and impacts your quality of life.
CRF is not predictable by treatment, stage of illness or tumor type. Usually, it comes on suddenly, does not result from activity or exertion, and is not relieved by rest or sleep. It is often described as paralyzing. It may continue even after treatment is complete.
Although cancer-related fatigue is a common, and often expected, side effect of cancer and its treatments, you should feel free to mention your concerns to your healthcare providers. There are times when fatigue may be a clue to an underlying medical problem. Other times, there may be medical interventions to help control fatigue.
Nausea can be a side effect of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, drug therapies, or other aspects of breast cancer. Nearly 50 percent of patients experienced nausea and vomiting during their first treatment with the drug, Herceptin. Suggestions for coping with nausea:
• Ask a physician about medications called antiemetics that help control nausea.
• Eating toast, crackers, yogurt, oatmeal, skinned chicken (not fried), and ice chips may help ease nausea.
• Suck on a lemon. Cut a lemon in half and gentle bite into the lemon when you feel nausea.
• Eat foods slowly and in small amounts.
• Drink plenty of fluids but avoid drinks during meals because they may cause a bloated feeling.
• Avoid eating right before treatment if treatment causes nausea.
• Try cool foods. Warm foods may worsen nausea.
• Keep track of what foods can increase nausea, and try to avoid those if possible.
The National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society recommend maintaining a varied diet during cancer treatment. A varied diet includes daily servings of fruits and vegetables, proteins, grains, and dairy products.
Each person’s diet should be too modified to fit her personal needs. For instance, if a certain breast cancer treatment causes diarrhea, a patient may want to temporarily reduce her intake of high-fiber foods (such as vegetables, fruits, cereals and whole grains).
Breast cancer patients should talk to their physicians, nurses, or registered dietitians about maintaining proper nutrition during treatment. Certain foods, vitamins, or minerals may interfere with cancer treatment. A varied diet provides several nutritional benefits:
• Fruits: Good sources of vitamin C. Fruits are usually low in calories and fat.
• Vegetables: Excellent sources of fiber and vitamins (A and C). Deep-yellow or dark-green vegetables are rich in vitamin A.
• Proteins: May provide protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Meats, beans, nuts, and seeds provide these benefits. Some seeds, like almonds, are good sources of vitamin E.
• Dairy products: Milk and cheese provide calcium, protein, and vitamin B12.
• Grains: Breads, pasta, rice, and cereals provide carbohydrates and B vitamins. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy.
The following are suggestions for maintaining a well-balanced diet while experiencing side effects of breast cancer treatment. Patients may want to try a variety of different suggestions or talk to a registered dietitian for more tips that may help during treatment.
Loss of appetite can occur from a variety of breast cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and several drug therapies including Aromasin.
Loss of appetite may also result from other side effects such as nausea or vomiting or from the emotional burden of breast cancer. Suggestions for coping:
• Eat several small meals instead of three regular meals.
• Stock up on a variety of foods.
• Try different settings when eating- the dining room, kitchen, with background music, watching television – anything that makes eating more appealing
Finally, if you are having issues managing the side effects of cancer treatments or if you have any of the items below, be sure to contact your doctor or nurse immediately. Remember they are here to help.
• Increased shortness of breath with minimal exertion
• Uncontrolled pain
• Inability to control side effects from treatments (such as nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, or loss of appetite)
• Uncontrollable anxiety or nervousness
• Ongoing depression
Sources:
http://www.cancer.gov/
http://www.cancer.org/
http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/
MC Ortega is the former publicist for the late Walter Payton and Coca-Cola. Ortega is a senior communications and messaging executive specializing in media relations, social media, program development and crisis communications. Also, Ortega is an avid traveler and international shopper. Ortega resides with her partner, Craig, dog, Fionne and extensive shoe collection. Ortega also enjoys jewelry design/production and flamenco dancing.