Greg Anderson was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in 1984. He had one lung removed. Four months later, his surgeon said, “Your cancer has come roaring back." The doctor estimated Greg's life expectancy as 30 days. But he's still alive and well today, encouraging others to recover from cancer. He founded the Cancer Recovery Foundation Group of Charities, and has written ten books. I was impressed with his latest one.
Selecting a medical team and treatment plan are essential parts to recovery from cancer. But they're not enough, according to Anderson. It may take months or years to get well after a diagnosis of metastatic cancer, and the recovery process includes a dramatically different lifestyle. Here are the ten items that I would start with:
1. Get more sleep. Most of us are accustomed to a schedule where sleep gets low priority. Reset your schedule when you're recovering from cancer: Devote at least eight hours to sleep at night, and take naps as often as you feel like it.
2. Eat high-quality food. This is not the time for dollar value meals; your body deserves the best, nutrient-rich food.
3. Take time to play. You don't need to be doing something that looks productive during all your waking hours. Find things you like to just for fun.
4. Find things to laugh at. Rent funny videos or buy humorous books that you enjoy. Cancer is a serious business, so balance it with silliness and comedy.
5. Exercise. Choose something you like and stick with it.
6. Minimize treatment side effects. Work with your doctors to find the optimum treatment program for you. Recovery is not supposed to be miserable.
7. Find a positive support group. Check www.cancerrecovery.org to start your search.
8. Evaluate your relationships. Make a list of the 10 most important relationships in your life. Put toxic relationships on hold, and spend more time with the nurturing ones.
9. Eliminate active and passive smoking. If you smoke now, you may need a nicotine replacement option, such as patches. Stay away from the carcinogens in smoke.
10. Get beyond “why?” It doesn't matter why you got cancer; it just matters that you're recovering.
There's much more information in the book, including detailed plans for emotional and spiritual healing.
Reference:
Greg Anderson, “Cancer: 50 Essential Things to Do”, third edition, Plume, 2009.
Linda Fugate is a scientist and writer in Austin, Texas. She has a Ph.D. in Physics and an M.S. in Macromolecular Science and Engineering. Her background includes academic and industrial research in materials science. She currently writes song lyrics and health articles.