What to Do When You Get the Word

Cancer.  The Big C.  There are fewer words that can instill so much fear even though treatment effectiveness and survival rates have increased dramatically in the past few years.  The dreaded words are often pronounced by a doctor who is probably doing his best to break the news to you nicely before giving you some literature and a list of next steps to follow to start a treatment.  Ideally, it’s your personal physician and you have some sort of relationship with her, but maybe it’s a hospital doctor that you’ll never see again.  What ever the case might be, it is your life and your future that just took a dramatic turn and you now have to live through this new chapter that you didn’t anticipate. 

So what are you to do?
First, you have to get through the initial shock of learning the news. There is no right or wrong reaction.  As with many things in life, it all boils down to being a unique human being and only you will know what you need to do to digest the diagnosis.  For some it might be rolling into a little ball and crying for a few days, or going to a church to pray, or jumping on a motorcycle and driving for days or… fill in the blanks.  It’s your time to lose control and let the wave wash over you before you take the reins in hand again. 
The second phase is to take control.  Denial could be tempting but is not an option here.  You are the most important person in your life and you need to become the project manager of your recovery.  You need to make sure that you take care of yourself and do the right things to get through this as well as you possibly can.  There are a few steps that you need to follow to make sure that you put all the chances on your side and leave no stone unturned.

1. You need to become the best specialist in the world about your illness and your body.  After all, we are talking about you here, and nobody will feel closer to you or feel things as you do.  So you need to learn as much as you can about your cancer.  Do online research, read books and magazines, listen to testimonials.  There is nothing scarier than the unknown, than what we don’t understand.  The first step to taming the illness is to know it. 
2. Make sure that you have emotional support.  Mental strength has a great influence on the body and having a support system in place contributes to mental wellbeing.  Again, there are no rules for setting up a good support system.  It depends on what works for you, what is available to you at this time in your life.  It can be family members, friends, online friends, or a local prayer group.  Whatever it is, make sure that you are not alone.
3. Use every resource at your disposal from local support groups to foundations like Lazarex that can help you through clinical trials. 
4. Help your body.  Be as healthy as you can be.  You are facing a battle, prepare yourself.  Be aware of what you eat and drink.  Follow the eating and drinking recommendations of trusted sources.  Remember the 5 fruits and veggies a day?  Whole grains? Less processed food?  No alcohol?  No smoking?  Do your research and become a food specialist.  Learn everything you can about nutrition complements and vitamins.  Exercise a bit.  Breathe.  Walk outside.  Nature has a proven positive effect on body recovery.

Do not forget to enjoy the little pleasures of life.  It will help you feel happy and optimistic which is linked to feeling better.  Take care of your soul and your body. 
The last phase is to go through the treatment itself.  If you follow all the guidelines we talked about, you know what to expect and you know how to help your body get through it.  You have a support system in place.  Now all you need to do is focus on success.

For more resources about cancer treatments and patients’ wellbeing, visit our blog: http://www.lazarex.org/resources.html
By Fabienne Der Hagopian
Lazarex Senior Writer
Paris, France