Caring for Yourself!Wellness During and After Cancer Treatment

Elly Peters, RN, MS, OCNSherry Martin, LCSW, OSW-C

Caring for Yourself!

• Taking a proactive role in your recovery• Benefits of physical activity• Healthy Eating Tips• Stress Management Toolbox• Support Programs at Penrose

Cancer Center

2

Taking a Proactive Role

• National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship – Definition of Cancer Survivor

• “any person diagnosed with cancer, from the time of initial diagnosis until his or her death.”

• Healthy Lifestyle– What is your role?– “Baby steps”– Wellness defined by you

• Striving for wellness is constant• Learn from each other

3

Taking a Proactive Role

• Definition of empowerment– Opportunity to exert influence over your environment – You are the center of your health care team

• Each person’s experience with illness and survivorship– Personal– Intimate– Unique

• Common feelings during and after treatment– Afraid– Helpless– Confused– Happy – Relieved– Overwhelmed – YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

4

Taking a Proactive Role

• Communication with your health care team– May be difficult to talk about various parts of your

experience– Ask for help

• Can help you actually gain control

– Maintain a partnership with your doctor• Open communication• Ask the “dumb” questions (they are not dumb!)• Ask the difficult questions• After treatment

– May be seeing your providers less frequently– How to stay organized

5

Taking a Proactive Role (After treatment is complete)

• Communication with your TEAM• Treatment summary

– Concise record with details of» Procedures» surgeries» chemotherapy» radiation» pertinent test results

• Survivorship care plan– Recommendations for the future– Oncology follow up– Wellness– Connecting with primary care physician

• Survivorship visit with a nurse practitioner

6

7

Physical Activity

• Exercise can be a powerful tool• Talk to your doctor before starting a new

regimen• Do what you enjoy!• Change perception• Get a “Buddy”

8

Healthy Eating

• Good nutrition is an important part of a cancer treatment plan

• Eating right– To regain strength– Rebuild tissue– Feel well

• The New American Plate

9

Emotional Wellness

• The Emotional Roller Coaster (Before, during and after treatment)

• Scanxiety

• CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

• Thoughts → Feelings → Behavior

10

TOOLS FOR YOUR TOOLBOXTraditional Tools:Healthy EatingJournalingMusicPhysical ActivityPrayer

Social Support

CBT Tools:Allocate worry timeDeep BreathingProgressive RelaxationReframingThought StoppingVisualization

11

Other Tools:

Aromatherapy

Bibliotherapy

Distraction

Drumming

Gratituding

Mandalas

Mantras

Mindfulness

Nexting

Partializing

SUGGESTIONS FOR SELF CARE

• Find time to do one thing each day that is self-nurturing. (Self-caring behavior vs. selfish behavior)

• Create daily routines. (Rest, journaling/meditation/reading, exercise, play)

• Be flexible. (Forget perfect: Go with the flow…)

• Reduce or eliminate negativity. (Who takes out of your bucket? Who puts into your bucket?)

• Simplify your life.

12

SUGGESTIONS FOR SELF CARE

• Don’t be afraid to say “I made a mistake.”

• Don’t be afraid to say “I’m sorry.”

• Ask for what you need.

• Find one thing to laugh about each day.

• Find one thing to be thankful for each day.

• Remember who you are.

13

Consider letting go of: 

Grudges…and holding onto Gratitude 

Despair…and holding onto Hope 

Depression…and holding onto Determination

Judgementalness… and holding onto Joyfulness 

Cynicism...and holding onto Sincerity

Feeling Overwhelmed…and holding onto Finding Control

  Old Wounds...and holding onto New Possibilities

 Fear...and holding onto The Future

~ Sherry Martin (2011)

14

You are invited to join us for:

• May Integrative Therapies (Thursdays: 2:00)– May 9 Exploring Mandalas– May 16 Energize with Exercise– May 23 Drumming– May 30 Stress Busters

• Caregiver Coffee: Tuesday, May 14 (10:00)

• Back to Your Future for Couples: Monday, May 20 (5:30)

• Living Well Beyond Cancer: Four Wednesdays May 8 / 15 / 22 / 29 (4:00)

15

You are invited to join us for:

• June Integrative Therapies (Thursdays: 2:00)– June 6 Nutrition (Primarily for those in treatment)– June 13 Walking the Labyrinth– June 20Energize with Exercise– June 27Stress Busters

• NIA (Non-Impact Aerobics): Six Tuesdays May 21 / 25 / June 4 / 11 / 18 / 25 (4:30)

• Caregiver Café: Tuesday, June 11 (11:30)

• Art Retreat: Saturday, June 15 (all day)

16

You are invited to join us for:

• Easy Chair Yoga for Women: Every Monday (3:00)

• CLIMB (for children/teens of a parent/grandparent with a cancer diagnosis):

Four Tuesdays: July 9 / 16 / 23 / 30 (4:30)

• Bibliotherapy: Five Wednesdays July 10 / 17 / 24 / 31 / August 7 (10:00)

• Spirituality Retreat: Saturday, August 3 (all day)

Contact Elly Peters at 776-2510 or Sherry Martin at 776-5311

for additional information on any event.

17

The ABC’s of Effective Support Groups: June 5, 2013 18