Cancer: The Adventure of Your Life!
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Some of the after-effects of surgery are not localized to the area “wounded.” Your whole body has had an assault on its resources, and you can expect to feel “wiped out.” It takes a great deal of energy for your body to heal those damaged cells and tissues, to clear away cellular debris, to keep your immune system alert to infections, and to regain flexibility and normal use. You should expect fatigue to be part of your recovery – it is your body’s way of telling you to slow down and let the healing take place! This is a great time to listen to your body. When you are tired, rest! Rest may mean a few minutes on the couch or a two-hour nap, but you will get better faster if you are aware of your physical needs and respect them.
Along the same lines, you can expect to have some emotional unevenness. Some patients, particularly the elderly or those having extensive surgery, may experience a phenomenon know as “sundowning.” This condition is seen most often at the end of the day or during the night. The patient sees things that are not there, hears voices, or becomes paranoid. No one knows the exact cause of the syndrome, but most often it resolves on its own as recovery progresses. If it happens to you, be assured that you are not crazy, just recovering from surgery!
Maybe you are usually a stoic person; suddenly, you break into tears for no reason at all! Perhaps you are usually “on top of things” and organized; now you feel disoriented and distracted, and find it hard to concentrate. You may feel euphoric for a time–hugely relieved that the surgery is successfully behind you–only to find yourself plunged into despondency the same afternoon. It’s okay! This is normal! It is normal for all surgery patients, even those having cosmetic or elective surgery. It is particularly hard to avoid if your surgery was done to treat or remove a cancer. You still have all the systemic ups and downs of hormone levels, pain relievers, and blood sugar levels. You are also dealing with the vivid awareness that your cancer diagnosis is real, and cancer is having a disturbing and immediate effect on your life. It’s very hard to pretend that everything is okay when you are recovering from surgery, even though it may well be that your surgery has removed all of the cancer.
One last word about fatigue and emotional responses. Very often, you will be so excited when you begin to feel better that you enthusiastically tackle too much. It is so tempting to overdo! And you may not realize that you have done too much until you suddenly collapse, either with exhaustion or in tears. This is a learning experience! Take it more slowly next time. If you have great self-control, you may be able to avoid this downswing by gradually increasing your activity by no more than 10-25% a day. It really is more fun to see yourself steadily improving than to do too much and regret it.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
This
eminently practical book includes the tips survivors share with one another -
the little coping strategies that can make a huge difference in the physical
and emotional comfort of the patient and family. The hopeful and encouraging
approach avoids the pitfalls of "statistics" and "scientific
prognosis" to focus instead on maximum joy and peace of heart for each
patient, regardless of the stage of illness. Cancer: The Adventure of Your Life includes the important issues
(like losing hair, dealing with insurance companies, or handling visitors) that
doctors pass over lightly because they are not life-threatening. The
simply-written explanations are meant for the lay person, although professional
caregivers will find new insights, too. There is an extensive treatment of the
emotional components of the cancer journey, including fear, grieving, and
loneliness, along with specific suggestions for both patients and family
members to adapt to this new reality with a health-nurturing life view. Every
effort has been made to make the book convenient and easy-to-use for patients,
including large print format, stand-alone chapters, and chapter summaries. The
book is a valuable resource for cancer center libraries, waiting rooms, and
physicians' offices.
The
most common response of cancer patients after reading the book is, " I
wish every newly-diagnosed patient had access to this. If only I had known that
I was not alone in my fears and concerns!"
About the Author
Teresa Kalvelage Matthews is a nine year survivor of ovarian cancer and a seven year survivor of breast cancer. These two unrelated cancer "adventures" gave her a passionate dedication to easing the journey for other people facing similar challenges. A writer with a degree in Biology from UC Berkeley, she has worked both in medical office settings and as a hospice volunteer. Her inspirational, hopeful and practical tips provide a blueprint for people beginning treatment. Her insights into "the patient's point of view" have been used for professional training for hospice volunteers and social workers. She currently counsels newly-diagnosed cancer patients.