During my stay in the hospital, gowns were one of the worst things to deal with. Too small, don’t stay closed, scratchy dry fabric. And ugly!

I recently discovered these amazing gowns that support the needs of women in particular. They make a beautiful, soft gown that you can feel good about.

Janes offer an alternative to the traditional, hospital gown that lends more comfort to your experience. Whether you’re packing a hospital bag, nursing your baby, or lounging at home. Hospital approved and very much patient approved!

If you google “exercise benefits cancer survivorship”, you will get more than 15,000 hits. Hundreds of researchers, nurse and patient navigators, and advocates are at work on the thorny problem of helping survivors gain the benefits of exercise. The problem is complicated because no single exercise program fits all survivors. If the answer is different for each survivor, where do we start?

Cramping of muscles as you try to rebuild your strength is a major focus when you’re looking to get back on track and regain your normal physical abilities. During treatments, significant muscle wasting -- or "cachexia" -- occurs in about 80% of people with cancer. It can be debilitating and a reason why many get significantly worse during treatments.

This Science Daily article explains the revelation of why “muscle wasting” is a persistent issue and can result in reduced ability to recover well, or tolerate, long term cancer treatments. It’s another reason why the increased amount of protein and fats in the patient diet is important during treatments. Healthy fats are not wasted or stored as they might be for a healthier individual and become useful in maintaining a body weight that helps the patient to support their treatments.

Patient-reported outcomes around quality of life often do not include specific questions about sexual health. They may ask about vaginal dryness, but that doesn’t address other critical issues like sexual function, body image, feeling attractive, or feeling whole in one’s body after recovering from invasive treatment.

This article can help you approach having that conversation with your doctor or practitioner, and to find ways to regain this place in your life.

During treatments, I was told repeatedly to take special care when brushing my teeth, not to floss (?) and to use a flouride mouthwash. The chemo and radiation can deeply influence the mucus, saliva and healthy bacteria of your mouth and throat and cause all sorts of issues. Mouth sores, bleeding gums, and possible dental issues get worse as you are barraged by chemo and radiation.

This page gives you a run-down of how you can help alleviate the discomfort and also keep your teeth, gums and overall mouth feeling better. I highly recommend ice chips and fluoride!

Maintaining good oral health takes on greater importance when you’ve been compromised as a result of cancer . Many unintended adverse effects such as reduced saliva flow, tooth decay, and secondary cancers can pose additional threats to long-term survivorship.

PCPRI has put together a collaboration of specialists to offer some excellent information and tips on the best way to manage your dental care both during and after treatments.

Worth a read and one of the few sources I’ve found that focus on this very important part of our health!!

Of the various side effects that become annoying over time, some linger post-treatment. Neuropathy seems to annoy people the most. . Neuropathy affects everyone differently but can create huge discomfort with pins and needles, numbness of fingers and toes, or pain in your entire foot which can prevent you from wanting to walk or move around.

I found that movement kept the feelings from settling in and I’d especially get the pins and needles following doses of Vincristine. Calf stretches, walking, swimming all help to keep the sensation from getting worse.

The Mayo Clinic has some suggestions for combating these sensations, or certain drugs that could alleviate symptoms.

Visit the blog link or view the slides at this link to learn how exercise can make a difference for neuropathy.

https://www.slideshare.net/DanaFarber/how-exercise-can-help-neuropathy

This has to be one of the worst symptoms of chemo that can be so debilitating. Getting mouth sores makes it impossible to eat and talk, and you’re miserable for their duration.

I found a few ways to ease the discomfort and pain of these and have my nursing staff to thank for this!

1) Baking soda diluted in warm water—mouth rinse several times a day, especially after eating.

2)”Magic mouthwash” —prescribed by the doctor this combination of three ingredients can sooth your mouth, take the pain away, and helps heal over the coming weeks.

—also works for hiccups!

—excellent for indigestion or acid reflux

Any other good ideas to share on this issue? It’s one of the less pleasant side effects to be sure…

This fabulous read was recommended to me by a friend who had studied with the author in MA.

Jon Kabat-Zinn offers simple, positive ways that you can learn to focus on your life with intention and purpose. Using meditation and mindfulness, he guides you into small ways that you can appreciate and learn from the life you lead and be more purposeful in living. It’s inspiring, soothing, and a salve to the troubles we may be feeling inside and with our world.

One of the stranger side effects of lots of chemo is that you get a bit fuzzy in your thinking. Some days are better than others but its a good idea to find ways to keep your mind sharp and focused and exercise your thinking.

I did a ton of reading, puzzles, logic questions. And I sought out new topics to watch and read online so that it kept me learning and engaging. There is a good amount of “downtime” while you’re recovering, and this can be a nice time to pursue looking into something you’ve always wanted to learn more about.

This site link takes you to CancerCare which has some helpful resources and suggestions.

Don't stop moving. Research confirms that exercising can help you not just survive but thrive during and after cancer.

The evidence keeps rolling in: Exercise can be one of your most important cancer treatments. For anyone dealing with a cancer diagnosis, that's great news. Starting — or maintaining — an exercise program can empower you to move out of a more passive "patient" role; it'll help improve not just your well-being but your attitude, too.

I can’t say enough about how helpful a subscription to Yoga Journal can be. You’ll find simple stretching, meditation, nutrition, and inspiration with each issue. Yoga as it can help or support emotional issues, anxiety, physical revovery, and trauma are all addressed.

A subscription gives you access to the digital or online versions to take with you as you travel or to use remotely.

As a proponent of meditation, I’ve searched through a number of sources to locate some good information and guidance on the topic of meditation and its health benefits.

I’m adding this link to the Mayo Clinic as one of the first short reference reads and will continue to include other meditation sources and guidance in this site.

If you’ve never tried yoga or are looking for an online way to get back into the practice, Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube is a fantastic place to start. She has a number of different classes that are easy in terms of duration and level of effort, and they address many kinds of physical or mental situations. She has over 10m viewers of her site and I became one of them.

Yoga helps you to regain flexibility, strength, balance, and mental centering. Well worth trying.

https://yogawithadriene.com/