Not only does cancer affect your health, it affects your whole way of life. It is overwhelming at first – health worries, financial worries, ‘what will the rest of my life be like’ worries!
There’s so much information to take in & everything seems to be thrown into madness mode.
Don’t panic. There are lots of people who can guide you in the right direction & ways to relieve the extra stress:
- Firstly, don’t push yourself – you can only do so much & although it’s hard not to feel like a bit of a burden, remember that you can’t change what has already happened.
- Instead spend time with lots of different people if you can – it can relieve the strain of an intense one on one relationship & bring a bit of a variety to what can become a monotonous routine.
- Prioritise yourself – you’re not letting anyone down if you have to cancel plans because you’re too tired.
- A social worker will be able to tell you what benefits & allowances are available to you so that you have one less thing to worry about.
- Treat yourself to a massage if your GP approves it & take a loved one or friend who deserves it too!
- Work out how you’re getting to & from appointments and who is taking you/going with you etc in advance to reduce stress
- Ask your doctor about counselling if you feel it would be of benefit – your priorities change from week to week so having someone to talk to throughout could be helpful.
- Your health is the priority – anything else can take a back seat right now.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help – it’s there for the taking,
Allie x
