Breast Cancer Self-Care and Recovery :

Overview of Lifestyle Modification

Breast Cancer : The number of women who have breast cancer is equal to the number of breast cancer stories. To transform one’s life, recover, feel better, or cope, there is no one correct way to do any of these things. It appears that the most important thing to do is take the time to discover which healing and well-being modalities work best for you.

Since there are no known causes of breast cancer, there are also no effective treatments to stop the illness from developing again. This may cause apprehension, anxiety, and rage. Research and activism for breast cancer are driven by people’s desire to uncover a reason and their dread of the unknown.

Certain healthy living guidelines at least make individuals feel better even in the absence of scientific evidence. When applied correctly, these concepts could enhance your general well-being, vitality, and health.

Research on the relationship between lifestyle factors—such as nutrition, exercise, support, and stress management—and breast cancer is still underway. At UCSF Medical Center, we are investigating whether or not a low-fat, high-fruit, vegetable, and fiber diet can lower the incidence of breast cancer recurrence; whether or not joining a support group (and what kind), whether or not exercise can lessen fatigue; and whether or not Chinese herbs—and which ones—can lessen the side effects of chemotherapy. It’s possible that you have previously taken part in research like this or that you will in the future in order to assist address these issues.

We don’t currently have any answers. Nevertheless, in light of the available data and the experiences of women who report feeling better after caring for themselves, we would like to draw attention to a few suggestions that may assist you in creating your own personalized recovery strategy.

Consider a self-inventory process:

How well do I take care of myself? Do I tend to my needs first? If I were my child, sibling, or best friend, what guidance would I give myself?

How do I eat? Are I on a diet, feeling cheated, snatching junk food, feeling bad about consuming the “wrong” foods, or unsure of what constitutes a healthy and unhealthy food? Do I get enough water in my diet?

Do I get enough sleep? Can I have a good night’s sleep? What keeps me from resting and sleeping?

Do I consume cigarettes? Do I consume too much alcohol?

What causes me stress in my daily life? What am I able to alter? In what way may I react differently?

Do I make a physical movement? Which kind of movement bring me the most joy? In my life, how do I fit it in and when?

What is causing my terrible mood? What obstacles exist to modifying that?

What am I passionate about? What inspires me and provides purpose to my life? Do I create time or space for the things that bring purpose to my life? What inspires me to create?

A change in lifestyle is not a set of rules that never alters. It is a dynamic process that is frequently in crisis and change during the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Taking care of yourself is the first and most important step. This is taking care of oneself.

Our goal at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is to give you the knowledge and encouragement you need to look into ways to improve your quality of life. We can learn from what you find effective. This will allow us to share your story and your lessons with other breast cancer-stricken ladies.

Self-Care and Recovery after Breast Cancer:

Breast cancer and nutrition

Regarding diet after being diagnosed with breast cancer, there are a lot of questions. No diet is certain to prevent breast cancer or to shield a woman who already has the disease from having it return. These evidence-based suggestions aim to reduce the risk of cancer and enhance overall wellbeing.

It takes a significant change in thinking, feeling, and doing to change your connection with food and eating. This shift is not intended to help you short-term lose weight on a diet, but to help you adopt a new lifestyle.

Eating according to the “abundance model” involves cooking and selecting excellent food, enjoying a variety of flavors, having generous quantities, not feeling calorie-constrained, and eating when you’re hungry.

Unlike the more popular “deprivation model,” which leaves us feeling horrible or guilty when our hunger and desires go unsatisfied, this approach takes a different approach. With this concept, cycles of stress and eating disorders linked to depression are typical. A better-nourished and healthier version of oneself frequently emerges from the mental shift from “I can’t eat without feeling bad and guilty” to “I enjoy an abundance of healthy, delicious food.”

Advice

As an example

1. Reduce the amount of fat in your diet to 10%–20% of calories.

foods low in fat or without fat

2. Consume less animal protein and more plant-based protein.

Less turkey and lean meats and more beans and soy

3. Minimum daily allowances of the following: 6 grains; 3–5 vegetables; 2-4 fruits; 1-2 beans; 1-2 soy;

Whole grains, leafy greens, kidney and pinto beans, tofu, and soy milk

4. Each day, sip eight to ten eight-ounce glasses of water.

Always have a bottle of water with you.

5. Limit your daily intake of caffeine to one or two glasses.

teas made with herbs

6. Moderate alcohol consumption

Three servings or less each week

7. Cut back on cured foods and nitrates.

Warm dogs

8. Reduce the amount of food additives

artificial tastes

Self-Care and Recovery after Breast Cancer:

Water and Health in Hydration

Water consumption is crucial for good health. It’s important to remember that dehydration can have negative health effects, so it’s advised to drink at least 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water per day.

To make up for what you’ve lost, you need to consume more water if:

You’re working out.

It’s a sweltering day outside.

You have profuse perspiration, which includes “hot flashes” and nocturnal sweats.

You’re experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, or fever

Instead of being a concentrated dark yellow, your urine should be a mild yellow tint.

What promotes both dehydration and hydration?

Drinking plenty of water

Water

teas made with herbs

Low-fat soy milk

diluted fruit juices

Dehydration:

booze

Both regular coffee and decaf coffee

Decaffeinated tea and black tea

Milk Chocolate

salty or high-sodium foods

sodas with caffeine

What is the threshold amount?

Suggestion:

At least 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water should be consumed each day.

Measurements of liquids:

Eight ounces is one cup.

One pint is equal to two cups.

One quart is equal to four cups.

One quart is equal to two pints.

One gallon is equal to four quarts.

One gallon is equal to sixteen cups.

Comparables between 8 and 10 cups:

64–80 ounces

Between four and five pints

two to three quarts

.5 to.75 gallons

Exercise Routine

Exercise as a means of self-care and rehabilitation from breast cancer.

Continuously moving your arms, legs, or both for at least 20 minutes at a moderate to high effort is known as aerobic exercise.

Some advantages of aerobic exercise are as follows:

boosts vitality

lowers the chance of lymphedema

encourages slumber

enhances cardiovascular health

elevates mood

bolsters the bones

minimizes the hot flashes

keeps the right weight

maintains regularity in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract

Implement the advice.

It is advised that you engage in aerobic activity for 20 minutes a minimum of three times each week.

Some excellent examples of aerobic exercise are the following:

Strolling

Running or jogging

Cycling

Swimming

utilizing an exercise bike and other cardio apparatus

Exercises versus aerobics

Activities include stop-and-go or low-intensity movements, such playing golf. Activities are helpful, but they cannot replace aerobic exercise or offer the whole body benefits of exercise.

Here are a few instances of activities:

Taking the dog for a stroll

Playing golf

horticulture

Cleaning duties

Yard labor

rushing around your home, workplace, or after your kids

launching a walking initiative

Walking is an excellent, affordable, and safe form of cardio exercise. Another safe way to start an exercise routine is by walking. Your arms glide gently as you walk. The ideal arm movements are gentle ones. Remember the following:

Put on relaxed footwear.

Pay attention to your breathing and posture.

Be sure to stay hydrated before, during, and after your stroll.

Walk a little more slowly at first to warm up.

Finish your stroll at a slightly slower speed to help you cool down.

Gradually increase the duration and intensity of your practice by starting at a level that is safe and appropriate for you.

Self-Care and Recovery after Breast Cancer:

Oriented Imagery

Allow yourself to unwind however it suits you best:

gradual onset of muscular relaxation

Relaxing body scan

counting breaths

Imagine feeling calm wash over you like a soft mist or warm waterfall.

Other

Picture yourself in a stunning, secure haven surrounded by nature. Make use of every sense. Here are a few instances:

A garden where you can enjoy the scent of flowers, see fluffy white clouds drift across a blue sky, and feel a light breeze caress your cheek.

A landscape in the mountains where you can experience the burn of your muscles as you stroll along a route. You can smell the pine trees as they warm up in the sunlight or place your feet in a refreshing mountain stream and let them to rest on a smooth, round stone.

The beach where you can feel the sun on your shoulders, where you can feel the cool water beneath your toes, and where you can hear the sound of soft waves hissing as they recede from the shore.

You can spend as much time as you like there, seeing yourself moving and feeling how you would like to, as an exercise that promotes overall wellness. Envision, sense, and engage in whichever activity embodies your ideal state of health.

To address a particular physical or mental challenge, visualize it and spend a few minutes closely examining it. Next, open a picture of the identical issue that has been fully resolved. Visualize the issue transforming into the restored state. Consider the healed image as you finish.

You might want to jot down some notes or sketch some pictures from your visualization session.

Self-Care and Recovery after Breast Cancer:

Meditating

Meditation has been a part of human practice for thousands of years. We refer to this type of meditation as “mindfulness meditation” or awareness practice. This type of meditation is both easy and effective. Being “mindful” or aware of what is going on in the current moment is the aim of mindfulness meditation.

Reaction mode is where most of us spend our time. We are responding to things that we enjoy, don’t like, or desire would occur. Our reactions to things are shaped by our past—both positive and negative. Thinking about the past and the future, we are practically “lost” in our thoughts. Seldom are we “there” for the actual moment, for what is going on right now.

Rediscovering the present moment is the goal of meditation. We discover that a space of sorts gradually opens up inside of us when we take the time to notice what is truly present, even when we are not moving at our usual pace. We experience a closer, more personal connection with ourselves. Perspective and awareness are made possible in this area, and they both aid in embracing life’s obstacles. We discover that we can learn to “be” with whatever arises in our hearts and brains and that we can accept things as they are.

You may reap the benefits of meditation with a little regular practice.

Starting with the guidelines

Position

Ideally, you should be able to sit with your back as straight as possible when in a chair or on a floor cushion without having to strain. Let both of your feet contact the floor if you are seated. The hands can lie face down on your thighs or rest on your lap. Imagine yourself sitting in a comfortable yet elegant posture, no matter how you decide to place yourself.

Getting into a meditation state

Just acknowledging that you are sitting can be a good place to start. Think of your body as an envelope that contains your entire being. Sensing where your body meets the chair’s surface can be helpful. Maybe your legs or feet are touching the floor, or maybe your buttocks are pressing on a chair or cushion. Let yourself simply to become at ease in your own skin and in the present.

When meditating, many people close their eyes to aid with concentration. Your eyes can be gently closed or left open, depending on your preference. Then, gently rest your attention on the floor a few feet in front of you.

concentrating on breathing

Bring your attention to your breathing slowly. Take note of the areas where your breath moves the most forcefully. It might be the rising and falling of your abdomen or the in and out motion of your nostrils. Take note of the areas where your breathing is most vigorous.

Continue observing the movement of the breath as soon as you’ve located the spot where it is strongest. As the belly rises and falls, try to truly feel the breath. Observe to yourself, very quietly, “rising, falling.” Repeat to yourself, “rising” as your belly rises with each breath, “falling” as your belly descends with each exhale. This is not meant to take the place of actually feeling your breath rise and fall through your belly, but it might assist you in maintaining your attention on the breath.

gently engaging the thoughts

It’s likely that you’ll immediately realize that your thoughts have strayed. Perhaps you caught a breath or two, but before you knew it, you were lost in an idea or emotion and had completely forgotten about the breath. Everything is OK here. Everyone experiences it. The moment you become aware that you are lost in thinking, return your focus to your breathing very gently yet firmly. Have the willingness to start over. Treat yourself with kindness.

Breast cancer and sexuality

Sexuality: What is it?

The whole of our thoughts, feelings, and actions toward ourselves and other people as sexual beings is our sexuality. It encompasses our thoughts and imaginations, our movements and speech, how we feel about our own bodies, and how we feel when we are touched. It encompasses the range of displays of sexual closeness, kissing, and other enjoyable and thrilling sensations.

Each of us defines sexuality very differently, and our sexual attitudes and behaviors can be influenced by a variety of factors, including our religious convictions, cultural norms, familial views, and past positive and negative experiences with closeness, sensuality, and sex.

How might breast cancer affect a person’s sexuality?

A breast cancer diagnosis, course of treatment, and recovery may also have an impact on sexuality. Some women claim that the meaning and behavior resulting from intimacy or sex has changed little to nothing. This could apply to women who lead sexually active or inactive lives. Some ladies discuss how their illness-related crisis led to a deeper level of connection. Reduced libido (sex desire), a sense of bodily fragility, and a need to recover from the trauma of diagnosis, procedures, and therapy are common experiences among women.

Women may encounter certain symptoms related to therapies that directly affect their sexual ideas and behaviors. Anesthesia may cause pain, limit range of motion, and alter one’s perception of one’s own or one’s partner’s physical appearance and sensation. Breast soreness and exhaustion are possible side effects of radiation therapy. Chemotherapy side effects include nausea, vomiting, exhaustion, and menopausal symptoms as dry vagina, hot flashes, and insomnia.

According to some writers, a decline in sex desire could be connected to both a drop in estrogen and a drop in testosterone. Hair loss, weight increase, and changes to the breasts can all be associated with changes in one’s self-esteem and body image.

Our sexual self are greatly influenced by our thoughts and feelings. Sexual expression can be hindered or interrupted by a variety of emotions, including stress, anxiety, fear, and melancholy. Above all, it is simply “human” that receiving a breast cancer diagnosis can cause significant alterations in our deepest emotions.

These adjustments are not always negative and difficult. Experimenting with sensuality and sexuality can lead to amazing growth and insights. Women have shared tales of deeper meaning in touch, improved relationships, and a stronger, more vibrant, even joyful awareness of one’s own body.

How am I able to help?

Discuss your symptoms with the nurses and doctors that you are seeing.This could aid in their treatment or reduction. For instance, having sex when vaginally dry is extremely unpleasant and definitely not enjoyable; vaginal lubricants and certain drugs can help to lessen this menopausal side effect. Don’t give up; find someone who is competent and at ease if none of the people you chat with seem uncomfortable.

Consider and investigate the type of emotional assistance that best suits your needs.One-on-one therapy works for some people; support groups provide the most profound assistance for others; creative arts settings are beneficial for others; journaling, retreats, and “heart-to-heart” conversations with loved ones and friends are all beneficial for others.

It might be lonely and alienating to think you are the only one in the world experiencing difficult, complex, or confused feelings, ideas, or actions related to sex. Instead, read, learn more, and engage in conversation with others.

Recognize that most people find it difficult to discuss sex.It could change someone’s life to start a conversation with friends, other breast cancer patients, medical professionals, therapists, and partners, spouses, and lovers. It’s possible that you’ll feel better—likely less alone and more at ease with your body, sexuality, intimacy, and sensuality.

You shouldn’t feel forced to be more or less sexual than you choose.The key thing is to examine your desires and be able to work with the things you wish to improve. There is no “right” way to be.

Remind yourself that you deserve to feel happy; only you can decide what that means.

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