Just hearing the word "chemotherapy" is enough to strike fear into anyone's heart, let alone the shock of being told by a doctor that you need treatment. At that moment, it felt like a bolt from the blue, as if my life had been plunged into a nightmare from which I couldn't wake up.
But as all survivors say, your attitude is everything.
So in this chapter, in addition to sharing the care methods that helped me alleviate side effects, I'll also talk about how to cheer myself up.
- Regular Acupuncture: With my doctor's approval, I had acupuncture every week, mainly to regulate my gastrointestinal system and prevent peripheral neuropathy. Fortunately, I was able to eat throughout chemotherapy, and the numbness in my hands and feet was very mild.
- Increase Sweating to Accelerate Detoxification: There are many ways to do this. Some people soak their feet, some walk on a treadmill wearing a raincoat, and some go to the gym for a sauna. I lay on a sweating blanket for 50 minutes every day. Sweating more helps the body metabolize and eliminate chemotherapy toxins.
- Cheer Yourself Up! Chemotherapy is a huge challenge both physically and mentally. In addition to the dreaded side effects, learning to adjust your mood is also a skill. Looking back, there were three main psychological constructions that helped me find courage: a) Understanding Side Effects as Similar to Pregnancy Discomforts: Think of it as if you're pregnant, but instead of nurturing a new life, you're nurturing a reborn self. b) "No matter what you become, I love you always.": During treatment, in addition to physical and mental fatigue, your appearance also changes due to medication, making you a stranger even to yourself, so it's easy to have a crisis of confidence. I viewed this journey as a question from God, asking if I would love myself. From the first day of treatment, I practiced giving myself a smile in the mirror every day, telling myself, "No matter what you become, I love you always." This exercise reminded me to be my own best supporter and to cherish the body that was fighting hard. c) Maintain a sense of humor: Even with a strong heart and a positive mindset, there will always be awkward moments during treatment. If you can make light of yourself at this time, you can help your mood rebound from the bottom and see the light again. For example, one of the most challenging aspects of chemotherapy for me was hair loss. It wasn't that I couldn't accept losing my hair, but watching it fall out slowly, for a long time, and everywhere, it was like an endless torture. This uncomfortable feeling continued until one day I realized that I should treat myself like a large pet that was shedding. From that moment on, I felt much more relaxed. Even when I saw hair all over my pillow and bathtub, I didn't find it annoying because it's normal for pets to shed, right? Look at me, shaking it off!
I was lucky that during chemotherapy, apart from unstable blood test results and losing 80% of my hair, the side effects were mostly mild or stabilized after the initial period, and did not cause too much trouble. At the end of chemotherapy, the tumor had completely disappeared.
Although
the effects of chemotherapy vary from person to person, I sincerely
hope to share this good fortune with those who need it. I pray that
everyone can complete their treatment safely and smoothly and embrace a
new beginning.
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