Data from cancer.gov revealed that 1,806,590 new cases of cancer were expected to be diagnosed across the US back in 2020, with 606,520 deaths resulting from the fatal disease. The website further disclosed that men have a higher mortality rate than women and that African-American men are most likely to succumb to the Big C compared to all other races or ethnicities.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that cancer accounted for roughly 9.6 million deaths in 2018, thus making it the second leading global cause of death. The WHO also said that men typically suffer from prostate, lung, liver, colorectal, and stomach cancer, while women are known to suffer from breast, cervical, colorectal, and thyroid cancer.
Despite these grim facts, all hope is not lost to cancer patients. With the right mindset and some simple techniques, they can still remain productive members of society and lead fulfilling happy lives.
Here are five ways on how cancer patients can maintain productivity and happiness amid their battle with the dreaded disease:
Participate in healthcare research.
Quite a lot of advancements in healthcare are due to painstaking research done by scientists and healthcare professionals. By interviewing cancer patients and trying to gain a deeper understanding of their unique situations, researchers can advance their knowledge and skills on how best to treat other cancer warriors.
If you are battling cancer right now (or you know someone who does), you should be open to the idea of participating in cancer research as your way of helping other individuals who have a similar illness. There are patient recruitment services specifically meant to find cancer patients who are willing to serve as resource persons for clinical trials and other scientific methodologies that are designed to improve the treatment and care of cancer.
Thus, if you are approached for this purpose, be open about it and do participate if possible, so you can contribute a huge deal in the concerted effort to fight the disease.
Strive to get plenty of restful sleep.
According to the Sleep Foundation, while there is no conclusive study that shows a direct correlation between cancer risk and sleep, it’s generally agreed that lack of sleep is a huge factor in heightened susceptibility to illnesses. This is because sleep deprivation is a leading reason for a weakened immune system, which prevents the body to properly combat a wide range of diseases.
As such, be sure to make conscious efforts to sleep well each night. While it may be a struggle at times, you should nonetheless try. With researches showing increased death risks for people with limited sleep, there’s real wisdom in making sure to catch plenty of sleep every night.
Don’t push yourself too hard.
Fatigue is one of the common ill health effects that can be directly attributed to cancer and is one of the things you have to fight to stay productive and happy. One simple trick to do this is to pace yourself when doing physical activities such as lifting things or moving around. If you must work for most of the day, be sure to regularly pause for a break. This would give you enough time to rest and regain physical strength to move on with your tasks for the day.
If possible, group similar tasks and create a schedule of your daily activities. This way, you’ll know the best way to accomplish those tasks and end the day still feeling energetic. The bottom line: if it’s not a sprint, then just walk or jog it out.
Get a professional physical trainer.
Keeping your body in fairly great condition while battling cancer is critical in improving your chances of winning the fight. If you have the financial means to do so, then be sure to hire a professional physical trainer to devise a custom exercise routine for you. Your trainer should coordinate with your physician to determine your limitations in terms of physical activities. This would help your trainer create an exercise regimen that would make the most out of your unique condition without causing undue stress or physical exhaustion.
Eat healthy food.
Just like sleep and exercise, a healthy diet is yet another essential thing you must have to allow you to live a great life as you wage war against cancer. You can consult with a registered nutritionist-dietitian to have a personalized meal plan to ensure that you’re eating the right food. With this, you’ll have the nutrition required to accomplish your daily tasks and still have enough energy to pursue more leisurely activities such as spending quality time with your loved ones.
The battle against the Big C may be an uphill climb, but it’s a scalable one. With these simple techniques, you’ll surely stay productive and happy even as you fight it off with the dreaded illness.
