WHAT CAN CANCER PATIENTS CAN LEARN FROM HEART PATIENTS?

When my mother was diagnosed with heart disease, she learned she had to manage her illness. The damage to her heart was real, and even though some was reversed through treatment, she had to accept that her heart was going to be vulnerable from that point on. It never occurred to her that, short of a heart transplant, she could be cured. Her outlook was tempered by that reality.

A lot of cancer patients feel that anything less than a cure is a failure. While the ideal is to find a cure, sometimes learning to accept what cancer is and finding ways to manage it means you maximize your potential, instead of surrendering it to the power cancer has over you. You break through the fear and frustration of cancer and seek ways to live, so that your life has meaning.

Heart patients know that they have to pay attention to the signs their bodies exhibit, in order to get treatment when problems arise. Cancer is a disease that benefits from this approach. When you notice something is different, get it checked out. Don't assume that a potentially new cancer means that your time is up. Some cancer patients take a fatalistic view of their cancer and assume the worst. But I've met many people who lived years with cancers popping up in different parts of their bodies, even Stage 4 patients. The secret is to manage the symptoms as they show up, without waiting, without hesitating. If you thought you had a blockage in an artery, you'd get it treated, wouldn't you? Your cardiologist might order a stent or a bypass, to help the heart function better. Going to your oncologist to see what solutions are available when there is a problem is a smart thing to do. You're looking for ways to survive the cancer.

Heart patients also know that lifestyle changes can often improve their survival rate. When they avoid harmful behavior, they help themselves to prevent new damage. Diet and exercise are critical in managing heart disease, but they can also help cancer patients. I say that as someone who sees some of the patients from the cancer center working out at my gym. One of the women, who was going through chemotherapy more than a year ago, is showing up regularly and looking healthy. Her hair has grown back and she's hitting the exercise machines with some gusto. If you have the energy and your doctor's approval, this is a great thing to do. Even getting out for regular walks can improve your mood and relieve stress.

Managing the stress of heart disease helps patients stay in the game of life because it reduces the wear and tear on the body. Cancer patients can also benefit from this. When you lie awake at night, fretting over your fate, that tension builds up in your body. It effects your blood pressure, your immune system, and your attitude. The more you can manage your stress, the better your outlook will be.

Stress is a very big part of cancer. It's hard not to think about what is happening inside your body, to imagine the worst. Having healthy ways to take control of that stress is important for cancer patients. Stress can eat away at your resources and cut into your ability to manage your cancer.

Understanding your cancer and its effects is important. It's also important to remember that sometimes cancer takes years before it shows up in tests. Not all cancers are aggressive. But even when they are, there are new treatments that can help you manage the disease, to give you time.
Time is the friend of cancer patients. With it, there is always hope for a better tomorrow.