Time is a big deal right now, isn’t it? Your schedule is filling up with doctor’s visits, all sorts of diagnostic tests, as well as the rigors of figuring out what to do about your job, finances, and how to interact with your family and friends. 

And then, there’s this little thing called your “sanity” to consider!

So, on this page, I’m going to encapsulize some of the most important things I’ve learned. You can find details in my books and blogs, but maybe today, you just need the basics.

Here we go:

1. Cancer makes you feel powerless. But you aren’t, and that’s a fact. You are in charge of your decisions, your selection of treatment options, your communicaton, and your process. Your journey is YOUR journey. Take the helm. Passive people don’t do as well as proactive people in treatment. When it’s all said and done, you’re the one who has to feel good about what you did and how you did it. You need to be at peace, so commit to it. Make up your mind right now you’re going to give it everything you’ve got. No holds barred. Cancer deserves its demise!

2. How can you make good decisions if you don’t get the facts and information you need? ASK QUESTIONS! AND KEEP ASKING THEM UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND! You aren’t trying to win a popularity contest. You’re trying to save your life. So advocate for yourself with all your heart, soul and mind, and don’t worry about what people think. Also, please be cautious about making major personal changes that don’t have to happen right now. Focus on and save your energy for your healing.

3. Myths abound about cancer. I wrote two books to address those mindsets, and I can’t summarize them all here. But understand that cancer doesn’t always win, nor is it almighty or infallible. It’s an enemy to be reckoned with, for sure, but it certainly isn’t God. Treat it as an enemy. Identify, define, and learn as much as possible within reason and without wearing yourself out. Then create and identify your own beliefs. It doesn’t have to be a long list or take long to do it. But it’s important that you determine for yourself how YOU view cancer and your future in your own well-pondered context. 

4. “Stress makes your body more hospitable to cancer.” (Lorenzo Cohen, PhD, MD Anderson Cancer Center) That means eliminating stress as much as possible is not optional! But how do you do that? For me, I find it in my relationship with God, but this is a website for anyone with cancer, not just people who believe as I do. So I’m advocating that you sit down, think hard, meditate, listen to music, talk to a friend, read a good book–whatever decreases stress in your life, just do it. I know it’s gut-wrenching. As I’ve said, I’ve been there twice. But, if there’s anything you take away from this site, please attack the stress and disarm it. Give your body an atmosphere in which it has a fighting chance. 

5. Develop cancer smarts. Some people are street smart. Some people are book smart. Unfortunately, for you and me, we need to be cancer smart. We must be vigilant, steward our bodies carefully, and then do whatever we know will protect us with good-sense care to maximize our safety and longevity. For example, I’m an avid walker, but during chemo, I couldn’t do my normal two miles at a stretch. So I broke it up into manageable increments, 10-15 minutes at a time throughout the day. I believe that strategy helped me physically and emotionally. Exercise is important during treatment as well as afterwards!

6. What you believe will determine your journey. Of course, I can’t promise the outcome. But I can encourage you that your belief system masterminds the process and has the power to influence the outcome.