If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, it is natural to gravitate towards analysing and overthinking what could have led to it. Most of the friendly advice you get is also in many ways very triggering. The fact of the matter is, staying positive and trusting your doctor and your body is key. It is also easy to believe that no small changes are going to help.

Here are a few things you probably believe but shouldn’t.
It is too late to change: No, it isn’t. While your diagnosis has shaken you, use it as a catalyst to change certain things. It isn’t really late to change even the smallest things of your life. Whether it is sleeping on time or eating the right meals. While cancer treatments have some side effects, making positive changes absolutely helps the healing process.
Meditation isn’t going to help: Meditation isn’t a cure. The American Cancer Society has recommended meditation as a way to connect with their body. It can help balance emotions, it can help deal with anxiety and the restlessness that comes with a cancer diagnosis.
What is a walk going to do now? Undergoing chemo or any other treatment for your cancer is going to take a toll on your body. Taking a walk isn’t about ‘getting healthy’, but just walking around, even a few minutes at a time will help you feel less tired and reduce fatigue. Of course, you are the best judge of how much you can take. But walking and light workout definitely help.
Getting emotional support isn’t going to help: It is easy to believe that you are strong enough to overcome this challenge, but the truth is that it is completely ok to reach out to therapists and counsellors to help you understand the emotional turmoil you’re going through. Family and caregivers may be supportive, but it is nearly impossible for them to understand you entirely. Find a local support group as well to help you even more.

These are just a few things, but these are often overlooked. Even the smallest positive changes can have the biggest impact, never forget that you are bigger than everything you face. At Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, our oncologists will guide you every step along the way. The entire ecosystem works to deliver the best possible outcomes.