Here are some tips to help you during chemo:

• Try to keep your treatment goals in mind. This will help you keep a positive attitude on days when the going gets rough.

• Eating well is very important. Your body needs food to rebuild tissues and regain strength.

• Learn as much as you want to know about your disease and its treatment. This can lessen your fear of the unknown and increase your feeling of control.

• Keep a journal or diary while you're being treated. A record of your activities and thoughts can help you understand the feelings you have as you go through treatment. It can also help you highlight questions you need to ask your doctor or nurse. You also can use your journal to record the side effects. This will help you when you talk about them with your doctor and nurse. You can write down the steps you take to cope with side effects and how well those steps work, too. That way, you’ll know which methods worked best for you in case you have the same side effects again.

• Take it easy. You may not have as much energy as usual, so try to get as much rest as you can. Let the small stuff slide and only do the things that are most important to you.

• Try new hobbies and learn new skills.

• Exercise if you can and if your doctor says it's OK. Using your body can make you feel better about yourself, help you get rid of tension or anger, and build your appetite.

How can I relieve stress and relax?

Simple techniques can help you cope with stress and help you relax. Try some of these methods to find the ones that work best for you. You may want to check with your doctor before using these techniques, especially if you have lung problems.

Muscle tension and release

• Lie down in a quiet room.

• Take a slow, deep breath.

• As you breathe in, tense a muscle or group of muscles. For example, clench your teeth or stiffen your arms or legs.

• Keep your muscles tense for a second or 2 while holding your breath.

• Then breathe out, release the tension, and let your body relax completely.

• Repeat the process with another muscle or muscle group.

Another way to do this is called progressive relaxation. You work your way up your body starting with the toes of one foot. Contract then relax all the muscles of one leg. Do the same with the other leg. Work your way up your body, contracting then relaxing each of the muscle groups in your body, including those in your neck and face. Remember to hold your breath while briefly contracting your muscles and to breathe out when releasing the tension.

Rhythmic breathing

• Get into a comfortable position and relax all your muscles.

• Close your eyes or focus on a distant object if you prefer to keep them open.

• Breathe in and out slowly and comfortably through your nose. If you like, keep the rhythm steady by saying to yourself, "In, one, two. Out, one, two."

• Feel yourself relax and go limp each time you breathe out.

• You can continue this for just a few seconds or for up to 10 minutes.

Biofeedback

With biofeedback training you can control body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension. A machine will sense and alert you when your body shows signs of tension. The machine will also give you feedback when you relax your body. With time and practice you will be able to control your relaxation responses without having to depend on feedback from the machine. Your doctor or nurse can refer you to someone trained in teaching biofeedback.

Mental imagery

• Close your eyes, breathe slowly, and feel yourself relax.

• Imagine a ball of healing energy -- perhaps a white light -- forming somewhere in your body.

• When you see the ball of energy, slowly breathe in and blow the ball to any part of the body where you feel pain, tension, or discomfort, such as nausea. When you breathe out, picture the air moving the ball away from your body, taking with it any painful or uncomfortable feelings. (Be sure to breathe naturally; don't blow.)

• Continue to picture the ball moving toward you and away from you each time you breathe in and out. You may see the ball getting bigger and bigger as it takes away more and more tension and discomfort.

Visualization

Visualization is much like imagery. With visualization you create an inner picture that represents your fight against cancer. You might visualize rockets blasting away the cancer cells in your body or knights in armor battling the cells.

Hypnosis

Hypnosis puts you in a trance-like state that can help reduce discomfort and anxiety. You can be hypnotized by a qualified person, or you can learn how to hypnotize yourself. If you are interested in learning more, ask your doctor or nurse to refer you to someone trained in the technique.

Distraction

Distract yourself from your worries or discomforts by watching TV, listening to the radio, reading, going to the movies, or working with your hands by doing needlework or puzzles, building models, or painting. You may be surprised how comfortably the time passes.

Last Medical Review: 03/08/2008
Last Revised: 05/15/2008