Looking after myself - or trying to
Looking after myself - or trying to Hi there, I haven’t posted on here before but I had bc 3 years ago and then unrelated colon cancer 2 years ago. Am now clear of everything (touch wood!) and no longer receiving any treatment.
I wondered how other people feel about looking after your health after cancer treatment. I find that people who haven’t had cancer can be really judgmental and tell you off if they see you having a few too many to drink or eating a curry or whatever. Most of the time I feel torn between wanting to live an exemplary lifestyle with fresh juices, no dairy, all organic etc and thinking “sod it” as I open another bottle of wine.
I wish I could find a balance that I can live with and stop beating myself up about it when I slip up! How do others feel about this?
me too! Hi Izzibear,
Glad to hear you are keeping well.
I am glad someone else out there is feeling the same as me! I have recently finished treatment being dx in March this year, had WLE/ANC and rads. I have also had a recent colonoscopy as I get screened every five years as there is a family history of bowel cancer. Thankfully this showed no problems.
Since I had my kids 20+ years ago I have battled with my weight and ironically when I was dx I was feeling better than I had for years as I had lost 3 stone and was going to the gym and swimming three times a week. When I was dx I went through a period of saying “sod it, life’s too short to diet” and went back to eating, drinking and generally making merry- a process that has continued for the last six months to the point where I have put back most of the weight I lost. I do feel guilty that I am not giving myself the best chance of fighting any possible recurrence of the disease, or other diseases such as diabetes etc, especially when well meaning hubby, kids and friends nag and tell me off, but it is hard to find a balance isn’t it. I have read lots about changing my diet and have good intentions but often get in from a stressful day at work and head straight for a glass of wine or several and a curry, and then as you say beat myself up about it.
Love Nicky x
The judgmental lot Hi Lizzibear
Yes people can get very moralistic and judgmental around diet. I think this is partly because others are so scared of cancer that they adopt a kind of ‘distancing’ approach to those of us who have it…its a subtle kind of blaming which helps people to feel morally superior and protected from the possibility that one day they might get cancer too.
Then there’s the whole alternative health lobby urging us to eat to beat cancer and take our life in our hands. As though getting cancer in the first place isn’t bad enough we’re then exhorted to get on and heal ourselves. Nonsense!
I hope I’ve found a balance in my own strategies. First of all I don’t think that what I eat now will make one scrap of difference really to what happens on the cancer front. But I do think a broadly ‘healthy’ diet helps me feel better. I do eat reasonable amounts of veg and fruit (more veg than fruit actually), eat organic meat and chicken cause it tastes better but not masses of meat, like fish but not masses. I don’t do junk food or processed stuff cause I don’t like it. (but yes a take away curry from time to time) I enjoy good food, and also some of the food the cancer police make dark warnings about. A typical day for me might be muesli fruit and soya milk with raisins and seeds for breakfast, brie and cranberry baguette for lunch with capuccino; banana and apple and pecan flap jack and a bit of chocalate snacked during the day; small box of pringles (tiny bit of confessional guilt here) in the supermarket to reward myself for the shopping, evening meal with baked potato and tuna mayo and salad and a yogurt, washed down with a couple or three of glasses of white wine and loads of lemon and ginger tea all day (got addicted during chemo…don’t like much milk these days)
Just mix and match as far as I’m concerned. I put on a stone and half during treatment but somehow I’ve lost most of it (2 years since tretament finished). I walk a lot more now which also helps me to feel better. Banish guilt I say and tell other people to stuff their judgements.
best wishes
Jane
totally understand Hi Izzybear
I can fully understand how you feel. I’m now 1 year on past bc with lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy and now Herceptin. Where does it all end I was as fit as any 40 year old could be with healthy eating and lots of good exercise before this happened - I’m now torn between trying to lose the 1 1/2 stones I’ve put on during it all or thinking what the heck and stuffing myself with anything that I can get in my mouth.
I then stop and think - ‘hey you got through the last 12 months BECAUSE you looked after yourself and were strong enough to cope with it both physically and mentally’ - this gives me the incentive to keep at being healthy in case the dreaded bc returns then my body is a healthy as it can be!!
Hope this helps
Clemy x
summing it up Hi
You know I love to drink each night and also feel guilty occassionally until I read a post on the other forum which made me think and realise I should enjoy what I can, when I can , as long as it is in moderation of course…
It goes something like this…
Who wants to arrive in their grave in a perfect package?..you should skid in sideways, champayne in one hand strawberries in the other, life used up!
I loved it…and now I am living everyday to the full and ENJOYING the ride!
Sonya