Often we get asked, “What is the RIGHT way to heal my cancer?” Not to sound cliché, but the answer is “Everyone is different and so YOUR way is your RIGHT way.” And many of us run into some strong misconceptions that can limit our healing. Here are the 3 most common ones many may encounter:
1. Having a laser focus on my health is all I need to get through my cancer.
The Truth: Having a clear focus on your health is important when dealing with cancer. However, true cancer healing needs to be done on the body, mind, and spirit levels. Forgetting a key aspect of what makes you whole, is like ignoring your home and family while you focus on work. One day, you’ll look up from your desk and find that your home and family life have become complete disasters and everything feels like it’s falling apart.
2. If I tell people about my cancer, I’ll be treated differently.
The Truth: Traveling your Cancer Journey can be a lonely. Even with an abundant support network loneliness can set in and make it hard to be motivated to continue healing. So, the more you can include others into your cancer healing, the better.
I’ve heard so often that cancer folks don’t share their illness with others because they don’t want to be looked at or treated like a sick person or someone who is dying. I understand completely. And, when you stand in your power around your cancer, you can help others learn to be with you in the way that you need. You can teach them.
You can ask for what you need, some nutritious, yummy food or someone to take a walk in nature with, and let them know that you are still the person you were before your cancer. You can be treated and seen as vibrant, useful, and alive during your cancer journey.
How can you share what you’re going through and still laugh, sing, dance, and play with others as part of your cancer healing?
3. Once I finish treatment, everything will go back to normal.
The Truth: The completion of treatment (or at least, active treatment) is a milestone; one to be celebrated and acknowledged. However, just because treatment is done does not mean that you are no longer feeling the effects from treatment. The effects move slowly out of our body. It takes time for the treatment to do what it needs to do and then leave our body.
It doesn’t matter whether you are healing from surgery or an extensive chemo/radiation regime, recovery takes time. There is no magic formula or date when all will be well; it will take as long as it does. Recovery is still part of your cancer journey. Knowing that you are different, changed somehow from your cancer, is key. Different isn’t bad. Different is different. Embracing your “New Different You” is part of standing in your power.
