FIVE STRATEGIES TO COMBAT CANCER WITH FAITH & STYLE
1. Pray
It’s quite simple: Talk to God. I know we immediately jump to prayer when we hear of a loved one going through the Big C or when we endure our own struggles. However, it hits different when you have a deep dive with God and really sit with Him in conversation. Personally, I know that conversing with God on a deeper level nurtures my spirit more when I dedicate time to Him and really sit in the Spirit. I’ve practiced this consistently for three years now as I read the bible daily, listen to daily devotionals via the YouVersion Bible app. and say a prayer in gratitude - but, as I said, it’s practice. Some days I really feel like I have time to sit in the Word and talk to God while other days I just get it done to get it done - and that’s the honest and shameful truth. But these days as I have more time to sit and think about life, I also have more time to talk to God, which feeds my Spirit and deepens my faith in Him. So, as I said, pray but also do the work that prepares you for a journey like this. For me, that means reading a chapter in the Bible a day, listening to a sermon, researching the meaning of a scripture, reading a daily devotional, listening to gospel music, attending a gospel concert, praying + praying some more.
Here are some products that have helped me to grow in my faith-filled journey:
Praying Through It: 365 Days Worth of Prayers That Make Praying Easy
Prayer Journal for Women: 52 Week Scripture, Devotional & Guided Prayer Journal
2. Exercise
This one is certainly easier said than done, but, it is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Consistently exercising has not been an achievement of mine. I have my ups and downs where I ebb and I flow and this has not changed during this journey. However, I push myself on a weekly basis to try to do something rather than nothing. This has included swimming maybe once or twice a week, working out at the gym on maybe a handful of occasions each month, and participating in a $50 pilates class whenever I can muster up the funds and the energy.
Although getting to the gym and working out is the hard part, the true joy comes immediately after accomplishing a workout. It gives you energy, keeps you active and provides mental stability, which is certainly helpful during a journey such as mine.
Tip From My Doctor: Swimming is highly recommended for those going through chemotherapy treatments for Lymphoma.
As a friend you may want to offer a Pilates gal going through her own journey a gift card to a Pilates session to urge her to attend and to take away the pricey cost OR you can offer to workout with your loved one to keep them encouraged during their journey. The motivation and push to workout is all we need sometimes.
& speaking of gift cards - I am so grateful to my loved ones that have reached out to me and sent me a plethora of gift cards during this journey - i.e., Uber eats, Doordash, Grubhub, Gas Cards, Visa, etc… to name a few. This is another added tip for those looking to support a friend in a non-overbearing but very helpful way.
True joy comes immediately after accomplishing a workout… It gives you energy, keeps you active & provides mental stability…
3. Journal
Less Fuckin Attitude More Fuckin Gratitude - That’s the name of the journal that I’ve written in on a handful of occasions since purchasing it this year. So no, I don’t mean journal in the literal sense of writing down your crazy thoughts and deepest, darkest secrets. I mean journal in any sense that allows you to release your thoughts and any mental anguish that you may be experiencing. For me that includes vlogging on my camera, recording TikToks and GRWMs (get ready with me’s), and of course, writing in my journal every once in a blue moon.
The point is to release and reflect your inner thoughts externally.
++ For those on a similar journey as me, or those who are supporting a loved one in their journey against the Big C - I highly recommend this FU%K CANCER Journal and Planner: To Help You Through Cancer Treatment - I received this as a gift from my cousin at the start of my journey and it has really helped me to keep track of my side effects and document my moods, exercises, activities and medications.
4. Meditate
As per Google, to meditate is to “think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting…” So for me, meditation is spending time with myself, by myself & in my thoughts. I don’t literally mean to sit cross-legged and meditate with my eyes closed and my hands on my hips - that doesn’t work for me, but if it works for you, go for it!
For me… meditation is my solitude. It is where I sit and think about whatever I want to think about, organize my thoughts and focus on me. Living alone has certainly helped, however, for those that don’t live alone, I’ve found sitting in the bathroom to be just as helpful - the bathroom, the closet, the basement, wherever. Any place that you find solitude is where you find focus. This has been very important for me during this time, especially since I receive a lot of check up calls, messages and visits. Although certainly grateful, it can be quite overwhelming. Engaging in long conversations that include health updates, gossip or drama can be quite the energy sucker. Add chemo exhaustion to that and you are certainly on E. That’s where meditating and solitude come in - and sleep, don’t forget sleep.
Therefore, as a fighter, I urge you to sit with your thoughts and spend time in your lonesome to meditate on whatever your mind drifts off to. As a friend of a fighter, allow that person to drift and to focus and support from afar sometimes. It may not be necessary to call every other day or ask for a doctor’s update each week. Be creative, find new ways to engage and interact with your loved one without literally urging them to talk about the very same thing that they are living through each and every day.
“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
5. Shop
Well this is obvious, for me at least. Shopping has certainly gotten me through some of my less exciting days. Ironically, I moved into my new place 10 days prior to receiving my diagnosis! Crazy, right?! So, naturally, my shopping habits began with home decor and furniture, which dramatically included my plant mom addiction to buy plants - lots of plants. House shopping seems to never end so I’m actually grateful for this new adventure of interior decorating, which has served as a great distraction during this time. Also: check out this trending TikTok I made when exploring the very affordable West Elm Outlet in Brooklyn, which I highly recommend when furniture shopping!
Of course the fashion girl in me will always shop for clothes, shoes and accessories. However, the girl journeying cancer and going through chemo needs way more than clothes to distract me, so when I say shop - I mean literally shop for anything that appeases you. For me that included new books that are currently half read or unopened, new furniture, new coffee table books to decorate my apartment, new electronic gadgets to support my inconsistent TikTok and Instagram videos, new candles to drown out the smell of anything but sweet smelling fragrances, new jeans that I’ll wear two or three times, and new plants of course 😉.
