Staying Mentally Active During Chemotherapy: My Experience

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Staying mentally active during cancer treatment is crucial as it helps combat the debilitating effects of chemobrain, a common side effect that can impair memory and concentration. A mentally active lifestyle can improve emotional resilience, reduce stress, and enhance well-being. In May 2020, after experiencing significant weight loss, bloody stools, and low energy, I was diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer that had metastasized to my liver.

My treatment plan included a combination of strong chemotherapy drugs, surgeries, and continuous monitoring of my tumor marker levels. Despite the physical and emotional challenges, maintaining mental activity became a vital part of my journey, helping me cope with the demands of chemotherapy treatment and the side effects it brought along.

Understanding the Importance of Mental Activity

Staying mentally active during cancer treatment is vital for cognitive and emotional well-being. Engaging the mind helps combat the cognitive decline often associated with chemotherapy treatment, known as chemo brain, which can cause memory lapses, concentration issues, and mental fog.

Benefits of Mental Activity for Cognitive Health and Emotional Well-Being:

Reduces Chemobrain Symptoms: Regular mental exercises can lessen the effects of chemo brain by stimulating brain function and improving memory and concentration.

Enhances Emotional Resilience: Staying mentally active can provide a sense of normalcy and purpose, which is crucial for emotional stability during cancer treatment.

Promotes Positive Outlook: Engaging in mentally stimulating activities can boost mood and provide a distraction from the physical side effects of chemotherapy.

Improves Quality of Life: A mentally active lifestyle can lead to better overall well-being, making it easier to handle the rigors of cancer treatment.

How Mental Engagement Can Help Manage Stress and Improve Treatment Outcomes

Mental engagement plays a significant role in managing stress during cancer treatment. For cancer patients, maintaining a calm, positive, and optimistic mindset is a very important issue. Most patients go through a period of extreme stress and unhappiness before they get cancer. After I got sick, my strategies for adjusting my mood were:

1. I had to relax and engage in things that made me happy.

2. I had to keep exercising as much as I could (although sometimes I couldn't because of the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation).

3. I had to keep in touch with close family and friends as much as I could to maintain a good social relationship.

4. I had to continue to learn my professional skills if I could afford to do so (later on, when my disease recurred again and again, I focused more on studying cancer-related scientific research).

My Mental Activity Routine

Keeping my mind engaged during cancer treatment involved setting daily mental goals and incorporating structured routines that included various mental exercises. This approach helped me stay focused and provided a sense of accomplishment and normalcy.

Setting Daily Mental Goals and Activities

Daily Reading Goals: Setting specific reading targets each day, whether it was a certain number of pages or chapters, kept my mind sharp and focused.

Mental Exercises: I spent a lot of my time and effort studying cancer-related scientific research.

Do Things to Make Me Happy: I watch my favorite TV shows, such as How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Suits, etc. Watching these shows that make me happy and relaxed can help me forget about my worries and the stress of being sick for a while. Besides that, I also enjoy watching comics and animation, especially sports, adventure, and mystery. If I can watch sports movies or animations while I'm exercising, it keeps me in a passionate mood.

Creating a Structured Routine to Incorporate Mental Exercises

A structured routine was crucial in ensuring that mental activities were a regular part of my day. I scheduled specific times for reading, puzzles, and creative pursuits, balancing these activities with rest and physical care. This structure helped create a balanced lifestyle that supported both my mental and physical health, making it easier to manage the demands of chemotherapy and its side effects.

Reading and Research

Reading played a significant role in keeping my mind engaged and informed. It not only provided valuable knowledge about my condition and treatment options but also offered a mental escape through topics of personal interest.

Reading Books, Articles, and Research Papers on Cancer and Treatment Options

I immersed myself in reading books and articles on cancer and its various treatment options. This research helped me understand my diagnosis better and make informed decisions about my treatment plan. Staying updated with the latest research papers on chemotherapy drugs, side effects, and new therapies provided a sense of control and empowerment over my situation. Learning about the experiences of other patients and the advances in cancer treatment gave me hope and perspective during my chemotherapy experience.

Exploring Topics of Personal Interest Outside of Cancer Research

In addition to cancer-related reading, I explored topics of personal interest to provide a mental break from my diagnosis. Apart from cancer, I explored mostly health-related content- whether exercise, science, longevity, ketogenic diet, phytonutrients, or more.

Engaging with topics unrelated to cancer offered a refreshing escape, reducing stress and preventing burnout from constantly focusing on my illness. This approach kept my mind sharp and enriched my life during a challenging period, providing a holistic approach to mental and emotional well-being.

Learning New Skills

Taking up new hobbies and learning new skills were essential in keeping my mind engaged during cancer treatment. These activities provided a productive way to pass the time and offered a sense of accomplishment and growth.

Taking Up New Hobbies or Skills to Keep My Mind Engaged

As long as I'm not completely immobilized, I try to maintain my exercise habits and spend a lot of time figuring out what kind of exercise is best for me. I've tried heavy-weight training, high-intensity intervals, long-distance running, walking, light-weight training, and so on. I have found that Zone 2 cardio works best for me and has the best effect on maintaining my mental state.

Exercise that is too strenuous can cause me to have a mental and physical breakdown the next day. When exercising, I like watching shows like Tour de France: Unchained on Netflix or sports-related videos and movies. This content keeps me motivated to keep exercising.

Using Technology for Mental Engagement

Technology provided valuable tools and apps that helped me stay mentally active and engaged during my treatment. These resources offered convenient ways to practice cognitive exercises and learn new things.

Using Apps for Brain Games and Cognitive Exercises

To keep my mind sharp, I utilized various platforms designed for brain games and cognitive exercises. For instance, I took many computer-related courses on Udemy as they allowed me to keep on learning while keeping my brain engaged.

I enjoyed learning the professional knowledge of computer science. This field is changing rapidly. Many new things became very interesting to me during my illness, so I often bought related books and browsed related websites. Even during chemotherapy, lying on the hospital bed, I brought computer science books to read several times when the nurse saw me reading software-related books and asked me, “Why are you reading this when you're sick?” I replied, “I'm just reading for fun, curious about what these new things are, not for work.”

Until the tumor recurred repeatedly, I began to spend my time and energy researching cancer-related scientific studies. The advantage of doing so is that whenever I learn something new, I will try it out, and after learning and trying again and again, it will make my heart more solid and keep a positive hope for my disease.

Maintaining social connections was crucial for my mental well-being during cancer treatment. Staying in touch with family, friends, and support groups provided emotional support and helped me feel less isolated.

Maintaining Regular Communication with Family and Friends

In the early stages of my illness, I informed my close family and friends of my condition. Spending time with close family and friends helped me forget my worries and stresses for a while. Sometimes, I would take a short trip with family or friends, go to the theater to see a movie, meet up for dinner and conversation, go out for a car wash and chat on the weekends, or go to a friend's house for a barbecue when I was physically able. Maintaining a good depth of social activity keeps me in a positive frame of mind.

Joining Support Groups and Online Communities for Cancer Patients

I also joined support groups and online communities specifically for cancer patients, such as a colorectal cancer group on Facebook. Platforms and online forums provided a space to share experiences, ask questions, and receive support from others going through similar challenges.

These groups offered invaluable advice, encouragement, and understanding, helping me navigate my treatment with a stronger sense of community and belonging. Connecting with other patients who understood my journey was incredibly empowering and uplifting.

Practicing Mindfulness and Meditation

Incorporating mindfulness practices into my daily routine played a significant role in maintaining mental clarity and reducing stress during treatment. These practices provided a calming and centering effect, helping me stay focused and emotionally balanced.

Incorporating Mindfulness Practices into My Daily Routine

I made mindfulness a part of my daily routine by setting aside time each day for meditation and deep breathing exercises. Practicing mindfulness helped me stay present and manage the anxiety and stress associated with my cancer treatment. Techniques such as guided meditation allowed me to relax and clear my mind. This practice was especially helpful in dealing with the emotional and physical toll of chemotherapy sessions and their side effects.

Benefits of Meditation for Mental Clarity and Stress Reduction:

Improves Focus: Regular meditation enhances concentration and mental clarity.

Reduces Stress: Mindfulness practices lower stress levels and promote relaxation.

Enhances Emotional Health: Meditation helps manage emotions, reducing anxiety and depression.

Boosts Immune Function: Stress reduction through mindfulness can positively impact immune health.

Promotes Better Sleep: Meditation improves sleep quality, aiding recovery and overall well-being.

Using Technology to Monitor Health

Utilizing technology to monitor my health was integral to managing my treatment and ensuring optimal well-being. Devices like the Oura Ring and Apollo Wearable provided valuable insights into my health metrics.

Using the Oura Ring for Biometrics and Sleep Tracking

The Oura Ring was instrumental in tracking my biometrics and sleep patterns. This smart ring provided detailed data on my heart rate variability (HRV), sleep stages, and overall activity levels. By monitoring these metrics, I could make informed decisions about my daily routines and adjust my activities to optimize my recovery and energy levels. The Oura Ring helped me understand how my body responded to chemotherapy and guided me in maintaining a balanced approach to rest and physical activity.

Using the Apollo Wearable to Aid Sleep, Recovery, and Relaxation

The Apollo Wearable was another valuable tool that aided sleep, recovery, and relaxation. This device uses gentle vibrations to stimulate the nervous system, promoting calmness and improving sleep quality. I used the Apollo Wearable during meditation sessions and before bed to enhance relaxation and ensure better sleep. It also helped in reducing anxiety and stress, contributing to a more stable and positive mental state during my treatment.

Key Takeaways from My Experience

One of the most important lessons I learned is mental engagement's profound impact on treatment outcomes. Keeping my mind active through reading, learning new skills, and social interactions helped combat the cognitive decline associated with chemotherapy drugs and improved my overall quality of life. Mental activities provided a sense of purpose and normalcy, making it easier to navigate the challenges of cancer treatment.

Engaging in hobbies, practicing mindfulness, and staying connected with loved ones reduced stress and promoted a positive outlook. This holistic approach, combining mental and physical activities, enhanced my resilience and ability to cope with the side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea, fatigue, and hair loss. By prioritizing mental health, I could better manage the physical demands of cancer treatment and maintain a higher quality of life.

Advice for Others on Staying Mentally Active During Treatment

For those undergoing cancer treatment, staying mentally active is essential. Here are some practical tips to help maintain mental engagement and improve overall well-being:

Set Achievable Mental Goals: Incorporate daily mental exercises and activities into your routine. This can include reading, puzzles, or learning new skills.

Explore New Hobbies and Skills: Take up new hobbies or learn something new to keep your mind engaged and provide a sense of accomplishment.

Stay Socially Connected: Maintain regular communication with family and friends, and join support groups or online communities to share experiences and receive emotional support.

Practice Mindfulness and Meditation: Incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine to reduce stress and improve mental clarity.

Use Technology to Monitor Health: Utilize devices like the Oura Ring and Apollo Wearable to track health metrics and enhance relaxation and recovery.

The Importance of Mental Activity in Cancer Treatment

Maintaining mental activity during cancer treatment is crucial for managing the cognitive and emotional challenges that come with chemotherapy. Engaging in mental exercises, learning new skills, staying socially connected, and utilizing technology for health monitoring can significantly improve quality of life and treatment outcomes.

Cancer patients can enhance their resilience and overall well-being by setting achievable mental goals, exploring new hobbies, and practicing mindfulness. This holistic approach helps combat chemobrain and other side effects and fosters a sense of normalcy and empowerment throughout the cancer journey.

What My Approach Was to Staying Mentally Active During Treatment