Survivor Advice
&
Caregiver Advice
The advice area is broken down into both advice for survivors as well as caregivers. I also included a few helpful links as well. Also check out the how you can help area for more specific ways to make this journey a little easier.
Advice From Jetty
In my book I spend quite a bit of time giving advice and talking about my story and what I did during treatment, but the long and short of it is that I did everything in my power to stay positive. I know that it is difficult sometimes, it is the toughest thing you will ever do. You will feel lows, you will feel highs, and you will be faced with things you never would have imagined before.My advice:
1. Keep positive as much as possible. This does not mean happy, life is hitting you the hardest and there is no reason why you should not be expressing how you feel, but know that you can do this!
2. Understand your limits and to accept help from those who offer even if you feel like you can do it all yourself. This is your time to take care of yourself.
3. Know your body and take your health into your own hands. There is no reason why a doctor should ever talk down to you or treat you like you are not a human being. If they will not listen to you then find a new doctor.
4. Your health and sanity is the most important and if someone is not contributing to that in a positive way then cut them out of your life.
5. Find what makes you happy and try to make time for it every day, even if only for a few minutes. Take the time to journal, sketch, read, or just play games online.
Some Sites I recommend as helpful
The sites that I found most helpful at the time are not really as useful now. So, I am upgrading my list for the current interwebs culture. These are the sites I would use now.
Advice From Kris
Even though Kris is an amazing writer it is often hard for him to articulate a multitude of advice. His advice is practical and to the point.Kris' advice:
1. Make sure to keep on hand water bottle and food, because you never know when it will come in handy especially in the hospital where food can be expensive. They don’t provide extra meals or meals for anyone visiting. It’s hard to leave to come back to your home so it’s best to have it with you
I think this is great advice because as long as there are no restrictions, your survivor will be desperately missing a little bit of home when in the hospital. So a nice snack can make a big difference. Plus, it is always easier on the survivor when everyone else around them is comfortable as well.
Some Sites he recommend as helpful
The sites that Kris found most helpful were sites that take your mind off the wait and the stress. These are the sites he would visit now.
Advice From Angel
Angel's advice:
My best advice is to really listen to your loved one and pay attention to their needs that they might not mention. Some of the things your loved one needs help with can be too embarrassing for them to mention, and it eases their distress if they don't have to ask because you were simply paying attention. There is a lot to be said about just listening and paying attention. People want to be heard.
Angel also really found journaling helpful. Sometimes getting it out on paper can really help you get your thoughts in order.
Some Sites I recommend as helpful
A lot of Angel’s most helpful sites, do not resemble what they were in 2005 (such as Facebook and LiveJournal). I feel like Facebook is still helpful but I am upgrading LiveJournal to Word Press and Blogger.
Advice From Donna Coane
Donna was one of our first Ram Scholarship for the Arts winner and she chose the essay question: What advice would you offer to new survivors?"Donna's advice:
1. The best advice I would give to a fellow artist newly diagnosed with cancer would be to continue their creative endeavors. Even through the most difficult of times, one should try to channel these strong emotions into their craft. Art is a good way for a cancer patient, especially an artist, to release the anger, frustration, and tension they will experience during their treatment. The cancer can be used as the inspiration for his or her art work.
2. I would also advise a cancer patient to keep a sketchbook on them always. That way at every doctor’s meeting, radiation treatment, chemotherapy session, radiology scan, and long stay in the hospital, one can have a way to express their emotions. The sketchbook can be a patient’s escape from the pain of cancer treatments.
3. An artistic cancer patient should also ask for art therapy at their hospital.
4. A long hospital stay can also be a good time for an artist to learn a new medium. I always found it best to do long tedious projects of crochet to get my mind off of the cancer treatments. These projects helped me pass the time and were very relaxing.
5. Whether it’s artwork, donating to a hospital, volunteering your time, or raising money for cancer research, doing something is a healthier approach than doing nothing. The most important thing for a cancer patient, artistic or otherwise, is to turn the negative experience around, to become inspired and make something positive out of it.
Some Sites to Get Advice
I know that I shared Stupid Cancer above but I want to share it again here. I also want to share my most favorite charity out there the SAMFund. This charity is a great place to meet up with fellow survivors, watch webinaires, apply for grants, and get good advice. These are also cancer specific advice sites. Please check them out and see how much they can help you!
