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Living With Cutaneous Lymphoma
Practicing yoga during cancer treatments can resolve insomnia, improve
mood, and enhance quality of life. Additional benefits include enhanced
breathing, improved appetite and bowel habits, increased sense of peace
and tranquility, and fewer side effects. A recent study found that lymphoma
patients who practiced yoga had improved sleep quality and decreased use of
sleep medications.
Watch and Wait: Living with the Unknown
Watching and waiting can be hard; no one handles “waiting” inherently
well, especially when dealing with cancer. Some people refer to this as
“watch and worry.” A study of young adults with relapsed/refractory
lymphoma in their twenties revealed that those with indolent disease adapt
to “living in the gray” by finding a balance between knowing lymphoma will
return at some point and not letting worrying about “when” affect daily life.
Some people find balance by investing wholly in personal relationships,
fulfilling work, and healthy living. A reasonable first step is to acknowledge
that it is scary to have an incurable cancer. From a place of acknowledging
that this is not what you choose, you will identify strategies for living your
life to the fullest.
Philosopher Paul Tillich suggested that anxiety of the unknown – that
which can never be known - is the toughest of all. In a scenario where
physicians do not have the ability to predict when, if at all, your disease may
require treatment, you are left with the task of finding a way to live with the
unknown.
Today there are many options for adding to your care and support system
while living with cutaneous lymphoma. Check out your local gym, yoga
studio or holistic health center and try a new class. See what works for you
and incorporate that into your overall long-term healthy living program.
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