Self-care
Eating well, managing stress and exercising are ways to promote your
overall health and cope with any form of cancer. Ask your doctor for
specific suggestions about managing testicular cancer. These suggestions
may differ from what you read below.
Eat well
Good
nutrition is especially important for people undergoing cancer
treatment. But eating well can be difficult if you're undergoing
chemotherapy or radiation treatment. You may feel nauseated or lose your
appetite. Foods may seem tasteless.
Even so, eating well during cancer treatment can help you maintain your
stamina and better cope with chemotherapy or radiation. Good nutrition
may also help you prevent infections and remain more active.
Remember these strategies for eating well when you don't feel well:
-
Eat
protein-rich foods.
These foods can
help build and repair your body tissues.
-
Keep an open
mind about food.
Something that is unappealing today might taste better to you next
week.
-
Make the most
out of feeling well.
Eat as many healthy foods as you can. Prepare meals that you can
easily freeze and reheat. Also look for low-fat frozen dinners and
other prepared foods. Try to eat four to six small meals each day
rather than one or two big meals.
-
Give meals a
pleasant atmosphere.
Whenever possible, eat at a table set with attractive dishes and
flowers.
-
Pack in the
calories.
If you're concerned about weight loss, add extra calories to the
foods you eat. For example, spread butter, jam or honey on bread.
Sprinkle foods with chopped nuts.
-
Eat less more
often.
If you have trouble eating enough food in a single
meal, eat smaller amounts of food more frequently. Drink nutritious
liquids, such as fruit juices and milk. Keep snacks handy so that
you can easily eat when you feel like it. Apples, grapes, carrots,
celery, slices of bananas, popcorn and other healthy foods are good
snack choices.
-
Consider
alternative cooking methods.
If the aroma of
cooking foods makes you feel ill, heat foods in a microwave. Choose
foods that require little cooking or that don't have powerful odors.
Manage stress
When
you worry, look beyond the specific event involved. Ask yourself these
questions:
-
What is the worst
thing that can happen?
-
How likely is it
that the worst will happen?
-
Have I done
everything I realistically can to influence the outcome of the
situation?
-
Will the outcome
change my life substantially? Will I even remember it several years
from now?
Methods for reducing physical tension can also help you manage stress.
One simple and powerful technique is to simply close your eyes and
notice your breathing. Pay attention as you inhale and exhale. Your
breathing will become slower and deeper, promoting relaxation. Another
technique is to lie down, close your eyes, slowly scan your entire body
for points of tension and release each one.
Exercise
Besides increasing your endurance, aerobic exercise can lift your mood
and produce a calming effect that lasts well after you finish your
workout. Jogging, swimming and brisk walking are all examples of aerobic
exercise. Choose an activity that increases your heart rate for at least
20 minutes. Try to do these activities for 30 minutes several times a
week if at all possible.
Activities such as running and swimming that require repetitive
movements can produce a mental state similar to meditation. So can yoga
and other stretching exercises.
