H ow to feel better after chemo

How to feel better after chemo

Chemotherapy is tough. But so are you. Get stuck in and get yourself through it. Do whatever you can to prevent catching any colds/flus – I put a tiny note on my front door asking all visiting friends/family to wash their hands when they arrived at my house – and make sure you do the following 7 ways to feel better during chemotherapy.

See friends This is important. A cuppa with a good, positive friend will lift your spirits and help you get through this time in your life. Ask your friends to come to you and enjoy the simple pleasure of a good chat on the couch together. Keep it to one or two visits per week (you don’t want to get overwhelmed or too tired from visitors).

Ask family/friends to cook meals for you I can’t stress this one enough. You are not going to feel like cooking while going through chemotherapy, especially on the days you are attending your hospital as they can be long and tiring days. Clear out your freezer beforehand if you can and ask your friends, family, even good neighbours that want to help, to cook an extra meal or two for you when they’re cooking for themselves. Stock up the freezer. That way you’ll have a healthy home-cooked meal on hand on those days when you’re too tired to cook for yourself. I will never forget those friends and family members that brought us meals – they were so very welcome and also gave my husband a break from cooking.

Drink lots of water Drinking lots of water throughout the day while going through cancer treatment is very important. My hospital recommended drinking 2 litres a day. Water will help flush toxins out of your body and also help with your energy levels. Make sure it’s filtered water if you can and drink from a glass or glass bottle. I bring my water bottle with me everywhere now and drink from it throughout the day, refilling as soon as it’s empty.

Buy new pyjamas You’re going to be spending lots of time on your couch. Buy yourself some lovely, comfortable pyjamas or loungewear and embrace it. Fluffy socks, slippers, dressing gown and silk pillow case too. Why not, sure? You’re worth it.

Order presents for yourself after each treatment Ah, chemo presents. I did this and it helped me get through my twenty weeks of chemotherapy. After each chemo session, while I was on the couch recovering in the days after, I’d spend some time on the laptop ordering a little treat for myself. The parcel that arrived then a few days later was always a mood-lifter and a little nod to myself that I was getting through this.

Have a Day Trip The aftermath of a chemo session left me on the couch for several days. Eventually my energy would return enough for a little outing. Simple day trips lifted my spirits and made me feel somewhat normal again. Check out our ideas for Day Trips online.

Get stuck in to a good box set My husband and I watched six seasons of Suits during my time going through chemotherapy. It was a great distraction for both of us. It allowed us to unwind while we were stuck on the couch and it gave us something to talk about that had nothing to do with the cancer journey we were on.