Brace For Sharp Turns: The Routines And Non-Routines Of Living With Advanced Cancer
Speaker: Sharsheret’s Clinical Supervisor Shera Dubitsky, MEd, MA
Living with an advanced cancer diagnosis can be a difficult journey at times. Just as you settle into a calm place, there may be a new, unexpected twist or turn that you need to process. It is as if you have typed in a destination into your car’s GPS, hit a detour, and hear the voice “recalculate” over and over again.
The following are tips on how to manage these detours in your cancer journey:
- Brace for sharp turns. Know that this journey comes with detours. Try to embrace this knowledge, reducing the “shock” reflex from being triggered.
- Go back to your map. This is probably not the first time in your life that you have experienced unexpected turns. Look back and rely on what coping strategies worked in the past, and don’t repeat tactics that were not effective.
- Turn to others who are either on this journey with you or are on a similar journey. Sometimes this journey can feel very lonely. Try to reach out to your support network to help you navigate your uncharted journey.
- Buckle up. Have a few reliable plans of actions that you can implement when facing external triggers. It will help you feel more in control and empowered.
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