Posted in Coping

Whilst there are no magic pills you can take to protect yourself from getting sick, there are a number of things you can do to support the strength of your immune system and body's ability to manage incoming pathogens and illnesses.
Eat fresh food Vibrant plant foods are the best sources of nutrients, including antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which are essential for your immune system to work efficiently. Forget stocking up on frozen pizzas, and instead buy fresh ingredients. If...

My story is one of love, loss and transformation. It began four years ago with my husband's suicide.
I responded to his death the only way I knew how: I was stoic and resilient. After taking a couple of months off work, I went back to my executive role. I went back to competitive running. I saw a counsellor each Wednesday to "schedule" my grief, but otherwise soldiered on with life and thought I was coping really well.
Two and a half years later, in November 2018, I found a...

Once you receive a cancer diagnosis, everything happens very quickly. You are seen by oncologists, multiple specialists, sometimes surgeons and nurses, and you are confronted with big scary words and and statistics. A treatment approach is basically decided for you and you are thrown right into the deep end of "the world of cancer". You may not even have the time to realise that you are in crisis. Crisis
From the Greek word Krisis (decision) or Krinein (decide). The focus is ...

The Power of Touch Therapeutic touch is a beautiful and powerful form of compassion and care. A hug, a simple brush of the knee, or a squeeze of a hand can convey reassuring support and comfort. When someone is going through cancer treatment, a time which is incredibly stressful, scary and traumatic, many friends shy away from physical touch, perhaps in fear it may not be welcomed or cause physical pain. In fact, patients are poked and prodded and examined with surgical gloves, all of w...

Of all the side effects of cancer treatment, some expected, some unexpected, cancer related fatigue is the most common and the most debilitating.   What is cancer related fatigue? Cancer related fatigue (CRF) is a persistent lack of energy that is not significantly improved by sleep, and is not due to over exertion. CRF feels different to a tiredness you might feel at the end of a long day that is restored with a good nights' sleep. CRF can make it difficult to cope with the ...

It may not be Luis Vuitton or Prada....but mama's got a new (ileostomy) bag.  Tales and experiences with a colostomy from one of our wonderful patients. Hi there, welcome to the club! If your experience was anything like mine, you were so beautifully cared for by the stoma nurses in hospital following your surgery. It felt like a safe little cocoon, and entering out into the world with your Colostomy bag (c-bag) on board felt a bit like leaving home. What I'd like to poin...