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Life After Cancer Presentation: Highly Recommended!

SilverGrizzly
1 Recommendation

I just learned probably 25 things I can do to help prevent my cancer from coming back, while watching the hour and a half presentation on the M.D. Anderson website by the man who wrote "Life After Cancer". It is incredible. Really worth spending the time seeing. It is full of amazing statistics and ideas for how to change your "terrain" so that cancer can't grow so easily in your body. -Jan

http://www3.mdanderson.org/streams/MDACCFlvPlayer2.html?xml=publicEd/config /Anti-Cancer_cfg

Explore topics in this discussion:

Cancer Surgery Stress Bladder cancer

3 replies

nancynursez637

Yes, there is life after cancer, life after work, life after careers, it is all about your state of mind and making plans. So many look at it as a loss rather than a stage to get through and get on with life. I recognize many face more serious issues with their cancer, and that takes some mental training to live in the here and now to learn to enjoy what we have, instead of what we might miss in the future.

Nancy

SilverGrizzly

Nancy,
Thank you for your post. It is so well said. My process since my diagnosis has been a long, slow and painful one of learning how to live in the here and now rather than fearing the future. It is a PROCESS. I've a long way to go in this, but I've begun.

With bladder cancer, the future can look fearful indeed, with its high recurrence rate. The only way I've managed to get out of that fear is by doing just what you said--living in the present and being grateful for what I have. Doesn't always work, but when I can, it is a big improvement.

Also, the Life After Cancer ideas give one hope that there IS something we can do, in terms of lifestyle, what we put into our bodies, our social support system, etc. to change our "terrain" in the hopes that we can reduce that high recurrence rate for ourselves. He has statistic after statistic to show that people have done this with various cancers.

And feeling like there is a semblance of control over our lives is one of the things this presentation indicates is SO important. We can't necessarily reduce the stress of this diagnosis, but we CAN have control over what we eat, reducing toxins in our environment, etc.

He goes into all this in great detail in this presentation. -Jan

15yrsurvivor

I have always believed that there is much we can do yo assist our body in the fight against cancer! You are absolutely right about controlling those things we can control and reducing our exposures to carcinogens. A sense of some degree of control gives one a feeling of hope, which is a crucial component of recovery! Learning all we can is also very important.

It may be just partly good luck, but I have always believed this since my diagnosis and surgery. I am living proof that the odds can be beaten.

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Related links from BCAN

Researchers are looking for bladder cancer survivors to complete a telephone survey. Click here for more information.

Newly diagnosed
Information for those newly diagnosed with bladder cancer from BCAN.

Bladder Cancer Basics for the Newly Diagnosed
Download or order a copy of BCAN's patient handbook "Bladder Cancer Basics for the Newly Diagnosed" free of charge.

Clinical trials
Get information about clinical trials and BCAN's Clinical Trials Matching Service which is offered at no charge.

Women and bladder cancer
Information about women and bladder cancer from BCAN.

BCAN's glossary (PDF)

BCAN's November Patient Forum in San Francisco
"Understanding Bladder Cancer: A BCAN Patient Forum"
San Francisco, CA
Saturday, November 7, 2009
9:30 am - 2:30 pm
The forum and lunch are free, but pre-registration is required at www.bcan.org or 888-901-BCAN

Presentations from BCAN's May 2009 Patient Forum
Presentations and slides from BCAN's most recent Patient Forum in Cleveland. Those diagnosed with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer will be most interested in Dr. Jones' and Dr Pohar's presentations. People diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer will be most interested in Dr. Gong and Dr. Gilligan's presentations. Dr. Campbell talks about improving outcomes in bladder cancer patients, and Dr. Hansel talks about the importance of pathology in diagnosing, staging, and deciding on treatment for each patient.

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