Dear Brian:
Congrats to you, I also Im undergoing treatments now. I also feel a positive attitude makes a world of difference.
I am post induction chemo and 2 cycles of radiation and chemo, I have 3 more cycles to go.
I feel so strongly about the attitude, right now my mouth is full of sores, but I refuse to give in to them. I have been using a food processer for ease of eating. At times to look at food is nauseating but I know I have to eat to get thru treatments.
I try with a sense of humor to get thru this, after my second round of induction chemo I had severe diarrhea for 48 hrs. (which I was hospitilized for hydration) I told my oncologist I had a favorite new chair over the weekend and it was a commode. He said well you have not lost your sense of humor.
I was told not to cook during trt. (because of the smells) well I am cooking on my off weeks, and doing as much as I could physically. There are days that I am fatigued and I know when I have to rest.
Tuesday when I went for my weekly Dr. visit I was told I was doing very well, the Dr. looked in my mouth and said I have severe mucositis I told him it could be worse. He shook his head and said it is very bad. Well, it might be but it is not going to stop me from doing what I can do. I cannot dwell on the negative during treatment for if I do I know I will start feeling sorry for myself.
I work in the oncology field and during my first cycle of radiation and chemo I went to visit my co-workers (I work and am being treated at the same institution) and a very well-known oncologist told me. You have to keep a postive attitude, it accounts so much for a recovery.
God bless you and all of us that are going thru this.
Cindy B