As an African American man, your odds of developing prostate cancer are higher than that of other ethnicities. Worse yet, many men aren’t diagnosed until the disease is in its late stages. While you’re undergoing treatment, you must know how to take care of yourself and manage late-stage prostate cancer.
Let’s look at the major ways you can ensure that you’re taking care of your physical and mental health while dealing with advanced prostate cancer.
Manage The Side Effects Of Your Treatment
Regardless of the type of treatment that you’ve been prescribed, you’ll be dealing with side effects that vary from mild to severe. While discussing your treatment with the doctor, make sure to ask about how you can effectively manage these issues.
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In some cases, home remedies or over-the-counter medications can help but there may be times when you’ll need your doctor’s intervention. As an example, many men who undergo hormone treatment can get hot flashes, which are easily treated with cold compresses at home.
Stay As Active As You Can
With everything going on, exercise might be the last thing on your mind. However, being physically active is vital to overall wellness.
It helps your body to function effectively, boosts your mood, and helps sleep well.
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The good news is that you don’t need to find the most strenuous exercise out there to get these benefits. Swimming, hiking, walking, and riding a bicycle are great options.
Of course, it’s best to talk to your doctor before you start a new exercise routine.
Make Plans To Eat Well
As with being active, having a healthy diet makes a huge difference when dealing with late-stage prostate cancer. This may be hard, however, because side effects from your treatment can cause you to lose your appetite, develop sensitivities to certain flavors, and get mouth sores.
Consulting a dietitian is a great way to modify your diet without losing the nutrition you need.
Keep An Eye On Your Mental Health
To deal with your illness, you can’t only pay attention to physical wellness.
Poor mental health can take its toll on your recovery as well. Many persons with late-stage cancer are faced with anxiety, depression, and bouts of unexplained anger.
In this regard, it’s recommended that you stay proactive. Note the symptoms that you need to look out for and find ways to combat them. For example, doing something daily that makes you happy can stave off depression. If self-care doesn’t help, talk to a professional.
Build a Support System
No one should go through such a life-changing event alone.
As you’re handling the illness, your treatments, and the management of your care, reach out to people who can give you the support you need.
That can include a therapist, your friends, or your family. Bear in mind that there are multiple support services available for persons who are dealing with late-stage cancer.
Practice Effective Stress Management
There’s no doubt that managing your treatment while going through daily life can be stressful. The best way to deal with this stress is to make time for relaxation.
You can start with simple activities like reading a book or talking with a friend.
Yoga, meditation, and tai chi can also be useful relaxation techniques. If you’re feeling truly overwhelmed, look at ways that you can outsource some of the tasks you need to do.
Keep Informed About Your Illness
One thing that often adds to the stress and anxiety of living with advanced prostate cancer is the lack of information. While you should be able to have meaningful conversations with your doctor, there’s nothing wrong with doing some research on your own.
What you learn can help to inform your next visit and it may help you to know that the things you’re experiencing are far from rare.
It might not be easy but you have to take care of yourself while dealing with advanced prostate cancer.
By using the tips here, you can craft a plan that can help you to manage late-stage prostate cancer and what its treatment may throw at you.
As always, consult your doctor before making any major changes to your routine.
