The day of diagnosis is a terrible day in someone’s life. I can’t say I’ve been there but I’ve met hundreds of people in the days that follow and I’ve seen the whole spectrum of reactions….

“Am I going to die?”

“I’m going to fight this!”

*Tears….

“Why did this happen? Why me?”

*Anger

I suspect all of the above runs through everyone’s mind in those first few days. Some people process it on their own, some with the help of their family or some with friends.

Then when the emotion calms for a time, the information hunting begins. Some seek out their family doctor, some their natural health practitioner, others a trusted nurse plus of course, Dr Google. And of course all of these avenues are normal, as you figure out how you are going to tackle this unexpected and huge new challenge.

So with all this new information, I often see patients want to tackle their cancer diagnosis on all fronts. As we plan treatment, with surgery or with other medical therapies, many patients use this time to make other healthy changes in their life.

These may include

• improving the nutritional quality of your diet

• prioritising sleep

• prioritising exercise (walking is the gold standard here - good for mind/good for bones)

• reducing your work commitment (this may be necessary depending on the cancer treatment you are recommended), increasing rest

• eliminating toxins - alcohol and cigarettes

• checking in with your General Practitioner to ensure any other medical issues are optimised - blood pressure, blood sugar, lung function, thyroid, gastrointestinal health, gynaecological health

• checking in with your natural health practitioner - to support your background health particularly during this time of increased stress

Getting these building blocks under control isn't just to provide a distraction. They are the basis of a healthy, long life. Plus we know that cancer outcomes are improved when patients have

• a nutritionally balanced diet

• exercise regularly

• stop smoking cigarettes

• stop drinking alcohol

So I the encourage my patients to use this time to seek out all the advice, take all the help and support they can get - or as I like to say “Do ALL the things!” Now is the time to prioritise your health, in every way.

In the next post, we’ll talk about what is involved in breast cancer treatment, including breast surgery and axillary (lymph node) surgery.