Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women. In 2017, the rate of new breast cancer diagnosis was 125.1 per 100,000 women.
Breast cancer is a horrible disease that comes with many challenges. Living with breast cancer isn’t easy. It causes physical and emotional health issues that can affect a woman’s quality of life.
Women with breast cancer need to know how to cope with the issues that come with this type of cancer. Read this guide to learn five coping tips that women living with breast cancer can use.
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Understand Your Cancer Diagnosis
A good way to cope with the challenges of this disease is if the patient has enough information about the diagnosis. Anxiety and fear are two of the challenges that many breast cancer patients experience.
A breast cancer diagnosis can cause a woman to experience anxiety because of the uncertainty of what may come ahead. To cope with fear and anxiety, a patient must ask questions about her diagnosis. This includes asking about the symptoms of breast cancer and potential complications.
Questions should also focus on treatment. Patients should ask about their options and side effects of the breast cancer treatment that they will receive. These answers will give them an idea of what’s to come.
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Meet With Your Treatment Team
After a breast cancer diagnosis, a patient will be assigned a team of healthcare providers. This team may consist of a breast surgeon and an oncologist. A psychologist and social worker may also be part of the team.
The patient should meet with her team and discuss a treatment plan. Meetings with the team can take place often. This can help the patient’s anxiety levels to go down.
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Seek Support
The treatment team can provide a lot of support. Breast cancer patients need all the support they can get. Having family and friends who can offer help is a great way as breast cancer patients often need help with their errands.
Cancer patients should consider joining a support group. Talking to other people who are breast cancer patients can help out a lot. Breast cancer patients won’t feel alone if they know other women are also experiencing the same challenges.
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Practice Self-Care
Breast cancer treatment can cause fatigue. Undergoing treatment can be overwhelming too. To cope with the challenges of treatment, patients must practice self-care.
Healthy habits can help to reduce stress. Breast cancer patients could consider practicing meditation and yoga.
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Using CBD
CBD is one of the active ingredients of cannabis. It may have the potential to help breast cancer patients cope with some of the symptoms. CBD may help alleviate pain, nausea, and anxiety.
Click the link to learn more about the potential benefits CBD can provide to breast cancer patients.
Tips for Living with Breast Cancer
Breast cancer patients know it’s not easy living with breast cancer. This type of cancer can present several challenges, but it’s possible to overcome them.
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