Ask Amelia
Thank you for continuing to send us your questions! As always, below we are sharing with the intention to be helpful. We encourage you to continue to send us your comments and questions through contact us.
I cannot seem so shake my ‘winter blues’. Thoughts?
I remember when I lived in Chicago and the toll the winter months would take. I normally didn’t “thaw” until late May. All of this gets compounded when trying to navigate a cancer journey, so what you are feeling is perfectly understandable. First, remember to be gentle with yourself and your feelings. Second, try easing into a “Spring spirit” by bringing a bit of the season indoors (i.e., place a small vase of flowers on your kitchen table or next to your favorite chair...(btw, daisies are my favorite!), cut a few lemons and place them on a plate on your kitchen counter (the scent is therapeutic!), listen to apps/music that have nature sounds of Spring. Go slowly into all of this and you will see that the winter blues will start to thaw.
The last few weeks it seems like all of my joints started to hurt at once. My doctor told me this is a common side-effect. Do you have any tips?
Joint and nerve pain are still very much a part of my day-to-day. For me, gentle stretching exercises and gentle Pilates work extremely well. Even if I just stretch for as little as 5 minutes each day a few times a day or do a Pilates session for 15 minutes a few times a week, it helps. Just moving and doing targeted breathwork for the joints that ache the most helps me move and function better.
Everyone tells me that walking is a great/easy exercise for cancer patients, but my feet often feel like I’m walking over hot coals. I don’t know what to do!?
The pain you are describing, likely caused by neuropathy due to chemotherapy, can indeed be extremely challenging. While there are several treatments and therapies to help ease the pain, “walking” as a key exercise option, can be challenging. Due to some neuropathy from my initial chemo treatments, I turned to Pilates to help me do exercises that could not just stretch and strengthen my body, but also provide the type of cardiovascular activity that walking often does. One of the many benefits of Pilates is that you can do so much without having to necessarily put pressure on your feet and joints. This all said, always speak with your doctor about which exercise regimen may be best for you.
With love,
Amelia O.
