Everyone is aware that not only is cancer a life-threatening disease, but cancer care can also be extremely tiring. Especially when it comes to chemotherapy. Yes, there’s the nausea and soreness to deal with, but that’s nothing as compared to the fatigue that’s relentless. Some liken it to being in a boxing ring – feeling completely beaten up!
However, that’s no reason for a patient to feel dejected and give in. In fact, at Onco Life Hospital, it’s not for no reason that we’re renowned for giving the best chemotherapy treatment in Pune. Our expert oncologists have figured out 8 ways in which you can improve your strength and stamina, even while you’re undergoing chemotherapy.
Let’s face the harsh facts first. Yes, cancer is a tiring disease. Secondly, 50-90% of patients do complain of extreme fatigue. Plus, anti-cancer drugs do sap the patient of all his or her strength – but here’s the good part. They can fight it by making wise changes in their diet and lifestyle. Here’s how.
Eat enough calories: Even if you’re overweight, this is no time to diet. Because during chemotherapy, you lose a lot of muscle mass anyway. So the thing is, eating enough is more enough than eating healthy during cancer treatment. Your body needs lot of nourishing food to help maintain your strength and stamina. If you’re receiving the best chemotherapy treatment in Pune at Onco Life Hospital, then you can be assured that our physicians and oncologists will ask you to be referred to the dietician to find out how many calories you need to consume every day. As we find, some patients need to keep nibbling in order to ‘settle their stomach’ and some prefer to eat just one kind of food, like say mashed potatoes. To each, his own.
Fortify diet with supplements: When your nutrition is poor, fatigue is an after-effect. Which is why, we at Onco Life Hospital also recommend taking the necessary supplements like multivitamins, calcium, Omega 3, etc. In case, we find that the chemotherapy has left the patient too exhausted to eat, we also advise taking intravenous nutrients.
Learn how to control nausea: Nausea is a common feeling during chemotherapy. At Onco Life Hospital, where you can get the best chemotherapy treatment in Pune, we generally adjust the medication and tailor it to suit the patient’s need. However, we have discovered that new anti-nausea medications may lead to slow digestion, which leads to constipation and food staying in the stomach for longer. For this, we usually prescribe a laxative that’s safe to use with the other medications.
Strengthen your blood: Fatigue is often a by-product of anaemia, a condition where blood doesn’t contain enough red blood cells to transport all the oxygen that the body needs. Chemotherapy drugs affect the bone marrow where red blood cells are produced, causing anaemia. However, at Onco Life Hospital, we prescribe a multivitamin supplement with iron – one of the building blocks of red blood cells. When receiving the best chemotherapy treatment in Pune, our patients are often prescribed B12 and Folic Acid, that help bone marrow recover.
Manage the stress: A lot of patients find that anxiety kicks in, when chemotherapy starts. Because of this, the immune system stops functioning properly. Which means, stress needs to be reduced. Blogging or writing a journal or talking to a counsellor is important at these times – so that the patient is able to discharge his or her feelings adequately and channel it into positive energies and thoughts.
Improve sleep patterns: Constantly worrying about the chemotherapy can rob a patient of his or her sleep, leading to fatigue. At Onco Life Hospital, we do prescribe medications or supplements that can help our patients sleep better. However, yes, we are very careful that our patients don’t get dependent on them over a long period. As one of the hospitals offering the best chemotherapy treatment in Pune , we ensure our dosages are never higher than 40mg.
Exercise your body: Taking a walk has always been a great thing! So a 45-minute walk – be it sunshine or rain – is a sure-shot way to reduce fatigue. In fact, if the patient can also talk to a close friend while walking, great! Getting exercise not only fights the chemotherapy fatigue, it also helps you live longer.
No matter how aggressive your chemotherapy treatment is, here’s the thing: Don’t lose hope. Because we at Onco Life Hospitals are with you, every step of the way. As one of the best chemotherapy treatments in Pune, we know what to do for you to make your life better.
