Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Take care of you!

As a cancer survivor everything seems to revolve around the cancer.  Your schedule is mandated by doctor appointments.  Every day is uncertain if you feel well or not and have limitations.  It's irritating I won't lie.  There are times when you feel dictated by this disease and it's irritating.  I for one feel the need to rebel when I feel my disease is taking over my life.  This may sound a little immature but it's true.  I don't do anything too crazy, just impulsive trip to an amusement park or some other outing in a big public setting. This is a big deal, because as a current patient undergoing treatment your immune system is more compromised and the doctors like to make you paranoid about getting sick from a common cold turning into pneumonia! God forbid someone sneeze or cough near me I flinch.  It's crazy. 
Life alone is busy and as a mom it's busier.  Work, house, kids, bills, family, friends and disease.  It's a handful.  We need to remember while we are taking care of everything, and everyone else we need to care for us too.  That means taking a nap, getting nails done, not because you need to but because you want to.  Relax.  Yes you deserve it, you need it!  It's healthy.  Get a massage, facial, relax in a pool or hot tub, sit outside in the sun and read a book. You don't need to be rich or a Real Housewife to take some time to pamper yourself.  It is totally possible to pamper on a budget.  Bubble bath is usually $5, you can do an at home facial for $2.99+, a manicure is as low as $15, or you could spend more and go to a spa. Don't neglect your own wellbeing. 
My sister is so crazy busy with her girls, her church, her husband's business and her huge family and friends.  I used to make her a bubble bath and set the timer for an hour and basically lock her in the bathroom and force her to relax.  Now that she has Chron's disease she hasn't slowed down at all and she is constantly in an out of the hospital with flareups.  If she doesn't slow down and take this disease seriously it can turn into colon cancer.  Now that we are older and live further apart and I have my own family I can't do that forced relaxation for her anymore, and I can tell her health is suffering for it.  She has the ability and finances to pamper herself, and she does care for herself, she gets her nails and hair done, but is in such a rush and usually multi-tasking when she does it that she doesn't get to unplug and enjoy it, these appointments are just a task on her schedule nothing to sit back and enjoy.  She looks amazing but it takes a toll on her health.  You can have it all!  You can have balance in your life.  You just have to take it to heart and do it. You deserve it, we all do.
Remember it is not selfish to care for yourself, it is self care!

No comments:

Post a Comment