Those who have faced an ovarian or gynecologic cancer diagnosis have so much to offer to others going through a similar experience – be it support, tips or friendship. “Inspired Advice” is a blog series that tackles specific topics – from managing a recurrence to discussing your diagnosis with children – and shares advice and reflections from our OCRA Inspire Online Community. They are, in many ways, the experts.*
Rest Your Body and Raise Your Spirits
- “I recuperated in a room that was bright and sunny that could boost my mood.”
- “Reassurance from family members.”
- “Sleeping slightly elevated from the waist up helped me.”
- “I wasn’t too hard on myself when I felt down.”
- “Get lots of rest.”
- “My family and friends helped me mentally, and my pets kept me company.”
Exercise is Essential
- “Walking a lot beforehand helped me to recover fast. I made a point of continuing to walk as much as I could afterwards.”
- “A Fitbit to get me up and moving every hour. Sometimes it was just a walk around the room — gradually started moving around the house, the yard, and then the block.”
- “It would have been helpful to get some worthwhile guidance about physical activity. I was terrified of disrupting internal healing, so didn’t stay as active as I could have and should have. Three years later, I’m still struggling to regain strength and flexibility.”
- “Definitely movement. I forced myself to walk longer distances around my house several times each day.”
- “Walking every day — even if only five minutes to start — helped me to recover.”
- “My husband made sure that I moved around every day. We would at least walk around the block if I was very tired, or for longer walks through the neighborhood or the park.”
Ask for (and Accept!) Assistance
- “My friends paid for a maid. Better than casseroles.”
- “Ask for help with house cleaning, shopping, yard work, cooking.”
- “My husband took care of the household chores and exercising our dog and my mother-in-law helped out with meals.”
- “I accepted help willingly with things like cleaning, laundry and meal prep.”
Focus on Moving Forward
- “I wanted to get started on chemotherapy. It’s all about staying alive and chemo was the next step. Whatever it takes, whatever the next step, I’m ready to do it.”
- “Researching integrative and alternative therapies.”
- “Working on trying to lead a normal life.”
Consider Palliative Care
Palliative care, which relieves symptoms and reduces suffering, can provide an extra layer of support. Find out how this treatment can help after surgery — or at any stage of your illness — in this conversation about palliative care.
OCRA’s ovarian cancer online support community through Inspire.com offers a safe and private place to share encouraging feedback, compassionate support, and honest personal experiences. There are members from across the world who share their questions, concerns, successes and struggles with honesty and courage. Learn more or join our online Ovarian Cancer Inspire community.
*Sharing ideas and experiences can be extremely helpful but, as always, we advise speaking with your physician before making any dietary changes or adding herbs, teas, vitamins or supplements to your routine.
