How do you handle the mental grind of having repeated skin cancers?
I am trying to get a handle on the mental stress of the skin cancer lifestyle. How do you handle/manage it?
To be honest, it’s ALWAYS a struggle. I have started meditating. I started out at 5 minutes, but now I am up to 20 minutes. It has helped a lot!! Thank you! I will definitely check it out.
My faith pulls me through. I’ve tried lots of things and nothing else really helps me very much. I think exercise has its benefits for me, but when my skin issues get bad, I have a hard time getting myself to maintain an exercise regimen. It also helps me to just back off on things. Give myself a break. I can’t perform at a high level in life when I’m struggling with my skin. I understand where you’re coming from. Thanks for letting me know. At times I wonder if others have similar feelings or whether I am out on a limb.
One of my first posts was on this topic so I thought I'd share it. You can see you are not alone in trying to find ways to cope amidst the mental grind of skin cancer, as you call it. Did you see down below that I suggested you try the free meditation app Insight Timer? Or maybe you have? It has a ton of variety, both in length and approach. Oh, I almost forgot to share my story! https://skincancer.net/life-with-skin-cancer/keep-getting-skin-cancer Great article, Ronni. Thanks for sharing that again.
Even though I have had quite a few skin cancers, and al of the three usual types, (basal, squamous and melanoma) I tend to be grateful that they are treatable and thankful that none of my skin cancers have gone beyond Mohs surgery and chemo so far. Also my Dermatologist does a skin check every three months and removes any new mole (they are always skin cancer at my age). Just look at the bright side. We are still above ground.
I love your outlook! It can be challenging to find things to be grateful for when diagnosed with skin cancer, but I'm happy to see that looking on the bright side has helped you through your journey. Also, love to hear that you're keeping up with your skin checks - we all know how important these are. Thank you for sharing this wisdom with our community! All the best, Alexa (SkinCancer.net moderator) I am appreciative of your response and am happy that you have found a good place of gratefulness. Since I am reading this, I am assuming I am above ground as well. Thank you and please keep us updated on how you are doing. Scott skincancer.net moderator
