It’s not always the cancer that takes you down for the count. Sometimes it’s the treatments.
Some cancer treatments may save your life but leave you drained. Others could kill you before the cancer ever would. Most come at a major cost.
And ladies, if you’ve survived chemo for breast cancer and are now cancer-free, you might not quite be living the carefree, post-cancer life you envisioned. And that’s because chemotherapy can leave you absolutely wrecked.
You see, chemo doesn’t always just drain you during treatment. Its effects can continue to sap your energy, stamina, and brainpower long after the treatment is over.
Now, new research reveals a way to arm your body against the assault of chemo. It provides you with a weapon to fight for a better shot at the carefree post-cancer life you deserve.
What CHEMO does to your BRAIN
Chemo may be the closest thing we have to legal torture. But in some situations, it’s considered a necessary evil.
If that’s true in your case and chemo is the method of choice for treating your breast cancer, there’s no time to waste. The sooner you act… ideally even before your treatment begins…, the better your chances will be of dodging one of chemo’s most notorious side effects.
It’s called “chemo brain.” And it’s just as miserable as it sounds. Chemo brain can leave you struggling with:
- fatigue
- memory loss
- brain fog
- loss of focus and concentration
- sleep troubles
- mood disorders
…and MORE.
But the new study finds a surprisingly effective fix. Regular activity – ideally before, during, and after your treatment – can minimize the risk of you ever having to battle chemo brain. And should you still be unlucky enough to develop the syndrome, that same activity can slash the severity.
Women who exercise BEFORE a course of chemo starts… but quit during the treatment window… don’t get the full benefit. But the new study shows they still have some protection against chemo brain.
But those ladies who are most inactive overall, on the other hand, have the biggest drop in brain function after chemo.
Now, I know this is a case of “easier said than done.” It’s not always easy to stay active during cancer treatment.
In some cases, it may be downright impossible. And that’s especially true when you’re battling the other treatment side effects, which can include life-sapping fatigue, constant nausea, and chronic pain.
But even a gentle walk when you’re able to manage it can go a long way. A daily stroll could help you reduce your chemo brain risk and ease the physical and mental toll that fighting cancer can take.
Fight chemo brain and other side effects
But staying active isn’t the only thing you can do. There’s another trick you can try that can help combat chemo brain and other cancer treatment side effects.
There are no pills to swallow or appointments to make. And it doesn’t even require you to muster up any extra energy when you’re feeling drained.
It’s a simple self-administered therapy called acupressure. As the name suggests, it hits some of the same acupoints that are stimulated with acupuncture. But instead of pins, you use gentle pressure.
For example, the P6 point, located on the inside of your wrist, can help some folks with nausea. You find it by…
- holding your hand up with your palm facing you
- placing 3 fingers on your wrist with the last one, your ring finger, on the crease
- placing your thumb in the center of your wrist slightly under the index (last) finger
You should feel two tendons under your thumb. That’s your P6 point. Apply firm pressure to that spot for at least three minutes.
In one study, women who learned specific acupressure techniques similar to this one had significant energy, sleep, and mood improvements. You’ll find more details on that game-changing study here in my earlier report.
To learn some easy fatigue-busting acupressure techniques that can help you combat the energy drain of chemo brain, download the University of Michigan’s “MeTime Acupressure” app from your phone’s app store.
Latest posts by Alice Jacob (see all)
- Harsh breast cancer treatment may be unnecessary - July 4, 2022
- Declare freedom from carcinogens this 4th of July - July 4, 2022
- Common appendix operation can haunt you years later - July 3, 2022
