Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP
Professor
Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology
University of Maryland School of Nursing

I’ve been blogging here about my difficult recovery following months of cancer treatment. One thing I’ve learned: To fully recover, you must fight to regain your physical endurance and strength, also known as your physical resilience (see this earlier blog post about another important factor in your recovery, emotional resilience).

The advice I’m offering applies to you if you’re the one who’s experiencing the illness, and it’s also relevant if you’re a caregiver for someone living with a serious condition.

Getting Yourself Started

To regain your energy and strength, begin to resume daily activities as soon your healthcare team gives you the green light. Then, slowly but surely, you can increase the time you spend each day doing some form of physical activity. That can be easier said than done, especially when you’re coping with symptoms such as pain or fatigue. Here’s my advice: Start small and begin with the basics. As soon as you’re able, start bathing and dressing yourself. If these tasks are too challenging, talk with your healthcare provider and caregiver about small steps you can take to stay active given your own situation.

Walking is also a great way to recondition. I found during my own recovery that keeping up my usual routine, which involved getting up and exercising every morning, was helpful. Even when I needed to go to the hospital for intravenous hydration, I would consider that my morning walk. Over time, I was able to walk more and more, and I found that walking at 6:00 or 6:30am worked well—even on days when it was hot and humid. Walking is a great way to start the day and can help ease symptoms such as pain and a low mood.

Depending on the weather, the time of year, and the availability of safe walkable space in your community, you may have to be a bit creative. In the summer, for example, early morning walking might be the best—especially if drinking sufficient fluids for hydration is difficult. If outdoor walking isn’t an option but walking is still something you’re able to do safely, consider climbing up and down the stairs, walking in the hallway if you live in an apartment building or institutional setting, or just marching in place while you’re sitting or standing. When it’s safe to do so, putting on headphones and listening to a book or music can help make the time pass more quickly and pleasantly. Continue reading →

Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP
Professor
Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology
University of Maryland School of Nursing

As I noted in an earlier series of blog posts, I’ve been dealing with an intense course of cancer treatment. During my treatment, I’ve come face-to-face with some important but difficult facts—and since I think many of those facts hold true for others dealing with serious chronic illnesses like cancer, I wanted to share them here.

First, I’ve learned that cancer treatment can be a real rollercoaster. Your emotional resilience—or your ability to bounce back from a challenge—can dip. Along my journey through a long, slow recovery, for example, I’ve experienced dark moments when my resiliency has all but faded. I know that many people who cope with chronic illnesses experience these difficult, dark moments—which is why it’s so important to recognize them when they appear.

I’ve also learned that losing your resiliency is often as hard on your caregiver(s) as it is on you. It’s tough when you’re the person undergoing treatment, but it can be equally painful for a caregiver to watch someone struggle with a difficult recovery. These are the moments when you need to say to yourself—or reach out to your loved one and say—“Please fight just a little bit longer.” Let’s look at some ways to make that possible.

Strengthening Your Resiliency Muscles

Where resiliency is concerned, what can you do to help yourself or the person you are caring for draw on inner strength for the road ahead?

Begin by recognizing the difference between physical and emotional resiliency.

We’ve already seen that emotional resiliency is your ability to bounce back from a challenge. Physical resiliency, on the other hand, refers to your ability to recover physical strength after you’ve undergone intensive treatments for cancer, surgery, or other serious medical conditions. Each type of resiliency can be impacted by an illness, and each person may respond to resiliency differently. Physical activity is something that I truly enjoy, for example, so remaining physically resilient was less challenging for me than maintaining my emotional resilience. You need both types of resiliency when you’re dealing with tough medical challenges. Let’s focus here on strategies for conserving your emotional resiliency (my next blog post will be on regaining physical resiliency). Continue reading →