The diagnosis of cancer can be a shock to your system, no one wants to hear that the big C is now a part of their world and future life.

Moreover, the symptoms or side effects of cancer and its treatment can affect your quality of life. 

Cancer: Such an illness brings profound changes; its also a time for deep thoughtful contemplation. After you've gone through the ordeal of 'Why Me' and 'How could this happen to me'?  there comes a time for deep reflections.

You might like to stand back and reflect on your life or lifestyle and to decide on likely changes.

Health Changes: The psychological stages of loss and grief will no doubt take root.

• Feelings of depression may come upon you as you learn about the exact nature of your diagnosis.
• The physical symptoms of depression may include changes in your sleep patterns either insomnia or excessive sleeping or changes in energy levels.
• The experience of fatigue, loss of energy and lethargy is par for the course with depression.
• It's important to take action to buoy up, strengthen and support your emotional health, to reshuffle and adjust.

Emotions Do Matter: Taking good care of yourself will help you to deal with the emotional side of your diagnosis.

• You should make every effort to encourage yourself each day
• Give gratitude and applaud 'You' for your fortitude, chutzpah and mettle in coping with your illness thus far.
• It is important to not give in, or give up, to choose to be a survivor.
• Strengthen or hold firm to your well-honed coping skills.

Coping: Knowing that there are care and support goes a long way to strengthening your coping skills.

• If you should feel hopeless or sad you may choose to draw on your spiritual core.
• Prayer and meditation can be effective therapies that help you cope; it can strengthen your ability to hope or to help you feel positive about of the future.
• You may want to devote time to looking attentively at your religious beliefs or whats most important in your life.
• Live life fully with all the gusto you can muster and as best as is possible. 
• Stay connected and communicate with friends and family, reach out,  they can be a tremendous source of support, help and comfort.
• Then there is palliative care a supportive service which may be needed depending on the trajectory and prognosis of your illness. Such a service ensures you or your family do not have to deal with your illness alone.
• Palliative care provides personalized services and offers comfort from a range of specialized supportive measures.